Search results
Ten easy tips to be a library rockstar
By Gwyneth Jones
Issue 109, Term 2 2019
dventure! 5. Be mission-driven Consider writing a mission statement. Think about what matters to you. Is your library program focused on lifelong reading and literacy, creativity, constructivist learning, the maker movement? Is it future-ready, brain-centred, participatory, transparent, positive
Windows and mirrors: Visibility and representation in Australian LGBTQIA+ YA fiction
By Nell Day
Issue 113, Term 2 2020
bled mum … two mums, … a donor, … a transgender grandmother, and yet ... there are so many people who are not in the picture books that most kids are reading. And I know from personal experience that when you don’t see yourself in books, it’s damaging … It’s not just about what people are saying … i
SCIS interviews Teacher Librarian Award winner Megan Daley
By Megan Daley
Issue 126, Term 3 2023
mean by that? It's very difficult to collect data on the value of what a teacher librarian does, in terms of inspiring a love of recreational reading and supporting classroom teachers to teach information fluency. Much of what we do as teacher librarians is not necessarily seen by parents
A world of online distraction
By Resource Centre Manager
Issue 91, Term 4 2014
information overload, libraries have never been more important. Teaching information and digital literacies, and promoting and encouraging a love of reading are vital for the success of our students. In seeking balance it is important to model appropriate use of technology. Reading promotion prog
Architecture of genre
By Les Kneebone
Issue 96, Term 1 2016
tion. Genre is a hot topic in school libraries, and who doesn’t like to hear the good news stories we often hear in these presentations? Children are reading because they want to, and it is now easier to find books they like in the library. Out-dated non-fiction collections are being weeded as libra
Historical fiction in the classroom: reflecting on Our Australian Girl and Do You Dare?
By Jane Goodwin
Issue 91, Term 4 2014
18 month period of their life. The series is aimed at 7–12 year olds, with the 'sweet spot' being years 3–5. Each book is 136 pages in length, with a reading level of 30+. Do You Dare? is a fiction series for boys featuring stand-alone novels that are set in different eras in Australian history
The challenge of implementing change
By Angela Platt
Issue 103, Term 4 2017
lt at the time. They did fit, but only by inches.) This school library, fitted with open-seating for around 40 pupils, and 13 soft brown chairs for reading, was created to provide an aura of academic rigour and quiet reading. When I arrived, the only computers in this library were the one at the l
Morris Gleitzman on the uniquely contributive role of school libraries
By Morris Gleitzman
Issue 109, Term 2 2019
. I think that, in many cases, these principals are working within an environment that may not have focused on the unique value of literature and the reading culture in a school, beyond meeting national benchmarks. But every good principal has to be responsive to the concerns of parents, which could
School library spotlight: Toowoomba State High School
By Lorraine Petersen
Issue 113, Term 2 2020
tives, and can sometimes bargain for an extension of superseded digital editions or to purchase the last of the old print stock. How do you promote reading and literacy in your school’s library? Are there any challenges in doing so? In the library area, we work in a support role to supply and ma
Pivot! Moving a library forward when COVID gets in the way
By Catherine Barnes
Issue 117, Term 2 2021
year came down to a viable collection that sits alongside our physical collection and is accessed frequently and fervently for leisure and curriculum reading. Our next challenge and opportunity arose with the cancellation of a long-planned author visit to be held late in Term 1. Initially we baulk
The need for family-diverse picture books
By Sarah Mokrzycki
Issue 119, Term 4 2021
ms. Research shows that when children can’t see themselves in books, their sense of self-worth, their ability to form healthy friendships and their reading and educational development can all be obstructed. Relating to book characters is a vital tool that engages young children with literature. It
School library spotlight: Val Wardley
By Val Wardley
Issue 122, Term 3 2022
brary users find whatever they need. What is the most rewarding aspect of working in a school library, and why? Choosing, processing, displaying, reading and finding all those particular books that students are looking for is very satisfying every single day. I also get to interact with students
Making an impact: A guide for new school librarians
By Caroline Roche, MA, FCLIP
Issue 124, Term 1 2023
y school library is studious and quiet during lesson times, but at break and lunchtimes it is buzzing, with students collaborating, borrowing books, reading and working. Achieving that balance is a skill that needs to be mastered, and we show you how. With years of experience in bringing authors
Tales of friendship: Jack's Best Day Ever
By Gabrielle Bassett
Issue 126, Term 3 2023
m. At the time I was finishing a large project at work around disability inclusion, yet at home my neurodiverse son was having huge challenges around reading, remote learning, and social interactions (and still does). I wanted to write a book that all kids would find fun but also to show my son that
School library spotlight: Northcote High School
By Richard Smallcombe
Issue 126, Term 3 2023
k. Then, when we move into the new location, we’ve got a new up-to-date collection that will fit within the new space as well. How do you promote reading and literacy in your school? Are there any challenges in doing so? Students do a wider reading lesson every two weeks here in the library.
Working together to ensure student access to high-quality school library services
By Holly Godfree
Issue 113, Term 2 2020
hool library staff are meeting to share ideas. One teacher librarian, let’s call her Janice, is describing how she’s been building a culture of reading with her Year 6 students — trying to reverse the trend we see of teenagers turning away from reading. She’s got evidence to show the s
The importance of school libraries in the Google Age
By Kay Oddone
Issue 98, Term 3 2016
2015) suggest there is a positive correlation between annual school library budgets, the number of qualified teacher librarians employed, and NAPLAN Reading Literacy results. This relationship has been consistent since the annual survey began in 2010. Teacher librarians can provide access to cura
Engaging girls in STEM
By Pru Mitchell
Issue 95, Term 4 2015
2012) addresses issues at different levels of education related to lack of females in the industry. The statistics it presents make for disheartening reading (p.8). The report suggests that there may be 'a branding problem', related to how ICT is packaged within education and training (p.7). The
School libraries enhancing student wellbeing
By Jackie Child
Issue 105, Term 2 2018
ew skills can help boost confidence and a sense of achievement and deeper learning. The library can benefit students intellectually through promoting reading, researching and taking part in many STEAM and innovative possibilities by sharing and learning together, motivated by fun and self-fulfilment
Diversity audits and catalogue records
By Renate Beilharz
Issue 128, Term 1 2024
content analysis resource selection toolkit. Retrieved from https://www.rabiakhokhar.com/resource-selection Learning for Justice. (2016). Reading diversity lite (teacher's edition): A tool for selecting diverse texts. Retrieved from https://www.learningforjustice.org/sites/default/fi