Library

The Catholic Memorial Library is the center for research at CM, where classes in all disciplines regularly meet to conduct research and in-class workshops.  In addition to housing thousands of volumes, current periodicals, and the latest bestsellers, the library also has a lab of thirty personal computers which are linked to databases and research subscription services.  A full time faculty librarian helps teachers schedule research-related workshops and helps students with individual research needs during study and lunch periods and before and after school.

History and Social Studies classes often take advantage of web sites aligned with their textbooks in the library’s lab to look into topics discussed in class.  Students in economics classes take part in an annual online stock-market game using research they have collected in the library on current market trends.  In science classes, teachers assign web quests as part of a lab period or to be worked on independently as long-term projects.  Theology students focusing on current issues and social justice learn how to use archives and periodical databases to support their arguments and oral presentations.  English and language students use the library for research and occasionally use the lab technology for listening and recording.

As a member of the Boston Regional Library System, Catholic Memorial students, faculty, and staff are able to take advantage of subscriptions to electronic databases provided by the regional office and the Massachusetts Library and Information Network.  Some of the databases, which are accessible at home via Edline, include EBSCO, Infotrac, JStor, ProQuest, ELibrary, and Newsbank.