Library - The Chapin School

The Annenberg Center for Learning and Research is located at the heart of The Chapin School. The Library actively encourages all students to grow into more engaged, compassionate and responsible citizens and readers. In between shelves filled with an ever-growing collection of 50,000 fiction and non-fiction books for readers of all ages, are individual study carrels, group study areas, three classrooms and comfy chairs designed for curling up and reading. The Library always feels alive with people, activity and ideas.

Library Resources: A home for student library needs.

Looking for class resources and materials? Find those materials, as well as summer reading lists, digital books and the Library's full catalog, by clicking the button below.

CLick here to access Library Resources

A classroom setting with a whiteboard, desks, and a person sitting at a computer in the foreground.

Library Curriculum: Folding the Library into Chapin's academic program.

At Chapin, the Library is more than just a place to discover literature — it's blended into the fabric of our academic program. Beginning in Kindergarten, and through Class 6, students have time built into their courses to spend in the library to learn active and independent reading and research skills. Once students reach Class 7, they develop and apply their research and information literacy skills directly within the context of their academic courses. Through this scaffolded and interdisciplinary curriculum, Chapin students undertake projects that ask them to not only find and analyze information but also consider how they are active participants in our complex media landscape.

Library Traditions: Chapin's culture of reading.

The Library is dedicated to creating a welcoming, responsive and magical environment for the entire Chapin community. In addition to the diverse collection of scholarly and recreational resources that reflect the interests and lives of our community, we have several unique Library traditions at Chapin.

Kindergarten Book Dedication

Kindergarten Book Dedication

Every spring, each Kindergarten student commemorates her first year as Library user by signing the bookplate of a new picture book. Parents and caregivers are invited to the celebration to assist with the signing, read the story alongside their child and enjoy lemonade and cookies. Each girl's book is chosen specifically for her by her teachers and the librarian and enters the Library's circulating collection and are enjoyed by students for years to come.

Senior Bookmarks

Senior Bookmarks

Class Books

Class Books

Although not directly run by the Library, Chapin's culture of reading is integrated into Lower and Middle School's year-end Assemblies and our Alumnae Reunion. Classes 12, 7 and 3 all receive a book at the end of the year to carry with them and inspire their next chapter in their new division. These books are selected and given to LS students by their teachers, to MS students by their Advisors and to Class 12 by the 50th Reunion Class when they are formally inducted into the Alumnae Association during Reunion.

Chapin Alumnae Authors

Chapin Alumnae Authors

Lower School Book Election

Lower School Book Election

Alongside classroom studies of civics, democracy and real-world elections, our youngest readers put what they've learned into action by voting in their annual book election! Every fall, each LS class reads and discusses three books, chosen by the LS Librarian, before each student casts a vote for their favorite story. The results are announced at the School's annual Book Fair.

Summer Reading Lists

Summer Reading Lists

Berendsen Program

Berendsen Program

The Berendsen Program is a selective year-long course in which seniors choose a focus, design and implement an in-depth study about their topic, and present their work to various members of the Chapin community. Established in 1977 under Headmistress Mildred Berendsen, and previously known as the Individual Study program, the Berendsen Program now provides an opportunity for students to devise their own scholarly research project for a full school year.

Interested students apply for the Berendsen Program in their junior year and, if admitted, participate in the year-long course in support of their research writing and production, and public presentations.

A group of children sitting on the floor in a library, surrounded by bookshelves filled with books, as an adult reads to them.

Library Spaces: One library under one roof.

The Library at Chapin is unique amongst our peer schools in that all three divisions share the same central space. Spread across two floors, it is home to distinct collections and areas that are age-appropriately designed for students in Kindergarten through Class 12. It’s a place where a Class 1 student checks out her first chapter book, a Middle School student learns about website evaluation in her library class and an 11th grader prepares an annotated bibliography for her application to the Berendsen Program all at the same time.

US Library

The Upper School Library

Our Upper School (US) students are curious researchers, active readers and collaborative learners. The US Library has spaces for all of them in its two floors that are designed to meet a variety of needs at the same time. While some students might gravitate towards a table for group study, others might favor cozy chairs near a bright windows in the US fiction or non-fiction collections. Other students might prefer a peaceful space to concentrate, finding the designated Quiet Room perfect for their work. Students attending research classes in the Annenberg Center for Research classroom on first floor have at their fingertips robust collections and digital resources that will prepare them for the research they will conduct at the college level.

A person, wearing a gray sweatshirt, is sitting at a wooden table in a library, using a laptop computer while surrounded by bookshelves.

MS Library

The Middle School Library

Located directly above the Lower School Library on the second floor, the Middle School Library is a bright, energetic environment where students can grow into more engaged, compassionate and responsible readers. The books in this collection serve our Class 4-7 students, both meeting them where they are and offering pathways for challenging and joyful reading. Library classes are held for students in an Annenberg Center for Research classroom that is directly adjacent to ttheir bookshelves so they have room to spread out when conducting research or writing book reviews.

LS Library

The Lower School Library

Designed to inspire curiosity and a lifelong passion for reading, the Lower School (LS) Library is beloved by our youngest students. Found on the right-hand side of the first floor, this designated space features an expansive and diverse collection of over 28,000 books curated specifically for readers in Kindergarten through Class 3. Through these stories and their classes, students can see themselves, learn about others, pursue interests and make new discoveries. LS library classes, which are built into the curriculum and take place in an open area surrounded by the stacks, help the students become comfortable and confident exploring the shelves.

Two young students in school uniforms are sitting at a table, intently focused on a book or document in front of them. The background features bookshelves and other classroom elements, suggesting this is taking place in a school library or study area.

A group of young students in school uniforms gathered in a library, listening attentively to a teacher or librarian standing in front of them, surrounded by bookshelves filled with books.