Library Program

Riverdale’s libraries serve as the intellectual heart and information center of our schools.

Our library program teaches students to be independent, lifelong seekers of knowledge who value libraries and learning and are able to use them to locate and use information to solve problems. We focus on four key areas: information literacy, reading engagement, social responsibility and technology integration.

To help our youngest students develop a love of reading, they are exposed to a wide range of genres both in the library and in smaller classroom libraries. Students learn age-appropriate library and research skills, for example how to locate a book on the shelf. As their academic skills grow, so too do the ways in which they use our library. Upper primary and middle school students use library resources for long-term projects and learn to formulate and answer research questions, with a special focus on using various print and online resources effectively. View the RGS library website here. 

In high school, our students learn essential skills they will later apply in college. They read academic journals, conduct research using any of the library's plentiful research databases, learn to assess sources critically and work with primary and secondary sources on campus and off. 

At all grade levels, our librarians work closely with classroom teachers to provide materials needed for planned units of study. Students come to view the libraries as an ongoing source of information and support they can access throughout the school day. Plus, through web-based library catalogs, students can search library holdings from any computer with internet access.