Services we offer

We support schools both by providing loans of books and other resources, and by offering advice and support:

Loans of resources
We offer two different book loan services for all subscribing primary, middle and special schools - topic loans and the mobile exchange service.

A Topic loan collection is a collection of 15-20 books (and sometimes also other items, such as poster packs and DVDs), individually compiled to meet your needs. Loaned for one term (although they may be renewed for an additional term if required), and delivered in a sturdy plastic box.

 Online topic order form 

Mobile exchange service Our mobile library stocks a comprehensive range of fiction and non-fiction stock. Schools can exchange up to half the stock on loan (or 250 books if this is greater than half the books on loan) each time the mobile library visits. We also run competitions for children via the mobile library.

STAR Collection
The Suffolk Teachers' Artefacts and Resources (STAR) Collection is the name for our collection of artefacts and other resources for teachers based in our Ipswich centre. Please visit our Ipswich centre to look at the resources, or telephone your local centre with some information on the type of resources you are looking for (e.g. Sikhism, World War 2) and we will arrange for items to be delivered to your nearest centre. The collection contains a range of artefacts, books and other resources to support teachers with classroom work.

Advice and support
We have a team of experienced, fully-qualified professional librarians, who are available to help with any aspect of your school's library provision. Examples of the support we can offer are:

• advice on buying good books
• computerising your school library
• improving the library environment
• library evaluations
• library skills activities with children
• recruitment and training of library staff
• revamping your library stock
• story-reading and book promotion sessions with children
• booklists

For further information about our advisory support, or to discuss a package for your school, contact your local Advisory Librarian.

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