Class Visits to your Public Library
Class Visits to your Public Library
An Introduction for Teachers
We offer Tameside Schools:
Class Visits
Our aim is to support children's educational achievement and leisure needs by:
- Giving children confidence in handling books and information,
- Enabling children to become independent library users,
- Complementing the work done in the classroom, including the "literacy hour",
- Generating an interest in reading, developing literacy skills and stimulating the imagination with a wide range of exciting stories and lively non fiction.
We aim to give every Year 2 and Year 5 or 6 the opportunity to have a library class visit. Please choose the year you feel will gain the most benefit from a visit. If you would like other years to come to the library please contact the Community Librarian to discuss your needs.
Class Visits Cover
- joining the library and the range of materials available,
- finding books and information,
- encouraging children to enjoy books and reading,
- using IT resources where available.
For Year 2 children the visit includes the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the library layout and staff, listen to stories and ask questions. We target this age group because they are becoming independent readers and so would benefit from the wide range of materials available in the public library. This visit lasts approximately 45 minutes.
For Year 5 or 6 children the visit includes a practical session using information skills in a public library environment. We target this age group to reinforce their information skills work and to introduce them to the wide range of resources available in the public library. This visit lasts approximately 1 - 1¼ hours.
Arranging the Visit
Your Local Branch Librarian will contact the school to arrange visits and we recommend they speak to individual class teachers to check the details and make arrangements. Please tell us as soon as you can if you need to postpone the visit to avoid unnecessary preparatory work.
Visits to Schools
We understand that not all schools are within reasonable travelling distance of a library and in these cases Community Librarians will visit the school to talk to the children.
Other support
We are willing to co-operate with you in any areas where our specialist knowledge and training can be of assistance, such as talks to Parent Teacher Associations and involvement in book weeks.
It is worth remembering a class visit may be the first opportunity some children have to visit a public library.
What the children say...
| "Thank you for letting us come to the library, we really enjoyed the quiz" | "You can lose yourself in books" | "I love coming in here it's snuggly" |
| "Now I know how to find books without asking" | "The books you put on display were excellent" | "Some of the answers were hard but I learnt from my mistakes" |
Useful addresses
Class visits take place in all our libraries. However, the contact addresses for the Branch Librarians are:
For Ashton, Hurst and Mossley schools
Tameside Central Library, Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7SG
0161 342 2029/2030 or 
Send a Message to Central Library
For Droylsden and Audenshaw schools
Droylsden Library, Manchester Road, Droylsden, M43 6EP
0161 370 1282 or Send a Message to Droylsden Library
For Hyde, Hattersley, Mottram and Newton schools
Hyde Library, Union Street, Hyde, SK14 1ND
0161 342 4450/4451 or Send a Message to Hyde Library
For Stalybridge and Dukinfield schools
Stalybridge Library, Trinity Street, Stalybridge, SK15 2BN
0161 338 2708 or Send a Message to Stalybridge Library
For Denton, Haughton Green and West End schools
Denton Library, Peel Street, Denton, M34 3JY
0161 336 8234 or Send a Message to Denton Library