Library

Inspiring a Love for Learning, Faith, and Discovery from Pre-K to 8th Grade

At Holy Family Catholic School, our award-winning library - led by Dr. Verity Kahn, recipient of the FACTS Innovation Teacher Award - is more than just a collection of books. It’s a vibrant, innovative hub where students, families, and the community come together to explore, learn, and grow in faith and knowledge.
Our library is a place that fosters a love of learning and the exploration of every subject and topic, connecting with every class, grade, and area of our school. We are a space where curiosity flourishes, creativity blooms, and a lifelong love of reading and learning takes root.

Our Mission

To nurture a love of reading, foster curiosity, and inspire lifelong learning in the light of faith. We strive to create a welcoming space where all students, families, and the community can discover knowledge, deepen understanding, and explore the world through books, storytelling, and immersive experiences.

Our Core Values

Love for Reading – We believe in the power of books to open hearts and minds.
Global Awareness – Our programs and collections reflect the diversity of the world, helping students become informed and empathetic citizens.

Faith-Centered Learning – Rooted in our Catholic identity, we honor God’s presence in every story, lesson, and conversation.
Creativity & Innovation – From the Everything-arium to our Publishing House, we inspire students to create, explore, and imagine.
Community & Collaboration – We work in partnership with students, teachers, and families to build a dynamic and inclusive learning environment.
Integrity and Stewardship – We guide students in responsible research, ethical use of information, and care for our shared resources.

Our Collection  

With nearly 20,000 items in our catalog, we are proud to offer a diverse and growing collection that supports learning across all subjects and interests:

• Fiction & Non-fiction
• Picture Books & Graphic Novels
• Catholic Faith Resources
• Classic Literature
• An upcoming dedicated Middle School Research Library space
• Access to research databases like ProQuest

Our collection is designed to inspire, challenge, and nurture readers of all ages and abilities. Students explore books in cozy reading nooks, bean bag corners, and inviting seating areas—spaces designed to spark joy in reading.

The Mini-Museum: History Meets Curiosity

Greeting students and families as they enter the library’s front vestibule, the Mini-Museum is a rotating display that brings real museum artifacts and global exhibits into our school. Each exhibit connects with important heritage months and classroom studies, offering hands-on, cross-curricular learning opportunities. Past displays have included - Ancient Egyptian artifacts, Victorian Britain treasures, Holocaust-era artifacts, and many more. Students can explore the Mini-Museum during library time, before and after school with parents, and during special events—connecting the past to the present in meaningful ways.
 

The Everything-arium: Award-Winning Innovation

The Everything-arium is our signature, once-a-semester immersive projection show that brings books and learning to life in spectacular, multi-sensory ways. Each show is a cross-curricular experience, carefully designed to align with classroom learning and our library collection.

Past shows have included:
-A Planetarium under the stars
-An Ocean-arium exploring the depths of the sea
-A Forest-arium discovering ecosystems
-A tribute to St. Hildegard of Bingen
-A Holocaust Memorial for middle school students
-Explorations of Arctic, Antarctic, and Desert landscapes

These shows are open to all students, families, and children of all ages, creating a community celebration of learning and wonder.

The Lux Libris Award Program: Illuminating the world through stories

At Holy Family Catholic School, we believe in the transformative power of books to open hearts and minds, deepen faith, and connect us to the world around us. That’s why we created the Lux Libris Award—our very own reading program that illuminates the joy of books for students in 4th to 8th grade.
The Lux Libris Award, meaning “Light from Books,” was born in response to the closure of a national reading program that once served Catholic schools. We saw an opportunity to craft something unique—a reading list that celebrates the richness of the human experience while honoring our Catholic identity.

Each year, the Lux Libris list features 20 carefully curated books that invite students on a literary journey across:

Different Genres: There are fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, picture books, memoirs, historical fiction, and more.
Global Perspectives: Stories that explore diverse cultures, places, and times, from ancient civilizations to modern-day challenges
Faith-Focused Themes: Every list includes one specifically Catholic book that deepens students’ understanding of our faith, as well as one classic that connects them to the timeless beauty of literature.
Holistic Learning: Books are selected to educate the whole child—sparking curiosity, empathy, critical thinking, and a love for learning.

Students can earn achievement levels as they read, encouraging goal-setting, discussion, and shared enthusiasm for great books. The Lux Libris Award is more than just a reading list—it’s a community of readers, a celebration of stories that shape us as thinkers, citizens, and children of God.

Through Lux Libris, we aim to:

 - Inspire lifelong reading habits
 - Encourage critical conversations about big ideas and meaningful questions
 - Nurture Catholic values of love, justice, and service
 - Connect students across grades as they share books and recommendations
 - Help students explore the world while staying rooted in faith

The Lux Libris Award helps students discover that books are more than just pages—they are lights that guide us toward understanding, compassion, and hope.
 

Parent and Community Involvement

Our parent volunteers help make the library a lively and welcoming space, supporting events, programs, and daily operations. We love seeing parents and families exploring the library together before and after school.

A Place for Research & Discovery

At the Holy Family Catholic School Library, we believe research is more than finding answers—it’s about asking the right questions, exploring ideas deeply, and thinking critically. Our Middle School Research Library, to be completed by the end of the 2025–2026 school year, will be a dedicated space for inquiry and academic growth, offering students access to a curated collection of nonfiction books, reference materials, and primary sources that support classroom learning and personal interests.

We also provide digital tools like ProQuest, helping students build research skills for the 21st century—how to evaluate sources, cite responsibly, and explore topics from multiple perspectives.
Our goal is to nurture independent thinkers, curious learners, and ethical researchers—ready to engage with the world thoughtfully, faithfully, and with purpose.

Visit us in the Library—where books, imagination, and faith come alive!

Have questions? Want to learn more about our collection, innovative programming or the Lux Libris program? Contact Dr. Verity Kahn at 

ProQuest
 

ProQuest is an online database of reputable journal, magazine, and newspaper articles that are ideal for students who are gathering research for a paper or project.  Within ProQuest, Primary Search and Middle Search Plus are specifically appropriate for students in elementary and middle school, respectively.  Students may access ProQuest from home; log-in information can be found on ParentsWeb -> Resource Documents. Please copy and paste the username and the passcode to log in at the link. Username: V734HJS6, Passcode: Gx{Ik{+S7h

ProQuest