Library
Catalog
Search for books in our print collection.
Sora
Pike's e-reading and digital audio platform. Read on the web or in the app.
Databases
Online collections of encyclopedias, magazine articles, and more.
Resource Guides
Customized groups of resources to help students with school projects.
About the Library
Our Mission
The mission of the Pike School Library is to nurture intellectual ambition in our community. We believe in libraries as powerful spaces for learning, reading, and community. We value and honor all our patrons, endeavoring to provide a high level of service to all. We strive to connect books with readers, and we guide students, teachers, and parents/guardians in exploring information resources effectively.
We further these principles by:
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Providing access to a wide variety of resources to foster curiosity and to inspire the imagination.
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Working in partnership with faculty to support and enhance purposeful teaching and learning.
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Promoting reading as a way to learn about ourselves and others, and as a way to see our own identities and experiences reflected in literature.
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Teaching critical thinking skills to develop passionate learners and responsible, agile information users.
Hours and Staff
The library is staffed by Head Librarian Francesca Mellin and Librarian Davita Block, supported by a strong corps of family volunteers. We develop and execute our programs and services in a collaborative and flexible manner, allowing us to leverage our strengths and to explore areas of professional interest and expertise. We value and honor our young readers, our faculty colleagues, and our families, endeavoring to provide a high level of service to all. We are fun-loving and curious and believe in libraries as powerful spaces for learning, reading, and community.
The library is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am until 3:30 pm (2:20 pm on Wednesdays).
Francesca Mellin
Davita Block
Our Services
From sparking a love of reading to supporting research and collaboration, the library is a vibrant hub of learning, imagination, and community at every grade level!
Starting in Pre-Kindergarten and extending through grades eight and nine, librarians nurture enthusiasm for reading and literature, engaging students with a wide range of literary voices, formats, and genres. Through programs such as readers’ theater, mock award elections, and book clubs, students engage their imaginations and amplify their voices. The library is also an integral part of the English Language Arts curriculum, providing specialized readers’ advisory services, creating enrichment materials for novel studies, and welcoming classes for mini-lessons and book exploration.
There are many opportunities for students at all levels to develop as learners who are effective users and creators of information. From learning to use Pike's online catalog to mastering citations during in-depth research, students are supported by librarians and teachers working together. For many class units and inquiry projects, librarians create resource guides, customized collections of online resources to give students easy access to curated, reliable information.
The library also serves as a community hub. Upper School students are able to use the library for relaxation or study during recess times. Book group meetings for students, faculty/staff, and parents/guardians also take place in the library.
Volunteers
Special Events
The annual Book Fair, held in November with the help of the Family-School Partnership and Best Book Fairs, celebrates reading and raises funds for annual author visits. The library's in-school author visit program focuses on traditionally-published authors and illustrators who offer engaging and inspirational programming. Past authors and illustrators have included Joseph Bruchac, Jason Chin, Alyson Gerber, Adam Gidwitz, Jarrett Krosoczka, Grace Lin, Mitali Perkins, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Aisha Saeed, Melissa Stewart, Matt Tavares and Juana Martinez-Neal.
Library Collection
Print Collection
Pike’s librarians actively purchase, curate, and update materials in the Pike Library’s print collection to reflect the personal interests and reading development of our students. In addition, our print materials support learning in all areas of our program of study.
Shared Web-based Collections
Web-based resources are also an integral part of the Pike Library’s services and a key element of our overall collection. Pike's librarians provide access to a variety of electronic collections, some through paid subscription and some available via membership in the Massachusetts Library System. As such, these collections are designed to be shared across a large K-12 audience.
Our collection of databases provides quality information on a wide range of topics and includes general encyclopedias (Britannica), news (Boston Globe and New York Times archives), and specialized collections (Gale World History and Global Issues). All database content providers have robust editorial practices, subject matter expert contributors, and regular review protocols, to ensure high-quality, current, and balanced content.
Sora, our Ebook and digital audio platform, is also a shared resource for students across Massachusetts, providing fiction and non-fiction content relating to state standards and literacy development, as well as popular titles for kindergarten through young adult readers. Content is provided by OverDrive, and is curated and updated by librarians at the Massachusetts Library System.
Links to Online Resources
Pike's librarians also select, curate, and update content from websites to support and enrich learning. Links are selected, added, or removed according to the following criteria: accessibility, relevance, quality, and credibility. The library is not responsible for linked content.
Borrowing Materials From the Print Collection
All students are encouraged to visit the library often to check out books for reading pleasure, or for personal or academic research. Loan periods range from two to four weeks. Materials may be renewed, unless another patron has reserved them. Students are expected to be responsible for materials and may be asked to replace lost or damaged items.
- Students in grades PreK - 3 may borrow between two and ten books at a time, depending on their grade level.
- Students in grades 4 - 9 may borrow an unlimited numbers of books as long as their account is in good standing.
Helpful Links
- Explore Pike's Summer Reading
- Leverage Your Public Library
- Access Tools for Educators
- Discover Digital Literacy
Explore Pike's Summer Reading
SummerReads is the library's suite of recommended summer reading lists. Compiled by Pike Librarians Francesca Mellin and Davita Block, these Padlet curations are updated annually with a commitment to highlighting diverse and inclusive perspectives and a focus on enjoyable, age-relevant titles.
Leverage Your Public Library
Most area public libraries have subscriptions to these e-reading and digital audio platforms, some of which also include music and movies!
- Libby by Overdrive
- Freegal
- Hoopla
Don't have a library card? Check with your library to apply online.
Access Tools for Educators
Pike librarians provide expert literature advice and nuanced partnership in curriculum guidance, especially in the realm of research and inquiry projects. Our teacher nook, known as the Hideaway, offers a quiet individual or small group workspace, an educator book collection, and a welcome cup of coffee or tea.
Discover Digital Literacy
Digital Literacy is the library’s hub for curated resources that support students in becoming thoughtful, responsible, and skilled users of technology. Updated regularly, these Padlets feature tools, lessons, and activities that promote safe online practices, media balance, and critical thinking in the digital world.