We want your child to borrow lots of books, read widely, and discover the joy of reading for pleasure! Here is how we do it...

The LRC Collection

The LRC Collection includes Fiction and Non-Fiction books, Graphic Novels, Fast Reads, Magazines, the Ngā Taonga Māori collection, World Languages Collection and Picture Books. We aim to have something for everyone!

Book Recommendations

A favourite part of my job is being a "book matchmaker", helping every student to find the perfect book for them.  Having read many of the books in our LRC collection, I can normally find at least one to suit any individual.  Students can also get ideas for great books to read using resources on the LRC website.  If they are still struggling to find something they want to read, they can always request that I buy a particular book for the LRC using the online suggestion form.

LRC Sessions

We offer a range of reading promotion sessions throughout the year, e.g. "Speed Dating Books" and "Genre Bingo", as well as the more traditional (but ever popular) Book Talks.

Aside from reading promotion sessions, students also come to the LRC to take part in a Digital Citizenship Unit (5 sessions) and a Research Skills Unit (7 sessions).

LRC Catalogue

All students attend LRC Orientation sessions at the beginning of the year and have practice at using the LRC Catalogue to find the location and availability of items in the LRC. The Catalogue also features book reviews that can help steer students in the direction of their next great read.

Borrowing

Students can borrow up to six items at once, but if they want more they just need to ask. As long as they don't have any overdue items, the answer will be "yes".

The standard loan period for books is three weeks, and for graphic novels & magazines the loan period is one week. Loans can be renewed as long as there are no reserves on that item. We don't charge fines for overdue items, but we do want students to return their overdue books in a timely fashion so other students can borrow them.

How you can help

It would be greatly appreciated if you could help your child manage any overdue items they might have by reminding them to either renew or return overdues if required.

LRC Overdue Notices are sent by email and are generated automatically by the Library Management System. The LRC Overdue Notice sequence is as follows:

1st Overdue Notice - sent when the item is 2 weeks overdue. The 1st notice is sent just to the student's Heaton email - we don't want to bother parents unnecessarily! This is a "friendly reminder" and asks the student to either renew their loan or return the item. Ideally the student takes some action at this point - but if not...

2nd Overdue Notice - sent when the item is 3 weeks overdue. This is sent to the student and is also copied to one parent/caregiver. If you receive a copy of an Overdue Notice, please know that this is not the first notice your child has received and that they may need a prompt from you to take action.

3rd Overdue Notice - sent when the item is 4 weeks overdue. This is sent to the student and once again copied to one parent/caregiver. As no action has been taken, despite the 2 previous emails, the item is assumed to be lost. Notice is given that the student's account will be charged for the replacement cost unless the student contacts Mrs Boniface with an explanation or the book is returned within a few days.

If you receive a copy of an LRC Overdue Notice addressed to your child, could you please ensure your child takes the appropriate action promptly. Many thanks for your help with this.

If you would like to contact me with feedback or questions about the Heaton LRC, my email is Bonifacej@heaton.school.nz