Whether you’re printing posters to decorate your dorm room, seeking out resources for your next big history essay, or looking for math help on a Monday night, the Andrew Mellon Library is there to help you out. Open seven days a week, it is home to both our wonderful librarian team and countless online and in-person resources.
The Math and Writing Centers, open from Sunday through Thursday, offer peer tutoring to students across all forms and with all levels of experience. These programs seek to assist students with HPRSS-related and math-related homework from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on school nights in the Reference Room. To better accommodate day students, peer tutors are also available on Zoom.
The Ask a Librarian program also offers face-to-face guidance to all Choate students. It serves as a point of contact between students and the librarians, who are almost always available to answer questions. “Even if we don’t know the answer, we’re going to help you find it … whether that’s something as straightforward as research and citations, or I need to find this building on campus, or who on campus does this,” explains Ms. Courtney Jaser, a librarian who specializes in instruction and digital services.
The library’s digital resources are easily accessible through the Choate website. Newspaper subscriptions to publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post are available to all Choate community members for free in addition to 50 online databases, several e-books, and a collection of audiobooks. Kanopy, an online streaming platform, also provides students with access to popular movies and documentaries.
Inevitably, almost every Choate student has misplaced some class supplies during their time. Fortunately, the library offers a solution: they coordinate the loaning of equipment such as Apple Pencils, calculators, cam- eras, headphones, speakers, and microphones. All the students need to do is to check the equipment out from a librarian at the Ask Us desk — it’s that easy!
Within the library is a treasure trove of in-person resources as well. From the archives to the podcasting studio, basement study rooms, monthly book dis-plays, there is a seemingly infinite number of resources to be explored by students.
Ms. Emily Yates is a new librarian who works on displays and installments. “We usually do two special displays a month, and they are always rotating,” she said. “Right now, we have Hispanic and Latin Heritage Month and LGBTQIA+ History Month.” Every month, the library features special displays that highlight specific groups, holidays, or celebrations. This is an ideal resource for students looking to explore or connect with experiences and cultures that may be different from their own.
Despite the Andrew Mellon Library’s impressive number of resources and information, the staff is always looking to expand. Book and equipment requests are highly encouraged, and the library is open to working more closely with student clubs and organizations. “We just want clubs to know that we’re available for that and open to collaboration,” said Ms. Jaser. There are countless opportunities to take advantage of within the library, and all community members are urged to explore them.
To reach a librarian, email at askalibrarian@choate.edu, join the Ask a Librarian Zoom room, or just show up to the desks in the back of the library.
