The mission of the Rock Quarry Elementary School library is to foster a lifelong love of reading, exploration, and learning in every student within a welcoming, safe, inclusive, and dynamic environment where curiosity thrives and imaginations soar.
Mrs. Hamilton started her first library job in 2004 at her hometown public library. She then moved to Tuscaloosa to attend the University of Alabama where she was a member of the Million Dollar Band and earned her Bachelor's of Science degree in Geography (Atmospheric Studies). After toying with being a television meteorologist under the guidance of greats such as James Spann and Jason Simpson, she shifted gears and started working at the Tuscaloosa Public Library while pursuing her Master's of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alabama. There she met her now husband who is also a school librarian.
Upon graduation, Mrs. Hamilton started her school library career at Central Elementary School and moved to Rock Quarry Elementary in 2020. She has been awarded the Carrie C. Robinson Award for Outstanding Libraries in 2018, School-wide Interdisciplinary Teacher of the Year in 2022, and the Herman Moore LAMP Award in 2025.
Mrs. Hamilton is married with two teenage step-sons, one rambunctious 6 year old son, and two useless cats.
If you are a student in the TCS, you may download audiobooks and eBooks from the library through Classlink, anytime, anywhere and it's FREE! The app is called SORA by Overdrive.
In Sora, you can browse the collection, check out books, read them in your browser OR download to PC, Mac®, and many mobile devices. Titles will automatically expire a the end of the lending period.
To get started, log into Classlink, and then click on the blue Sora button.
Not every title is appropriate for every grade level. In addition to age-appropriateness, family standards may vary widely. To help avoid inappropriate choices, the collection can be searched by grade level. If a parent does not want their child to download a particular type of book, then they should communicate that to their child.
Alabama Virtual Library
The Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) is a free, 24/7 online resource offering a wide range of databases and information for Alabama residents, including e-books, journals, newspapers, and resources for students and adults. Funded by the state's Education Trust Fund, the AVL provides an equitable core of online resources for students and citizens, accessible from their homes, schools, or local public libraries
In an effort to facilitate access to digital tools used by students and teachers, TCS has implemented a service called ClassLink. ClassLink is an online portal with a collection of links that students use at school and can access from home, too. In ClassLink, students can read books online, play learning games and much more.
Just the Facts
Big Picture: Rather than using multiple paths to access online resources used at school, students will simply go to ClassLink, log in, and click the app they need.
Students in grades 3-5 at Rock Quarry Elementary will be using Google Apps for Education (GAFE) thanks to the efforts of the Tuscaloosa City Schools. Each student has an account where they can create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and forms. Students can store files in their Google Drive, so they don’t have to use a flash drive. Using these tools offers students the chance to use real world services to do their work. Also, students must have a Google login to use our Chromebooks.
Feel free to log on to Google with your student. (https://www.google.com.) and take a look at all of the great Google tools. To learn more about GAFE, you can visit the following link: https://www.google.com/edu/.
We hope our students will enjoy using these services and will realize all of the educational benefits. Of course, we are always aware of how important it is for our children to be safe in their use of technology and to follow the Board of Education guidelines for use which were sent home with your child and signed at the beginning of the school year.
