How Latymer Upper School put a universe of content at students’ fingertips

• Challenge: Latymer Upper School faced some challenges with traditional newspapers and magazines; they weren’t as easy to access and didn’t quite spark interest. Terri McCargar recognized the need for a more comprehensive, inclusive and modernized approach to their resource management. She also identified the need for more global content and multilingual offerings to cater to their diverse student body.
• Solution: The school made a strategic shift to digital newspapers and magazines via PressReader, simplifying access and boosting engagement for educational purposes. This, in turn, enriched the learning experience and fostered cultural exploration, all while reducing costs and improving sustainability.
• Results: The integration of PressReader led to a significant expansion of global content access, making educational resources more diverse and engaging. The school saved about 15% in resource costs and modernized its approach to learning. PressReader became a key tool in offering a more inclusive and comprehensive educational experience.

Based in London, Latymer Upper School, an independent and co-educational secondary school for academically thriving students, has made a name for itself as a leader in education. The school’s head librarian, Terri McCargar, sources and maintains a diverse collection of print and electronic resources. Terri is also responsible for helping students navigate these resources to enhance the school’s teaching and learning experience.

Before PressReader, Latymer Upper School provided its students and teachers with newspapers and magazines in traditional print. It also subscribed to academic research tools carrying news. As the school’s academic needs evolved, it became clear that their existing resources—largely print media and traditional digital tools—were inadequate. The primary issues included:

• Limited access to diverse, engaging content:

While the school had invested in various online subscriptions to newspaper archives and journal databases, these platforms were primarily designed for academic research and lacked user-friendly browsing features. The databases also had many limitations when it came to accessing current content. The other more browsable options were often costly and lacked the breadth and depth of content required.

The school’s resources were also insufficient for engaging with current international events and perspectives, a crucial aspect of a well-rounded education. Similarly, with a multicultural student body, the lack of resources in various languages was a significant barrier, particularly for students engaged in language learning and cultural studies.

• Limitations of print:

The daily deliveries of print newspapers to the school’s library created logistical hurdles and raised environmental concerns by generating paper waste. Access to the publications was also limited for students and staff, as copies were few, could not be simultaneously used, and were often taken home by individuals.

• Financial inefficiencies:

The cost of maintaining print subscriptions, considering their limited accessibility and usage, was becoming unsustainable for the school’s budget.

The need for a modern, inclusive and cost-effective solution became obvious.

The turning point came when Terri discovered PressReader.

PressReader offered a comprehensive range of digital resources, supporting teaching and learning across the curriculum. Terri was particularly impressed with the breadth of content available in multiple languages on PressReader, seeing it as a crucial tool to meet the school’s diverse needs.

Terri recalls the moment of discovery saying,

“I was in contact with many other librarians, and I came across PressReader through a list circulating among them. It mentioned that most public libraries in the UK subscribe to PressReader, and the feedback was exceptional. When I heard about it through JCS, I thought this could be a game changer.”

Terri’s excitement for PressReader stemmed not just from its practicality but from its potential to bring about positive change within the school.

“I saw its benefits for both the staff and the students, solving numerous issues we had faced with print materials,”

Terri emphasized.

This pivotal moment marked the beginning of a new era for Latymer Upper School, one where the digital resource would take the spotlight, opening a gateway to a wealth of content from around the globe that caters to diverse tastes and preferences.

PressReader emerged as the comprehensive solution to the challenges faced in the pre-PressReader era at Latymer school by:

• Enhancing content availability and accessibility:

• Facilitating multilingual and cultural learning:

The adoption of PressReader greatly benefited the school’s multicultural student body, offering a wide range of content in multiple languages. Terri highlights this advantage, “We’re quite a multicultural school with people from all over Europe and from North America. When we got PressReader, some of the support staff exclaimed—oh my gosh, you have these newspapers in Swedish, for example. They were so happy.”

• Cost efficiency and sustainable resource usage:

PressReader not only provided a broader range of educational materials but also did so in a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. Terri describes the financial benefits, “Subscription to PressReader has saved us money. Having replaced staffroom newspaper deliveries, our subscription costs less than having print delivered daily in term time.”

• Modernizing the learning experience:

The introduction of PressReader marked a shift towards a more modern and interactive learning environment. Terri praised the platform’s user-friendly interface: “Unlike other news databases primarily designed for searching individual articles, PressReader offers an engaging browsing experience. It is very intuitive, allowing you to view the news in its original print/screen layout, complete with all the images and advertisements.”

The adoption of PressReader by Latymer Upper School stands as a significant milestone in the school’s commitment to innovation and academic excellence. PressReader’s integration not only resolved the challenges of print media but also opened new avenues for learning, making education more dynamic and accessible.

This is evident from PressReader’s impact:

• “PressReader has helped us save around 15% in cost annually”, says Terri. These funds could now be allocated towards other educational initiatives.
• The partnership with PressReader has broadened the range of newspapers and magazines available to Latymer Upper School, moving from an initial selection of 15 subscriptions to over 8,000 titles. This increase in readily accessible content has catered well to the varied interests of both teachers and students, leading to over 1,100 unique publications being actively read. As a result, the school has observed a marked improvement in the accessibility of newspapers and magazines for the entire school community, aligning closely with its educational goals and diverse needs.

The decision to integrate PressReader at Latymer Upper School represents a significant stride forward in the institution’s commitment to providing a modern, diverse and accessible educational resource environment. The PressReader platform has not only addressed the initial challenges faced by the school but has also set a new standard in the efficient and effective management of educational resources.