Our College Library has become a sought after meeting place for students, as well as a comfortable study and reading space. Modern Libraries are not the cold, silent tombs of books that many of us remember from our own childhoods. Today’s effective Libraries offer spaces for student collaboration, individual study, access to physical and digital resources and of course quality literature. There are also three student photocopiers in the Library.
A few of the highlights of the school year include: Book Week parade and fair in Term 3, Book Quiz Challenge, Maker Space competitions once a term, VIP borrowing rewards and Premier’s Reading Challenge.
Our qualified Library staff, including a full-time Teacher Librarian, are trained to meet student needs, for example, supporting students with: Borrowing and returning Printing and copying Scanning Book selection Lunchtime activities Small group and individual testing
Our Teacher Librarian is available to support students with: Research skills Referencing Information Literacy skills Finding books at the correct level (lexile)
This assistance occurs within classroom or Library lessons with teachers or at any time during student breaks.
The Library is separated into Primary and Secondary sections to specialise resources and services for each group.
Each lunchtime there are activities in the Library including Lego, colouring, games, puzzles and craft. The Library is a calm, inviting and inclusive space which always strives to offer students new experiences within a comforting routine. Our fiction books are separated into genres to support student book selection. Students can borrow from categories including: Humour, Mystery, Action and Adventure, Classics, Animal Stories, Relationships, Fantasy, Princess Stories (very important for our Kindergarten girls), Graphic Novels and Sport. Primary students come into the Library each week to borrow and return books. The Teacher Librarian goes into classrooms to support student research development, referencing, Premier’s Reading Challenge, Renaissance Literacy and the use digital library resources, including World Book and Wheelers Ebooks.
Kindergarten- Year 2 students complete their Premier’s Reading Challenge during Library time in Terms 1 and 2. They also read books from the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) short listed for Book Week in Term 3. In Term 4 there is a Christmas themed topic like the Gingerbread Exchange or Christmas around the World.
Students also come into the Library to print out their classroom work. Library staff are on hand to help with this.
One of the main uses of the Secondary space is Senior Study Periods for Years 11 and 12. Students sign in and find an individual or group space to complete their studies. The Library is also popular during lunchtime as there are cards and games available for student use any time. The Library is quieter during study periods but is a hive of activity during breaks, Senior students can use one of our three study rooms if they need quiet at break times.
Fiction books are separated into genres to support student borrowing. Our most popular genres include; Crime, Fantasy, Relationships, Action and Adventure, Faith, World Stories, Biographies and Classics. Student borrowing has increased with the introduction of Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) time for 5-7 minutes at the beginning of all theory lessons. Personal reading is a key indicator of higher literacy skills in students, adding this reading time is helping students to develop their reading, comprehension, spelling and grammar skills.
Students from Year 9 are required to submit assignments with complete APA6 referencing. Teachers and the Teacher Librarian are available to help with this. The Library has both referencing and information literacy policies to develop student skills for lifelong learning. All assignments submitted digitally are scanned for plagiarism and given a percentage. This is used as a teaching tool, particularly in Years 7 and 8, to help students avoid plagiarism and develop research and referencing skills.
Students who select to study a subject via Distance Education, also study from the Library under the supervision of the Teacher Librarian. Students are supported to access distance classwork, to communicate with their teacher and with the receiving and sending of work not online.
