Welcome to the St. Mary's Catholic School library page!  The SMCS library program gives our students the opportunity to grow as learners and readers. Our school library's collection includes children's classics, Catholic books, popular titles, picture books, many Caldecott and Newbery Award winners, and numerous nonfiction books on a variety of topics. This growing collection caters to a wide range of interests and reading levels.

Library Classes
Students in Preschool through Grade 5 have library class once per week with Mrs. O’Callahan, the school librarian. During library class, younger students enjoy story time and fun, literacy-centered activities, while upper elementary students are introduced to library skills and work to develop their research skills.

Book Circulation Procedures

• Students in grades K-3 may check out one library book at a time and will have the opportunity to choose books weekly during their library time.
• Students in grades 4-8 may check out two library books at a time, and may take out additional books as needed for research or class projects. Students in grades 4 and 5 will select their books during their weekly library classes, and middle school students will select their books during their language arts classes.
• Students in grades 3-8 may view their library accounts and reserve books through our electronic card catalog.

Birthday Club

The school library’s Birthday Club provides an exciting way to recognize your child’s birthday while supporting our school. During their birthday month, students who join the club may select a brand new library book as their “Birthday Book.”  The book will be added to our school library’s collection and a commemorative bookplate displaying the child’s name will be affixed to the book.

Makerspace/STEAM Classes
In addition to weekly library classes, students in grades K-2 also participate in biweekly STEAM classes with the school librarian. These classes provide students with an opportunity to engage in activities that will help them to develop skills in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. While working with different materials, students use their imaginations to design and create various creative projects.

Library Volunteers
We have an amazing group of library volunteers who assist our school librarian with various behind-the-scenes tasks. Please email Mrs. O'Callahan for more information if you are a SMCS parent who is interested in assisting in the school library.