Academics

Jackson Library

Built in 2002 and remodeled in 2016, the state-of-the-art Jackson Library is the center of academic inquiry, discovery, and innovation on the Berwick Academy campus.

Library Mission Statement

The Jackson Library is the hub of academic inquiry and discovery on campus. The mission of the Jackson Library is to support the mission of the school and to enable all students to become life long learners, critical thinkers, skillful researchers, enthusiastic readers, and ethical users of information.

The Librarians support this mission by:
  • Instructing students and teachers in using, evaluating, and producing ideas through active use of a broad range of tools, resources, and information technologies
  • Collaborating with teachers and students to design and teach engaging learning experiences that meet individual needs
  • Providing a rich variety of literature to develop, strengthen, and maintain a love of reading
  • Providing students and faculty with instruction and resources that support the curriculum

Library Vision Statement

Our vision is that, in collaboration with the school's learning community, the Jackson Library program will be the center for learning, teaching, and research providing quality services beyond the physical library building and school day.

About Jackson Library

Completed in 2002, the state-of-the-art Jackson Library is the center of academic inquiry and discovery on the Berwick Academy Campus. The charge of the Jackson Library is to support the mission of the School and to enable all students to become lifelong learners, critical thinkers, skillful researchers, enthusiastic readers, and ethical users of information. The two-story, 16,000 square foot facility contains over 27,000 volumes and subscriptions to numerous databases which include periodicals and newspapers. Students are linked to a virtual library of thousands of online resources that support and enrich the curriculum. All resources, including online subscription databases, the library catalog, pre-selected websites, eBooks and downloadable audiobooks, and research guides are available 24/7 from any computer with Internet access, 

The Jackson Library is filled with an energy of inquiry and learning whether a student is working individually, collaborating with peers, receiving library instruction, attending a performance or presentation, visiting the Archives, working on Innovation Pursuits, enjoying impromptu music, stopping by an exhibit in the Art Gallery, attending the Early Bird program, participating in a club, or any number of other meaningful activities. With a variety of seating and room choices, individual students, small groups, and classes can be accommodated in the light-drenched, spacious, and comfortable space. The major part of the library is designed for open use. Members of the Berwick community use this active hub and flexible space for learning, research, collaboration, and innovation. The Jackson Library strives to be at the forefront of the 21st Century Library/Learning Commons model.

The Jackson Library serves as the base for the Innovation Pursuit program. The Berwick Innovation Center is a project-based, student-directed program where students pursue their passion in a self-selected area of study. Students customize the experience, making the study meaningful and tailored to their creative and intellectual interests. Each innovation student is paired with a mentor to help guide and execute the research or project.  

Hashi 2020 Project

The Hashi 2020 exhibition in Aomori includes over 100 prints from Maine Elementary School students from Berwick Academy, Blue Hill Consolidated School, Greely Middle School, Mabel Island Wilson School, and Thornton Academy (and the Nagasaki Tram Project and Seacoast Trolley Museum in Wells, ME) along with the Japanese woodblock prints made by the children of Aomori, Japan.
 
The annual Hashi student print exchange is made possible by Friends of Aomori, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the relationship between the State of Maine and Aomori Prefecture, Japan and the Aomori Rotary Club in Japan.

The Berwick Academy Archives

The Berwick Academy Archives contains over 3,000 historical items and exists to collect, preserve, and protect archival materials and documents that promote an understanding of and appreciation for the history, traditions, life, and culture of Berwick Academy. The Archives is located on the second floor of the Jackson Library. Please contact part-time Archivist Brad Fletcher at archives@berwickacademy.org or 207.384.2164 x 2700 for more information or to make an appointment.

Meet Our Staff

List of 3 items.

  • Jennifer Brewer

    Library Director, Lower School Librarian, LS Innovation Coordinator
    207-384-2164 Ext 2705
  • Darcy Coffta

    Director of Innovation,
    Upper School Grades 10-12 Librarian

    207-384-2164 x2702
  • Melissa Williams

    Middle School and Grade 9 Librarian, Director of the Mary Anker Poet in Residence Series
    207-384-2164 Ext 2706

Berwick Academy

Berwick Academy, situated on an 80-acre campus just over one hour north of Boston, serves 550 students, Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 and Post-Graduates. Berwick students are from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and several countries. Deeply committed to its mission of promoting virtue and useful knowledge, Berwick Academy empowers students to be creative and bold. Berwick strives to graduate alumni who shape their own learning, take risks, ask thoughtful questions, and come to understand and celebrate their authentic selves.