All About the Denault Library

We Invite you to Water your Imagination
Come Visit the Library

 Jordana Shaw
 Head Librarian		 Sam Kane
 Library Teacher


The mission of our program is to encourage students to become effective users of ideas and information and to become life-long learners and lovers of reading and literature.

The collection at Nashoba Brooks includes over 15,000 books & other materials to support the curriculum and to meet the varied interests of pre-schoolers through middle-schoolers. Children may also borrow magazines or audio stories or listen to some of our books on tape while they are visiting the library. A 16-station computer lab makes it possible to introduce the on-line card catalog, databases and other on-line research strategies and web sites to an entire class. Videos/DVDs about favorite authors and books, as well as about science and social studies topics, are available for teachers to use in the classroom.

Our program is designed to help children understand the resources and arrangement of the library and to give students strategies to find books and information. The librarians work with students in preschool through grade eight to develop a love of books and the exploration of ideas while providing an environment for self-directed learning and research. Most of all, the Library is the place for generating the “spark of magic that will send kids back to books again and again.”  Pre-schoolers learn about story time.  Kindergartners go on weekly book hunts.  First graders learn to navigate the folklore section.  Second graders are formally taught the use of the online catalog. As the need for information and research skills develop, the library curriculum is increasingly integrated with the classroom curriculum. For instance, third graders learn how to find information within a non-fiction text while doing animal research. Fourth graders learn how to cite (or “thank”) their sources during a castle unit. Fifth graders explore voice threads and book reviews as they read around the world. Sixth graders develop new skills in information gathering from books, databases & websites as they explore the Renaissance. Seventh graders re-visit and expand their visual literacy expertise as they look at and analyze images central to their studies. Eighth graders leave Nashoba Brooks as confident users of ideas and effective information problem solvers.

Book borrowing is an essential part of developing enthusiastic readers. Books are checked out for one week, but may be renewed as long as no other child is waiting for them. Pre-schoolers check out books to keep in their classrooms. (Their parents can check out books for their home use) Kindergartners and first graders may have up to 4 books checked out at one time. Second graders and all other students may have up to 15 books checked out.  If a child has checked out the maximum number, no more books can be checked out until they are returned. The books will be placed on hold and may be exchanged on any day during the week. A child need not wait until the next class visit.

Overdue book notices are sent home periodically. These are reminders to get books back as soon as possible so other children and teachers can enjoy them. We do not charge fines. If you know a book has been lost or damaged, let us know so we can tell you the cost of replacing it.  If you think a book has been returned or your child is sure the book was never borrowed, return the overdue slip to us with a note saying so. We will try to clear up the problem.At the end of the year, a bill will be sent home for any overdue books that are still outstanding.

At Home parents can help by reading with their children every day. This can mean actually reading out loud to your child, having your child read to you, or reading your own newspaper or book while your child enjoys a book independently. Creating an atmosphere in which reading is valued and celebrated will go a long way toward developing a love of books.  Please help your child select a secure spot (i.e. out of the reach of pets and babies) for storing library books while they are at your house. Post the library day reminder slip in a prominent place and establish a routine for putting any borrowed books into the backpack the night before they are due. With your help, we can cultivate responsible and enthusiastic users of our fabulous library collection!

Volunteer opportunities are as varied and numerous as our collection. Interested in helping our library grow? Have an hour to spare between now and June or have an hour every week? We’d love your helping hands. Are you interested in having preschoolers sit on your lap during story time, or do you like things organized and orderly on neat shelves? Do you want to understand some of the research strategies students are learning or how books get their shiny cover? Would you like to check out a book to your own child? If any of these questions pique your curiosity, stop by the library and talk to us or email Michelle Gendreau and Rosie Barthelmess.


A Few Websites You May Want To Check Out:

Articles and tips to help children choose books and set up a family library.

Book Hive 
Book reviews written by librarians can be searched by subject and age group.