Softlink School Library Survey - 2024

Softlink is currently undertaking its annual school library survey involving school libraries in Australia and New Zealand.

Click here to access the survey.

I would strongly recommend to my colleagues working in school libraries that they take ten minutes to undertake this survey. When the results are compiled, they will be a useful advocacy tool not just for your school library but also for other school libraries. The survey may also give you ideas on how to improve your library space and what you offer, as it provides a forum for school libraries to share what ideas have worked best for them.

The survey closes on November 30.

Devices eroding teens' reading attention (Newspaper feature)

Recently, The Sydney Morning Herald published a feature on the 2024 What Kids Are Reading Report by Renaissance Education, based on data from the Accelerated Reader Program, used by 440 schools across Australia.

Source: Harris, C. 2024. "Devices eroding teens' reading attention. The Sydney Morning Herald, October 26: 9. 

A table towards the top right of the article lists the top 20 books read by students in Years 9 to 12. While the number of books read by students has increased, concerns were raised about the difficulty of reading texts—students opting for easier rather than more challenging reads.

Diana Wing (Renaissance Education Australia) attributes this to a preference for social media and, hence, a preference for literature that does not require sustained focus. 

The challenge for me, as a Teacher Librarian, and for every Teacher Librarian, is to encourage and provide access to more challenging texts that require a more sustained focus. This adds to the challenge of just getting a person to read.

The second half of the article focuses on the role of school libraries in advocating for reading. Author Andy Griffiths stated that "libraries were essential to building a school's reading culture and ensuring that students, teachers and parents had access to and knowledge of a panoply of books". 

The Carter Centre - Atlanta

In January, I had the opportunity to visit The Carter Centre in Atlanta. It is not just a Presidential Library and museum in honour of US President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) but also a venue that can be used for diplomatic purposes, e.g., countries at war could hold peace talks there. There is even parkland that one can spend hours exploring or just relaxing in.

The Carter Centre is also home to the organisation of the same name, advocating peace and diplomacy worldwide. They will even monitor and assist in the delivery of elections in nations around the world.

Below are some photos I took in the museum.

Like other Presidential Libraries, you must make an appointment to use the library for research.

Click here to find out more about the Presidential Library and Museum.

The Carter.Centre also includes a public park, open to the public during daylight hours.

 

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum - Boston

In January, I had the privilege to vist the JFK Presidential Library & Museum in Boston. It is located on the shores of Boston Harbour, which is appropriate given that he loved being out on the water and a keen sailor. Before embarking on his political career, Kennedy served in the US Navy and included service in World War II. Like other US Presidential Libraries, you need to make an appointment if you wish to access their collections for research. For visitors like I, the museum is highly recommended. One will gain a great insight into his bid to become US President, his key achievements along with his assassination in 1963 and his legacy. There are also exhibits focusing on his brother (Robert Kennedy), who was Attorney-General and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy. Also there is a recreation of the Oval Office during his presidency. I took many photos of the exhibits, but will share just a few with you.

 

The demise of Booktopia

Yesterday (Wednesday), it was announced that Booktopia would enter voluntary administration. The company cited unprofitability in recent years and an inability to obtain funding to keep the business afloat.

The demise of Booktopia will have its consequences if it does go into liquidation (stops trading). School libraries such as mine do order through Booktopia because of the competitive prices relative to other booksellers, either bricks or mortar or online. This means that the cost of purchasing books will increase. It will limit the ability of school libraries to stretch their funds further, given the budgetary pressures that school libraries are accustomed to. 

While Booktopia is still trading, I would recommend that school libraries not purchase from Booktopia until its future is known because if an order is placed, there is no guarantee it will be fulfilled, especially if it's a pre-order or there is a long time frame for delivery. If Booktopia enters liquidation, you may not receive your items and/or be entitled to a refund. 

Even before entering voluntary administration, there were already concerns about the fulfilment of orders, with some yet to receive orders.

SLANSW Summit - March 2024 - Follow Up

As I mentioned back in April, I prepared a blog entry for the School Library Association of NSW (SLANSW) where I reflected on the day.

SLANSW has now posted the entry to its blog.

Please note that you will need to be a member of SLANSW to access the blog. The membership year will commence soon (1 July), and I would encourage you to join if you are not already a member. 

What is historical fiction?

This week, I am trying to figure out what is meant by historical fiction because it seems like there is no clear definition.

I tend to keep a simple definition of historical fiction which would refer to a fictional novel based on or set around historical events or a historical setting. It would have to be based on research relating to the event or period by the author and try to represent the accuracy of events or society of focus in the story.

But how recently should a historical fiction novel be set? Should it be as recent as a decade ago, twenty-five years ago or even earlier than that?

I'll confess that I will tend to go as recently as a decade ago because a novel such as 47 degrees by Justin D'Ath is based around a historical event - The Black Saturday fires of 2009. It was fifteen years ago.

Some say it is too recent but as a teacher librarian who can teach history, it is a significant event in Australian history. It is one of the deadliest natural disasters to hit our nation with 173 people killed.  People will be aware of what happened on that day well into the future.

However, there are some novels where the story occurs in a specific historical setting but the plot may focus on another genre such as fantasy or romance without in-depth study. It needs to be asked as to whether or not they are historical fiction.

SLANSW Summit - March 2024

On 16 March, I attended the biannual School Library Association of NSW (SLANSW) Summit at Trinity Grammar School in Summer Hill. The theme was: Piecing it together: Voice, choice and connection and focused on literacy.

I have prepared an article for SLANSW that will appear in its blog. In it, I provide a detailed account of the summit from a member's perspective. This entry in my blog will focus on three strategies or approaches that I can apply what I learnt on the day to my day-to-day professional practice and my school library.

1. In encouraging students to read, I should consider the types of readers that exist such as Avid, Proficient, Struggling and Reluctant readers within the school community and propose how I can accommodate them, especially struggling and reluctant readers. Also, I should consider the types of reading, such as Aesthetic and efferent. What type of reading should I be promoting in the classroom? What type of reading supports reading for pleasure.
2. My school has a READ program where students read for twenty minutes a day, four times a week. I believe that student input in how the program is run will be key to its future success and effectiveness in improving student reading (and ultimately) academic results. Given the successful approach of including students in the success of the Just Read Program at Queenwood, I'll need to advocate for student input.
3. I concede that my school library has other pressing challenges that need to be prioritised at present, but I would like to eventually move towards greater curation of resources within the library collections and working with teachers across the faculties to make this happen. In past years at previous schools, I have attempted a library newsletter as a means of communicating with staff, which has its merits, especially with limited time to undertake such a venture, but it becomes a diary of record relating to the library in itself. I would like to challenge myself to also provide library presentations in the event of any professional learning days that comprise concurrent workshops that are delivered by staff.

The Library of Congress - Photos

Over the summer, I spent four weeks exploring the United States. I visited Atlanta, Boston and Chicago. I made my third visit to New York and my second visit to Washington DC.

I last visited Washington in 2017, in the days before Donald Trump's inauguration, but I wanted to explore the city in its regular setting.

On my previous visit, I did not get to visit the Library of Congress, which is opposite the Capitol Building.

The library dates back to 1800 and was originally located in the Capitol Building before moving to its present site towards the end of the 19th Century. Its purpose is to serve members of Congress, committees and staff, but it can be accessed by academics and researchers. The Library of Congress also created its own classification system, which is widely used in libraries around the world, alongside the Dewey Decimal System. I'll admit I have used its catalogue to locate data on items and to aid in cataloguing. 

Members of the public can access the library but must be pre-booked. This will give access to the Thomas Jefferson Building, which contains a number of exhibitions.

The highlight for me was viewing the recreation of the library of former US President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). His donation of 6487 volumes allowed for the creation of the library.

The main reading room is not open to the public, and bookings are required if you are accessing it for research purposes. 

The library holds a copy of the Gutenberg Bible. It is one of 120 copies published in the 15th century and is regarded as one of the first great titles to be printed on a printing press.

The Librarian's Ceremonial Office

Make the time when in Washington to visit this library.

Welcome to 2024

It has been one month since the school opened in 2024. For me, it has felt like a case of "All quiet on the Western Front" with the cruise control button on. I feel that there has been a general sense of smoothness, even if there are matters lying underneath that require attention.

But one thing I'd like to reflect on is tidiness within our work area. Some say a messy desk or workspace inspires creativity, but clutter and mess can make a workspace more stressful for a person and can indicate disorder.

My colleague and I spent some time working on this. It had started last year as well, though there was more emphasis on the main library space itself, and we even began to record what we have within our workspace to inform our budgeting for office supplies. 

I will admit, though, that the clean up of the space so far has yielded a sense of more order in the place and allowing us to account for what we have or don't have. Yes, a few treasures were found there but I will keep it secret. I even feel a sense of thinking a bit more clearly, too.

It can be tough for some to keep a workspace tidy, but if you struggle and want to fix it, do it in small parts. It could be as simple as allocating a short period of time each day to do so, e.g. ten minutes, or focus on one section each week.

Also, I spent the summer break in the United States and had the opportunity to visit the Library of Congress in Washington DC, along with the JFK Presidential Library and Museum (Boston) and The Carter Centre (Atlanta). My next three entries will focus on my visits to those libraries and museums.