This week was a huge week with the resumption of full time schooling in NSW after two months.
As an educator, it has been great to see the atmosphere back to what it has been. The kids appreciate being back even if they dread school and teachers can go back to normal.
For our school libraries, library lessons can resume in our primary schools and students in our secondary schools can utilise the library collections and learning spaces that the library has to offer.
There will be changes in the way that school libraries are managed for the time being. For example, there will have to be limits on the capacity of the library, especially during busy periods such as recess and lunch. Even in normal times, library capacity is often a discussion point for teacher librarians especially in terms of supervision ratios, and being required to accomodate so many in what can be a limited space.
We will also have to quarantine returned books to minimise the spread of the virus and that will reduce accessiblity for some items. Some activities e.g. board games cannot be provided to minimise the spread of COVID-19
While the changes will slow or limit the way library services are provided, I am sure that students will be able to accept the inconvenience. Our public libraries are still closed in NSW at the time of writing this article, and that also has caused inconvenience. Some students find comfort in studying in the local library after school and for bookworms, access to fewer books.
The global pandemic is not over, but we are so fortunate that in Australia, we have been able to bring the virus under control. There will be more people infected as time progresses, but I have faith that we will control this.
Friday, May 29, 2020
Thursday, May 14, 2020
Children paying the price of library shutdowns (SMH Article by Ursula Dubosarsky)
A few weeks ago, Children's author and Australian Children's Lauerate Ursula Dubosarsky wrote a feature in The Sydney Morning Herald focusing on the impact of library shutdowns on Children.
Since this article was written, all students have resumed schooling on-site, even if it is just for one day per week. Some have opted to bring all students back with normal classes each day.
Fortunately (unless directed to), school libraries can still open, but there may be restrictions in place e.g. numbers may be capped during break times). Students can still borrow books.
There may be schools where classes (unless timetabled) may not be permitted to access the library and contain students to normal classrooms to minimise movement around the school.
Primary Schools at this stage from the information that I have cannot have normal timetabled library lessons which deprives students of that opportunity to borrow new books to read but also engage with the library. From the times that I have engaged with primary school students, they love their library lessons (especially kindergarten kids) and the thrill of choosing a book to read and then enjoying the thrill of reading the book. We should at least aim to give them time to borrow and return a book. In high schools, some teachers will send the students in small groups to borrow. I remember in Year 6, my primary school library decided to barcode the entire collection and we were only allowed into the library for borrowing (Yours truely assisted as he was a library monitor at the time).
I have been supervising Stage 3 students at a local primary school in the Sutherland Shire on a part time basis and have been impressed by the teachers requiring their students as part of their online learning to spend 20 minutes reading each day. The kids that are at school start off their day with it. Great Work!!! Even had some great conversations with the students about their reading choices.
While some schools have access to eBooks for students, others don't and that places students at a disadvantage given that eBooks are better alternative than reading nothing at all and I hope that this pandemic leads to every school offering its students an eBook collection. While the preference for reading is print form, there are some situations where eBooks do provide an advantage over print. At least a child is reading.
Every person - Teachers, parents, family and friends all have a role to encourage of our children even with the limitations with access to libraries (public and at school), that they should read each day. Explore the alternatives like eBooks. Read a newspaper or magazine if a book is not available. In NSW, book stores are still open. Invest your money in a good book. Reading will underpin success in life.
Restrictions may be easing, but its not too late to embrace reading.
For our public libraries - Please explore ways to allow people to still borrow. Follow the lead of the Northern Beaches Library and provide a "click and collect" service.
Tip: While Discount Department Stores (BigW, Kmart & Target) provide books at great prices, I find that QBD offer a great selection of books at discounted prices and often for books that may not be sold at those stores.
Since this article was written, all students have resumed schooling on-site, even if it is just for one day per week. Some have opted to bring all students back with normal classes each day.
Fortunately (unless directed to), school libraries can still open, but there may be restrictions in place e.g. numbers may be capped during break times). Students can still borrow books.
There may be schools where classes (unless timetabled) may not be permitted to access the library and contain students to normal classrooms to minimise movement around the school.
Primary Schools at this stage from the information that I have cannot have normal timetabled library lessons which deprives students of that opportunity to borrow new books to read but also engage with the library. From the times that I have engaged with primary school students, they love their library lessons (especially kindergarten kids) and the thrill of choosing a book to read and then enjoying the thrill of reading the book. We should at least aim to give them time to borrow and return a book. In high schools, some teachers will send the students in small groups to borrow. I remember in Year 6, my primary school library decided to barcode the entire collection and we were only allowed into the library for borrowing (Yours truely assisted as he was a library monitor at the time).
I have been supervising Stage 3 students at a local primary school in the Sutherland Shire on a part time basis and have been impressed by the teachers requiring their students as part of their online learning to spend 20 minutes reading each day. The kids that are at school start off their day with it. Great Work!!! Even had some great conversations with the students about their reading choices.
While some schools have access to eBooks for students, others don't and that places students at a disadvantage given that eBooks are better alternative than reading nothing at all and I hope that this pandemic leads to every school offering its students an eBook collection. While the preference for reading is print form, there are some situations where eBooks do provide an advantage over print. At least a child is reading.
Every person - Teachers, parents, family and friends all have a role to encourage of our children even with the limitations with access to libraries (public and at school), that they should read each day. Explore the alternatives like eBooks. Read a newspaper or magazine if a book is not available. In NSW, book stores are still open. Invest your money in a good book. Reading will underpin success in life.
Restrictions may be easing, but its not too late to embrace reading.
For our public libraries - Please explore ways to allow people to still borrow. Follow the lead of the Northern Beaches Library and provide a "click and collect" service.
Tip: While Discount Department Stores (BigW, Kmart & Target) provide books at great prices, I find that QBD offer a great selection of books at discounted prices and often for books that may not be sold at those stores.
