The Bryn Mawr School

Peggy Bessent Library

The Lower School’s Peggy Bessent Library is housed in the Lower School Academic Center and is named in honor of Peggy Bessent, a longtime faculty member and administrator at Bryn Mawr.

The Peggy Bessent Library seeks to empower Lower School girls to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, adept researchers and ethical users of information by collaborating with faculty in designing and teaching learning experiences that meet individual student needs. We will assist in instructing faculty and students in finding, using and evaluating information through the selection of age-appropriate media, as well as providing access to books in all genres in order to develop and strengthen a love of reading. We will also provide leadership in the school's whole-student educational program.

Library Information

List of 4 items.

Birthday Books

Are you looking for a great way to celebrate your daughter’s birthday? Honor your student by purchasing a book, bearing her name, for the Peggy Bessent Library!

As the date of your daughter’s birthday approaches, you will receive a "Bryn Mawr Birthday Book" postcard mailed to you by Lower School Librarian Lydia Mason. If you would like to purchase a Birthday Book, simply mail the postcard back to Ms. Mason, indicating the amount of your donation. Notification of your gift will be made to the Bryn Mawr Development Office. All donations are tax deductible.

Ms. Mason will help your daughter choose one or two recently-acquired books, including prize winners, biographies, mysteries, memoirs and other genres. Birthday Book girls are the first students to check out and read these new titles. A bookplate with your daughter's name will be placed in the front of the book(s) she selects and her choice(s) will become a permanent part of the Peggy Bessent Library collection.

For more information, please contact Ms. Mason at masonl@brynmawrschool.org or 410-323-8800, ext. 1673.
Loan Policy

Grade
Number of Books
Kindergarten
1 (February - April)
First
1
Second
2
Third
3
Fourth
4
Fifth
5

Students may always read more than the allocated number if the book(s) is/are for classroom assignments.
Book Swap

For more than 35 years, Bryn Mawr has hosted an annual Book Swap for girls in grades 2 through 5.

Participation is voluntary. Girls may bring in up to ten paperback grade-appropriate books in good condition and swap them with their classmates. Leftover books are donated. The Book Swap is a fun way for our girls to get their hands on great almost-new books! You will receive more information about this fun event as the date nears.
Library Catalog and Databases