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SCIS is more

By Anthony Shaw

Issue 123, Term 4 2022

ry plays an essential role in supporting the broader school community and promoting better educational outcomes for students. ‘The goal of all school libraries is to develop information literate students who are responsible and ethical participants in society.’ (IFLA School Library Guideline, 2nd ed

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 i

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 pract

Reimagining the library landscape: an approach to school library design

By Anne Whisken

Issue 103, Term 4 2017

ool 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 sen

School library spotlight: Glen Eira College

By Karys McEwen

Issue 102, Term 3 2017

staff and a group of dedicated student library monitors that help keep the library cogs well and truly turning. How long have you worked in school libraries, and what inspired you to go down this path? I have been in school libraries for four years. My undergraduate degree was in Fine Art and I

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

Making connections online

By Clare Forrest

Issue 111, Term 4 2019

ions. Here are some of the many topics we have explored together as a community. Virtual library tours A popular topic was a call to show off our libraries by taking people on virtual library tours. There’s something about ‘visiting’ other libraries that is very satisfying, probably because we d

(Re)Designing the library through school community participation

By Dr Hilary Hughes

Issue 111, Term 4 2019

atory design approach, as outlined in this article, can assist in generating evidence-based responses to these questions. With the view that school libraries are essential social learning spaces, I share suggestions for enabling all interested stakeholders to have a voice in designing their school

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 w

SCIS is more

By Renate Beilharz

Issue 122, Term 3 2022

‘The Schools Catalogue Information Service (SCIS) creates high-quality, consistent catalogue records for school libraries.’ The quote above introduces SCIS to all those who use our website. High quality means that we adhere to international cataloguing standards, ensuring SCIS records are compat

The new librarian: leaders in the digital age

By Digital Promise staff

Issue 96, Term 1 2016

ge 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

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

School library spotlight: Modbury High School

By Linda Guthrie

Issue 108, Term 1 2019

ts, Research Project and Research Practices. Our school library was also one of the 23 South Australian schools appearing on Australia’s Great School Libraries Honours List (http://bit.ly/agslhonours). I negotiate with teachers for the team-teaching of collaboratively planned units of inquiry, or

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

By Bev Novak

Issue 99, Term 4 2016

dian , 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

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

A not so secret garden

By Kathryn Williams, Heather Harrison

Issue 112, Term 1 2020

op students’ understanding of their natural and human environments. People questioned why we needed changes when our facility was still so new, but libraries should never remain static and, when the funds became available, we wanted to bring something innovative and dynamic to our already much-lov

Do we need library lessons?

By Barbara Band

Issue 104, Term 1 2018

l 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

School library spotlight: Mt St Michael's College

By Sandra Mannion

Issue 106, Term 3 2018

ed in-house to provide students with subject-specific digital and interactive resources, including links to relevant websites and databases. School libraries are places where all students feel welcomed and are encouraged to grow and learn. We do a lot more than just provide books and information;

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

Promoting reading for pleasure in school libraries

By Emma Suffield

Issue 108, Term 1 2019

I have been a school librarian for five years now and what a journey it has been. The reason I applied for this role was to promote reading for pleasure and share my love of reading with young learners; there is nothing more satisfying than turning a reluctant reader into an avid one. When I star