SearchConnections

The fourth age of libraries

By Sean McMullen

Issue 92, Term 1 2015

for modern librarians, some of whom even turned up in costumes based off my work. Fifteen years later, many of these librarians are now wondering if libraries will still exist in twenty years, let alone two thousand. The past holds some clues about the future of libraries. What did people do for en

An African library journey

By Cheryl Lopez

Issue 93, Term 2 2015

approximately 1000 library books. These were all donations; either new books from sponsors and visitors or secondhand from Western Australian school libraries. While some of the books were fairly new, having been carried to Ethiopia in personal luggage by school visitors over the past few years, mo

The challenge of implementing change

By Angela Platt

Issue 103, Term 4 2017

ughout the day. Silence was key, and this was (and still is) strictly enforced all day. When I compared this environment with the environments in the libraries of my library colleagues in other schools, I felt that I was failing miserably. Other librarians described having classes coming in nearly a

School libraries and sustainability

By Katalin Mindum

Issue 113, Term 2 2020

With the current focus on climate change and the impact we are having on the environment, many of us are wondering how we can make a real difference. Libraries are quite naturally places that people turn to for ideas as well as answers. They tend to be positive, proactive and full of amazing, commun

ASLA Conference and Awards 2023

By Australian School Library Association

Issue 124, Term 1 2023

eld of teacher librarianship and school library resource services. The 2023 conference will be held in April on the Gold Coast, with the theme School Libraries: Navigating the Future. This year, there will be three award categories open for nominations: the ASLA Australian Teacher Librarian Award, t

Reimagining the library landscape: an approach to school library design

By Anne Whisken

Issue 103, Term 4 2017

chool in Kew, Melbourne, has about 2,400 students from Early Years to Year 12 across two primary schools and a combined middle and senior school. The libraries There are two primary school libraries, and a third library is shared by the senior and middle schools. Both VCE and IB are studied at senio

School libraries: miracles and madness

By Jackie French

Issue 104, Term 1 2018

The first school I went to burnt down. This was not my fault. The library didn’t burn down, because there wasn’t one — just a classroom with a shelf of books. I won third place in the lottery to read one of the two or three new books donated each year: The Magic Pudding. Three weeks later, it was mi

Ten ways to transform your library into a flexible learning space

By Liza Moss

Issue 107, Term 4 2018

While it is true that its uses may vary among assemblies, exams and PE classes, generally each use takes place sequentially rather than concurrently. Libraries are the true multipurpose centres. The library at my school can be hosting a farewell ceremony for visiting Japanese students, providing a p

It’s time: let’s improve schools' perceptions of teacher librarians

By Bev Novak

Issue 99, Term 4 2016

rdian, teacher librarians still need to assert their relevance within school communities. In her article in Connections 98, ‘The importance of school libraries in the Google Age’, Kay Oddone notes the positive attributes of teacher librarians, and implores readers to use her arguments as a ‘catalyst

The new librarian: leaders in the digital age

By Digital Promise staff

Issue 96, Term 1 2016

arge and small, have cut librarian staffing to part-time or eliminated positions entirely. These cuts can impact both students and teachers. Although libraries remain open, they lack trained educators to support students, despite a technological landscape that makes information literacy more importa

The importance of school libraries in the Google Age

By Kay Oddone

Issue 98, Term 3 2016

g the internet (ABS 2016). With such widespread access to information comes the commonly asked question: now that we have Google, do we still require libraries and librarians? This question is particularly being pressed in schools, where smartphones mean that both teachers and students carry a wealt

Non-fiction: the elephant in the library

By Rebecca Tobler

Issue 107, Term 4 2018

resource the entire curriculum — that’s what subscription services and other online repositories can be for. However, we can and should resource our libraries with fiction and non-fiction books that spark the imagination and create interest in reading. References ACT Government Education 2016, Sch

Making the library the true heart of the school

By Caroline Roche

Issue 105, Term 2 2018

ibrarian, you see it in tweets, you see it in newspaper articles, and it is even the title of the All Party Parliamentary Group white paper on school libraries: ‘The beating heart of the school’. But where does this phrase that is so ubiquitous now come from? Well, actually, I know. It is a phrase t

Do we need library lessons?

By Barbara Band

Issue 104, Term 1 2018

ional initiatives. Communication via tutors and promotional posters has a limited reach. Lifelong learning In addition to library skills, many school libraries deliver an information skills program teaching basic competencies that are essential for both further education and the workplace, and that

Enhancing the flexibility of library services

By Claire Elliott

Issue 106, Term 3 2018

Libraries and librarians are built around relationships. It is essential that they provide exceptional customer service as a means of ensuring sustainable growth. With this in mind, a number of changes were implemented in the Trinity Grammar Preparatory School library to improve the services that we

What do our students really want?

By Megan Stuart

Issue 101, Term 2 2017

ith the fear and excitement that disruptive technology can bring, it is library staff. Over the course of nearly four decades teaching in schools and libraries, I have witnessed incredible change and welcomed exciting progress in the way information is accessed, books are published and students are

Engaging students with emerging technologies

By Chelsea Wright

Issue 94, Term 3 2015

it is to still be having this conversation, we have not yet convinced every raised eyebrow to relax when it comes to the evolving identity of school libraries. If the school library is not seen as a natural place for new technologies to appear, and if technology-oriented initiatives such as a Tech

Synergy highlights: The first 15 years

By Rosemary Abbott

Issue 112, Term 1 2020

nformative and engaging material. In the articles chosen, student learning is paramount, and is linked to the crucial role of those working in school libraries. Prominent Australian and international researchers are featured. Carol Gordon’s articles provide wide-ranging ideas on professional practic

Outsourcing: time for a new look?

By Sarah Menzies

Issue 111, Term 4 2019

functions to an outside supplier – was once hotly debated in library literature. More recently it has become widely accepted that some or all public libraries’ cataloguing and physical processing will be outsourced, although the same cannot be said of school libraries. Although school libraries in

School libraries enhancing student wellbeing

By Jackie Child