ASD Libraries serve to inspire and guide students’ love of literacy and learning. The ES Library team includes two teacher-librarians and two library instructional assistants. The Elementary Library offers a curated variety of resources for research and recreational reading for students, parents, and staff. The collection includes books, ebooks, and electronic databases. Our library collection reflects the right for students to see themselves and discover other perspectives in library books and materials. Elementary students visit the library on a regular schedule for library lessons and to borrow books. Library users have the right to make responsible personal choices and respect others’ rights to choose their own materials.
ASD Libraries serve to inspire and guide students. The libraries provide students with access to information and literature through dynamic virtual and physical spaces. The libraries are a center for collaboration, communication, and innovation.
Purpose Statement
The libraries offer a variety of resources and expertise to current ASD students, parents, and employees. The libraries encourage students to become lifelong learners by promoting a love of reading. The libraries support the curriculum, collaborate with faculty, and teach the skills necessary to meet academic and personal informational needs.
Philosophy
- ASD libraries are safe spaces where the ASD community can be themselves and be welcomed.
- Patrons have the right to see themselves and discover other perspectives in library books and materials.
- Patrons follow the ASD Core Values: respect, responsibility, compassion, excellence, and integrity.
- Patrons have the right to make responsible personal choices and respect others’ rights to choose their own materials.
- ASD libraries provide support for the development of ASD attributes through resource curation, professional collaboration, and the overall library experience.
- The ASD libraries follow the ALA Library Bill of Rights.
- ASD libraries follow the UAE data protection laws.
- ASD libraries and their patrons respect and practice the ethical use of information.
Elementary Library
Visiting Authors
Visiting Poets: Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye of Project Voice wowed ASD students with their spoken-word poetry performances. Students (and faculty) who thought they didn’t like poetry were captivated by their poems and amazed by the coincidences in their lives. Phil and Sarah’s workshops touched on both poetry writing as well as performance. A highlight of the week was when ASD students shared the stage with Phil and Sarah to perform their original poetry.
Visiting Author: Neal Shusterman, National Book Award winner for Challenger Deep and author of the wildly popular Arc of the Scythe series, spent a week answering middle and high school students’ questions about his writing process and his books, as well as conducting writing workshops. Before, during, and after his visit, circulation of his books skyrocketed!
The ES library hosted Visiting Author: Tracey Baptiste, New York Times-bestselling author best known for the popular Jumbies series for a week of engaging presentations and writing workshops in March 2023. Tracey Baptiste published numerous picture books, chapters books, and nonfiction titles that our readers love. Students learned about some of Tracey’s favorite foods and Trinidian culture by making sorrel and doubles during collaborative library cooking lessons with ASD’s edible education coordinator.
Visiting Author: William Kamkwamba, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. William's workshops gave students the opportunity to build side-by-side with him. Students were asked to consider a local problem in the UAE and to design a prototype to help solve the problem. Some of the students ideas included litter management, stray pet solutions, water conservation, and ocean cleaning. Many students also wanted to build prototypes of windmills, just like William.
Visiting Author: Laura Vaccaro Seeger. With Laura, many students created cut-out books inspired by the books The Hidden Alphabet and First the Egg. Laura challenged our students to think differently, to think about the "empty space" and design a letter hidden within a picture. Some students drew portraits using the letters in their names just like Laura did in her book Walter Was Worried. Students were all thrilled to learn more about Laura's creative process, intentional design and the meaning behind many of her beautiful picture books.
Middle School / High School Library
The MS/HS Library is a spacious, bright, and inviting space in the center of campus designed to meet a variety of learning needs. Students have access to group study rooms as well as spaces for collaboration and reflective reading. Students can visit the library throughout the day and with their classes on a flexible schedule. Parents can visit before and after school on certain days. The library team (two teacher-librarians and 3 instructional assistants) supports student learning by helping students find books to read for pleasure, assisting in individual inquiry projects, and teaching information literacy lessons to classes as they conduct research. The library collection includes print and digital books, digital magazines, audiobooks, databases, and games.