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Taking the guesswork out of genre

By Brendan Eichholzer

Issue 91, Term 4 2014

hool libraries are not just designed for accessing curriculum material; they are also a playground for young minds. Students who discover the joys of reading for pleasure are well positioned for enhanced literacy, language acquisition, cultural understanding, and social skills (Clark and Rumbold, 20

Making the library the true heart of the school

By Caroline Roche

Issue 105, Term 2 2018

e for them. Until fairly recently, there hasn’t been a question about why a school should have a library. Libraries were seen as good for encouraging reading, education and general cultural enrichment. When I started as a librarian more than 20 years ago, I certainly never used to have to justify

School library spotlight: Rolleston School

By Kay Morfett

Issue 105, Term 2 2018

ry. I had issues to clean up in the LMS, displays to make the library look loved and exciting, teachers’ respect to earn, attitudes to change towards reading, and showing the support a library and librarian can offer everyone in the school. What do you see as the most important part of the library

Supporting Australian book creators

By Daniel Hughes

Issue 114, Term 3 2020

, and she also gave me a log book to write a few words of response to each book in, if I felt like it. It set up a model of experimental, exploratory reading which I’ve continued with and been grateful for all my life. I think the lockdown has highlighted beyond question how tremendously important

Digital literacy: using Wikipedia as a fact-checking tool

By Mathieu O'Neil, Rachel Cunneen

Issue 121, Term 2 2022

ur attention.  Here are three ways teachers can train students to be effective fact-checkers using Wikipedia. Encourage students to use lateral reading when they encounter unfamiliar information. Go to the relevant Wikipedia page to check its truthfulness. If the unknown information isn’t veri

School Library Spotlight: Te Kura Tuarua o Ngāruawāhia (Ngāruawāhia High School)

By Article by the Schools Catalogue Information Service (SCIS)

Issue 134, Term 3, 2025

unities to explore. Being part of that journey, helping shape the stories and ideas they engage with, is something very special. How do you promote reading and literacy at your school? Are there any challenges in doing so? There are definitely challenges, especially in the teenage years. I work

Bring the teachers in: enticing teachers into the library

By Brett Moodie

Issue 90, Term 3 2014

sited the library to view the display, some proffering their choices. As a boys' school, Wellington College is particularly concerned with promoting reading to boys. To facilitate this, we organised an event that involved some of the senior male teachers reading excerpts from their favourite books.

Making connections online

By Clare Forrest

Issue 111, Term 4 2019

eas, debate issues and show off the amazing things school librarians can achieve. With each topic, spread out over a couple of weeks, we provide some reading material and pose a series of questions. Here are some of the many topics we have explored together as a community. Virtual library tours

New Zealand school libraries respond to COVID-19

By Glenys Bichan

Issue 114, Term 3 2020

other to ensure we could give our communities what they needed.     We set up a SLANZA Lockdown Book Club where members shared books they were reading and recommended titles to each other. Over 200 books were tagged, with much discussion as to the merits of some titles. What a great place for

The future of Australian educational publishing

By Lee Walker

Issue 116, Term 1 2021

uthor events from in-person to online, and industry-wide storytime agreements allowed schools, libraries and bookstores to continue much-loved shared reading experiences at home. Australian publishers also do all they can to encourage young people to read, both within and beyond the classroom. The

What do our students really want?

By Megan Stuart

Issue 101, Term 2 2017

ways that were already popular (instead of forcing new tactics to increase student engagement). Our student visitors were frequent, happy and calm. Reading about Ries’s theory instantly struck a chord. Some of our most inspired and innovative ideas at our Resource Centre have not necessarily come

School library spotlight: Campbelltown Performing Arts High School

By Cathy Costello

Issue 101, Term 2 2017

use we love children and young people. We work hard for them, to teach them, to guide them. We try to instil in them a love of learning and a love of reading. Our reward, in return, is watching them grow into confident young adults. We are renewed by their energy, enthusiasm, and sense of humour.

Tinkering, making and building in the school library

By Jackie Child

Issue 102, Term 3 2017

e. After all, it was just a few centuries ago when only the elite and religious could scribe for others so they could communicate through writing and reading. With computers dominating nearly every aspect of our lives, our students need to be able to create and instruct these digital technologies, h

School Library Spotlight: Ellerslie School, NZ

Issue 132, Term 1, 2025

library position. I absolutely love being here because I get the chance to connect with students, especially those who don’t read. Some of them think reading isn’t cool or just can’t be bothered. One of my favourite stories involves a student who had been at our school for years and hadn’t borrowed

A not so secret garden

By Kathryn Williams, Heather Harrison

Issue 112, Term 1 2020

ects. These animals have created the launching pad for the cross-curricular lessons, with sustainability and environment being our first major theme. Reading and storytelling promotes brain development and imagination, teaches a child about language and emotions, and strengthens relationships. Bring

Website and App reviews

By Nigel Paull

Issue 119, Term 4 2021

logy, over 3 million volunteers worldwide are available to individually assist the visually impaired or blind with a variety of tasks. These include: reading small print; sorting clothes by colour; reading screens; or operating ticket and vending machines.  SCIS no: 5378316 First Nations ht

AI and the lone librarian: how artificial intelligence can be your collaborative partner

By Jessica Finden

Issue 136, Term 1, 2026

ils, generate book lists, and even write blurbs for displays. Idea generation: Need some more ideas to support Book Week? Want a new angle for your reading challenge? AI can brainstorm with you. Professional development: AI can help you stay current with trends and research, and even assist in w

Andy Griffiths: King without a crown

By Article by the Schools Catalogue Information Service (SCIS)

Issue 137, Term 2, 2026

They don’t get rewarded for that behaviour. And it does not encourage kids to act like those characters in real life. That’s the cathartic benefit of reading and also of humour … that you can entertain the most outlandish ideas and not have to do it yourself. So that’s what I feel I spent the first

SCIS: News for subscribers

By Anthony Shaw

Issue 137, Term 2, 2026

IS, a cosy autumnal welcome to Issue 137 of Connections, and to Term 2. We hope that you find some time to curl up in a warm sunny spot to indulge in reading for pleasure. As you’ll recall, we have embarked on a program of improving the scisdata.com user experience for our customers. Over the comi

Educational Lending Right scheme: why is it important?

By Cristy Burne

Issue 138, Term 3, 2026

d hundreds of times, used for classroom study, and generated important discussion. Most importantly, it may have got children and teens excited about reading. However, the author was only paid once for the hard copy items on the school shelves. It’s easy, simple and safe For most schools invited