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Ten ways to advocate for your role as a teacher librarian
By Jenny Kemp
Issue 103, Term 4 2017
One of the challenges faced by teacher librarians is that it isn’t always easy for the rest of the school to understand why we are important. In my experience, comments like ‘Surely everything’s online these days?’ and ‘What?! You went to university to get a library qualification? Isn’t it just abo
Celebrating the school library officer
By Madeleine Galbraith
Issue 103, Term 4 2017
If you were listening carefully when Leigh Hobbs began his term as the Australian Children’s Laureate, you might have heard a collective cheer coming from a westerly direction. It arose when he announced that the aim of his tenure was ‘to champion creative opportunities for children, and to highlig
All together now: recognising the work of all school library staff
By Karys McEwen
Issue 107, Term 4 2018
end a conference to hear the widespread discussion about how shrinking budgets and staffing cuts are affecting the industry. But amid all the debate, school library staff are working hard to show how valuable they are to the communities they service. There are countless ways in which we are proving
Ten easy tips to be a library rockstar
By Gwyneth Jones
Issue 109, Term 2 2019
The first thing I need to say is that I don’t know that I really love the term ‘library rockstar’, because I think all librarians and library professionals are rockstars or have an inner rockstar just waiting to come out. I also think it sounds a wee bit elitist. But who doesn’t want to rock at the
The professional learning hat
By Barbara Braxton
Issue 97, Term 2 2016
The core of our mandate as teacher librarians is to enable our students to become lifelong learners. By teaching students, staff and other members of the school community about the information literacy process , we provide them with a scaffold that they can use in any area. This allows them to f
The future role of the teacher librarian
By Dr James E Herring
Issue 100, Term 1 2017
I began my career as a school librarian in the UK as part of the local public library service. What struck me when I started — and this is still true today — was that my teaching colleagues were expected to teach their subjects, advise students, and complete administrative tasks. As the school libr
How to boost your digital literacy confidence
By Sally Pewhairangi
Issue 106, Term 3 2018
Hands up if you have ever had thoughts like these: I wish I didn’t feel out of my depth when a teacher asks me to find additional sources (such as case studies or videos) for their class assignment. If I was more confident in my presentation skills, I would show other teacher librarians how w
International engagement: the SLAV / IASL partner association program
By Susan La Marca
Issue 106, Term 3 2018
School librarianship is different from country to country. We may share many similar aims and roles, but there are also many differences in our profession around the world. In an age where communication is global, it is important for school librarians to recognise these differences, to learn from e
Preserving the past: becoming the archivist in the school library
By Naomi Heyman, Nigel Paull
Issue 107, Term 4 2018
ation and future-proofing of the school’s archives were essential elements of the archiving overhaul prior to the sesquicentenary, and are things all school library staff and archivists should consider. Adequate and safe preservation of precious items for enjoyment well into the future is an importa
LIFT: From little things ...
By Madeleine Galbraith and the LIFT team
Issue 108, Term 1 2019
Introduction In 2017, Carmen Lawrence addressed a room full of librarians at the State Library of Western Australia, as the keynote speaker at a conference called Library Leadership — A Celebration. I was keen to hear what the first female state premier in Australia had to say about leadership, a
The writing (and revising) of The innovative school librarian
By Elizabeth Bentley
Issue 111, Term 4 2019
I was one of a group of school librarians, initially composed of students on the MAEd course at Canterbury Christ Church, tutored by Sharon Markless, and later joined by Sarah Pavey. We continued to meet regularly with Sharon to discuss research and other issues related to school librarianship. Sha
Two sides of children’s literature: gatekeeper and creator
By Karys McEwen
Issue 121, Term 2 2022
, especially if reading isn’t necessarily valued at home. Librarians have the power to put the right books into the right hands at the right time. School library staff undertake their role in different ways; we all have our tried and tested methods for readers’ advisory. One of my favourite activ
School library spotlight: Cerdon college
By Nancy Sylaprany
Issue 124, Term 1 2023
What is your job title, and what does your role entail? My job title is Teacher Librarian and I work with a small team of library support staff to provide the library’s services to our school community at Cerdon College. Our school is a Catholic girls’ high school (years 7–12) located in West Mer
Librarians in the digital age: experts in e-health
By Susan Marshall
Issue 101, Term 2 2017
No one would argue against the perception that librarians have moved well beyond their traditional role. The view of the librarian as the keeper of knowledge and the guide to unlocking the best of it has been totally overthrown — and the disruption metaphor is entirely apt. No longer do we even bl
Students need great school libraries
By Nicole Richardson
Issue 109, Term 2 2019
braries campaign, and Barbara Band, committee member of the Great School Libraries campaign, about what’s driving their campaigns for change, and how school library staff can get involved. Australian Children’s Laureate Morris Gleitzman also shared his insights about how we can work together to enco
Is there a place for Artificial Intelligence in the school library?
By Martin Richards
Issue 114, Term 3 2020
What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘Artificial Intelligence’ or AI? Do you think of machines taking over the world, as depicted in the movies? Or, perhaps you question whether or not a computer is even capable of thinking like a human being? On the other hand, you might immediately think of
School libraries transform
By SLANZA (School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa)
Issue 115, Term 4 2020
School libraries across New Zealand are supporting a nationwide campaign to ensure that every child has access to a well-resourced library with a specialist librarian who can help them develop a lifelong love of reading. Many children in schools in Aotearoa do not have that right. SLANZA (School Li
School Library Spotlight: St Stephen's School
By Lise Legg
Issue 120, Term 1 2022
1. What is your job title and what does your role entail? My job title is Head of Libraries at St Stephen’s School, which is an independent, co-educational Uniting Church school from Pre-kindergarten to Year 12. The school was established at the Duncraig Campus in 1984 and the Carramar Campus in
New and revised subject headings
By Renate Beilharz
Issue 120, Term 1 2022
New headings Biomimicry Use for works on the imitation of nature in manufacture and design. Cryptocurrencies Use for works on currencies that use cryptography to secure and verify transactions and to control the creation of new currency units. Computational thinking Use for works on pro
School library spotlight: Val Wardley
By Val Wardley
Issue 122, Term 3 2022
What is your job title? What does your role entail? I am the Library Administrator at Clyde Fenton Primary School and Casuarina Street Primary School, which are both in Katherine in the Northern Territory. I have lived and worked in the Northern Territory since 1997, and have spent most of this