By Dr. Tina Graham
The Union Grove High School Learning Commons is a high school library media center serving over 1500 students in grades 9-12. We are part of the Henry County School System, located in McDonough, GA. Our mission is to ensure success for each student as measured by individual progress and by local, state, and national standards. We commit to a structured system of support to empower students with 21st Century skills to promote College and Career Readiness. As a Learning Commons we are committed to the ideals set forth in the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) National School Library Standards Framework for the 21st-Century Learner. Our goal is to provide students, teachers, and administrators with books in print, eBooks, information literacy skills instruction, and information technology services. In addition, the Learning Commons provides resources to support the curriculum enabling students to become effective users of information and ideas.
The UGHS Learning Commons has abundant resources to help us reach our mission. The Learning Commons’ entire fiction area is arranged by genre, with popular sections such as dystopian, realistic, mystery, romance, supernatural, fantasy, and historical and science fiction. We have over 13,000 books in print, access to thousands of eBooks, research databases, unlimited book check-out, black and white and color printing services, and a makerspace craft area with die cuts.
Henry County Schools offers 1:1 Technology. Each student in Henry County schools has a district issued Chromebook with Classlink apps. Students at UGHS have access to wireless printing through Papercut, desktop computers, iPads, charging area for Chromebooks, and flexible hours before and after school.
During COVID-19 pandemic the Learning Commons has adapted to remote learning and continued to provide virtual services to students and teachers. The Learning Commons is open daily from 7:45 am to 3:45 pm for staff. In addition Self-Contained ESE classes also visit the Learning Commons weekly for book check out and library information skills instruction. Students who are taking classes remotely are provided with daily curbside book check out and pickup. Students complete a Google Form to request up to 10 books to pickup curbside. The Learning Commons also has a Google Classroom and Bitmoji Virtual Library where students are provided with passwords to databases, information literacy and instructional technology resources.
Visit the Union Grove High School Learning Commons Website: https://schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/domain/1407