Smallbone Library

The Smallbone Library is one of the finest facilities of its kind in the country, which is testimony to the quality of the vision that saw to its opening in 1994.

The Library houses in excess of 30,000 books, complemented by a wide range of periodicals and online resources, and combines the best elements of academic and public libraries. Middle and upper school non-fiction is located upstairs, where there is space for 94 pupils to work in silence, a staffed Enquiry Desk, 12 networked computers, an A3 printer and 3 dedicated OPAC terminals. Downstairs seats 56 and successfully balances the need for a comfortable recreational reading space with space for collaborative work, and includes a staffed Issue Desk, 20 networked computers, an A3 colour printer/copier/scanner and a dedicated OPAC terminal. There are rooms, both upstairs and downstairs, that can be booked for library-based lessons. The Library is open and staffed 7 days a week for a total of 74 hours. The Library also houses the Careers Centre.

The Library's physical centrality means that it is a focal point for celebrating the intellectual, academic and cultural life of the School. Consequently, the Library is host to a rich variety of displays, performances, events and talks that showcase excellence across the Total Curriculum.