Academics

John Gearen Library

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Fenwick High School's John Gearen Library is a 5,280 square-foot facility dedicated to assisting students and faculty members in their educational growth. Named after Fenwick High School’s first valedictorian, John J. Gearen ’32, the Library offers access to:
  • Over 23,000 books
  • CDs, DVDs, and videos for classroom use
  • 34 computers
  • A reference area, separated from the main portion of the library by dividers, which can be reserved for meetings and classes
  • A resource room for group or individual study
  • A professional room for faculty study and work
  • Multiple printers and one photocopier
  • Online resources, including JSTOR, EBSCO host's Readers Guide Full Text Mega, Oxford Art Online, Oxford Music Online, and many more

Library Mission Statement

The John Gearen Library of Fenwick High School is committed to supporting the school’s mission to prepare students for academic excellence in high school and college by providing convenient and effective access to quality library services, collections in a variety of formats and information resources designed to meet curriculum, research, intellectual, creative and personal needs of the Fenwick community.

To fulfill this mission, the Library’s goals are to:
  • Provide a pleasant, user-oriented learning environment conducive to study, research, collaboration and personal growth
  • Encourage and provide guidance to library users in the discovery, identification, interpretation and use of information resources
  • Initiate, enhance, and improve new and traditional library services
  • Support the instructional information, research and curriculum needs of the Fenwick community through effective, collaborative collection development and management programs
  • Maintain and develop relevant collections of materials in paper, media, electronic and other appropriate formats
  • Promote communication and collaboration with all departments through cooperative efforts, projects, and library and school events
  • Offer a multifaceted instructional program to provide students with life-long learning, information skills and competencies to assist them in their pursuit of successful high school academics and college preparedness
  • Respond to emerging technologies and changing needs of the high school community
  • Establish and maintain cooperative agreements for resource sharing with other libraries
  • Evaluate, select, organize and disseminate information for the creation of future understanding and knowledge
  • Respect and preserve the knowledge of the past while contributing to growing knowledge for the future;
  • Maintain the physical environment of the Library to promote the mission and goals of the high school

List of 1 members.

  • Photo of Judith Tichacek

    Judith "Judi" Tichacek 

    Librarian

EREAD ILLINOIS

Fenwick High School is a member of the eRead Illinois Program, a statewide program designed to increase access to e-books for Illinois residents and grow e-book expertise among library staff, library system staff, and Illinois residents. Initial funding for eRead Illinois was provided by a grant from Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White through the Illinois State Library.  Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS) and Reaching Across Illinois Library System(RAILS) have partnered with the Illinois State Library and Baker & Taylor to provide this access through Axis 360.
Axis 360 is a digital media platform providing libraries and their patrons with a state-of-the-art system for circulating digital e-books from the eRead Illinois shared collection for Illinois libraries. Patrons at libraries participating in eRead Illinois will use the cloud-based delivery across a number of devices including iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows, NOOK® and Sony ReaderTM devices, and many more. At Fenwick High School, students and faculty are able to download the books of their choice—both at school and at home—using the axis360 app on their iPad. To access the ebooks on a desktop, users will need to install the Axis 360 Desktop Reader.
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