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Windows and mirrors: Visibility and representation in Australian LGBTQIA+ YA fiction

By Nell Day

Issue 113, Term 2 2020

nating panel discussion among Australian authors Alison Evans , Jordi Kerr  and Jessica Walton . We reflected on the authors’ own experiences of libraries as queer-identified young people, and discussed LGBTQIA+ writing in current Australian young adult (YA) fiction. Alison Evans recalled the

School library spotlight: Trinity Grammar School, Sydney

By Courtney Nolan, Stefanie Gaspari

Issue 116, Term 1 2021

iver innovative library services and promote a positive reading culture at Trinity Grammar School, Sydney. The role has strategic oversight for three libraries – the Arthur Holt Library at our Senior School, the Junior School Library and the Preparatory School Library. Having Courtney to manage the

School Library Spotlight: Xavier College, Burke Hall

By Fiona O'Rourke

Issue 119, Term 4 2021

e. I was particularly struck by this comment: ‘I am not a great reader but the library makes me feel safe.’ It highlights another important role that libraries play – helping to maintaining the wellbeing of our students. 4. How do you promote reading and literacy in your school? Are there any chal

Looking for silver linings: Educating about privacy and security in our increasingly online world

By Dr Kay Oddone

Issue 114, Term 3 2020

ve, and future-focused pedagogies. However, increasing use of technologies is accompanied by increasing digital security risks. We who work in school libraries, are challenged to fulfil our role as leaders of digital and critical literacies, to ensure that as new technology continues to be introduce

School Library Spotlight: Forest Hill College

By Helen Farch

Issue 117, Term 2 2021

staff at SCIS are knowledgeable and always ready to help with any queries. SCIS provides an invaluable service that enhances the value of all school libraries. Image credits Images supplied by Helen Farch

Supporting Australian book creators

By Anna Fienberg

Issue 116, Term 1 2021

ack on track, like the needle on vinyl as it finds your favourite song. My need to escape into stories – reading and writing them – has sprung from libraries. My mother Barbara, co-writer of Tashi and retired teacher librarian, enthused her class about a new book by learning the first chapter in

The Great Aussie Book Count 2023–24

By Amanda Shay

Issue 127, Term 4 2023

When authors and publishers are compensated for the free use of their content in our school libraries, they are able to produce new content for all. Together with the Australian Government’s Office for the Arts, Education Services Australia (ESA) is currently working with school libraries acros

What is a future ready librarian?

By Mark Ray

Issue 113, Term 2 2020

future learners is, and always has been, universal. Strategic focus As a teacher librarian for 20 years and then as a district leader overseeing libraries for another seven years, I have always believed in aligning library practices and programs with ‘what keeps administrators up at night’. Whe

Pivot! Moving a library forward when COVID gets in the way

By Catherine Barnes

Issue 117, Term 2 2021

er, in a space where learning is a purpose and a priority, this also provided opportunities to ‘pivot’ and enhance our programs in other ways. School libraries were no exception. With the awareness that we didn’t want to force a complete change of direction, both educationally and in the values our

The time to read

By Gabrielle Mace, Merrilyn Lean

Issue 117, Term 2 2021

nderstood that daily dedicated reading time would mean that staff would move quickly through their own book collections – and needed more! The school libraries were not in a position to support the increased borrowing habits of 150 staff taking part in Just Read, in addition to all our students. 

Genrefication 3.5 years later: Reflections

By Susan Davenport

Issue 117, Term 2 2021

rary lesson activities that challenge them to borrow from different genres and allows for data-driven management. Managing genrefication across two libraries Where the genres are the same in both libraries, the same image and language is used. This has had a positive outcome of recognition when

School library spotlight: One Arm Point Remote Community School

By Mel Rowsell

Issue 115, Term 4 2020

e simply reading for pleasure, and where students and staff can be confident that the information they find is current, unbiased and accurate. School libraries have the opportunity to connect both staff and students to a wider world of information. In a small remote community, I hope to see our scho

Unheard Voices: Transforming library spine labels for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation

By Written by Education Services Australia

Issue 127, Term 4 2023

An idea came when she attended a School Library Association of New South Wales (SLANSW) professional learning online meet-up, focused on the role of libraries to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices into the English curriculum. This virtual session introduced her to a transforma

Positive promotion of the school library

By Jae Rolt

Issue 93, Term 2 2015

After I was named Australia's Favourite Librarian people began asking what it is that makes me so popular with my students, families, colleagues, and community. Whilst the ideas here work for me, they may not work for everyone. Sometimes you need to try other ways to find what works for you and yo

School library spotlight: Rolleston School

By Kay Morfett

Issue 105, Term 2 2018

What is your job title, and what does your role entail? How many people work in your library? I work at Rolleston School as the librarian. My role is 25 hours a week, split over five days. I have a teacher in charge who is really wonderful and supportive and, aside from a brilliant group of stude

School library spotlight: Galston High School

By Jade Arnold

Issue 107, Term 4 2018

What is your job title, and what does your role entail? My official job title is teacher librarian. My role within the library is multifaceted. As the manager of the library, I am responsible for acquisitions, resource management, and research services, and I manage two school administrative and

The need for diverse book collections

By Helen Caple, Ping Tian

Issue 122, Term 3 2022

Australia is a diverse nation. Statistics from organisations such as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS, 2022), the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census (ABS 2017), and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW, 2019) have painted a

How an old book created a commitment to better represent First Nations Australians

By Kerry Klimm, Dale Robertson

Issue 117, Term 2 2021

ous educators from across the country have approached Kerry wanting the list to take to their schools. They expressed their concerns about what their libraries housed and how there was a lack of resources and support to help them decolonise their collections. We both continue to have conversations

SCIS is more

By Ben Chadwick

Issue 120, Term 1 2022

This issue celebrates thirty years of Connections magazine. Can you believe it? Thirty years ago SCIS decided it needed a way to keep readers abreast of changing school library technologies and informed about developments in SCIS’s products and services. The first issue dealt with dial-up, CD-R

School library spotlight: Northcote High School

By Richard Smallcombe

Issue 126, Term 3 2023

What is your job title and what does your role entail? I’m the library coordinator at Northcote High School. It is structured in two parts. There’s helping students find books, checking books out, general day-to-day, and then there’s also looking after the library budget, collection developmen