How Australia’s university students are using to AI to cheat their way to a degree (The Weekend Australian Magazine Article)

On February 7, The Weekend Australian Magazine published a feature by Ros Thomas focusing on the reliance by University Students on artificial intelligence (AI) to help them complete assessment tasks, especially essays and take-home exams.

It is concerning because it could produce university graduates with next to no knowledge of their field, relying entirely on AI to complete their assessment tasks. They are, in fact, not showing their lecturer or marker what they really know about a topic, because they let the computer do "the talking" for them. 

They also lose the opportunity to develop skills in critical thinking and information skills, such as how to locate, select, and communicate their knowledge, thoughts, and ideas on a topic. Finding information that is relevant, reliable and trustworthy is part of the process as well, particularly in a world where information can easily deceive and mislead us. We need to be able to filter truth from untruth.

While some may have been able to use AI to mould the perfect assignment, AI is not perfect either.  Thomas refers to an account by one student in which incorrect information appeared in a group assignment they had worked on with AI. They, along with another member, had just three hours left before submission and had to rewrite their assignment to ensure they could land a good mark.

From my own experience using AI, I have had to hold AI to account when it omits information, incorrectly quotes information, or provides inaccurate information. More frustrating is wanting a direct quote from a document, only for AI to reword it or ignore it altogether. Even asking for academic papers on a topic (even relating to Teacher Librarianship) has yielded inaccurate results. I still get results that may not answer the question. AI models have improved in reliability, but they can still be inaccurate. There are times my prompts are ignored.

Even in our schools, we face the same situation where students rely on AI to complete homework or research tasks. 

Whether at the school or tertiary level, we need to ensure we set standards for how we use AI. I am not against AI because, in my role, it can simplify tasks. It can help me organise library research lessons or recommend books for a reluctant reader based on the profile I give them (and even upload a reading list or a catalogue listing of books). I then have to check to ensure what I got is accurate. 

If I need to write a report, it can provide a scaffold, template, or draft that I can then tweak to suit what I want to write or present.

It leaves me thinking, what can I teach my students to do? I think I'd have to emphasise the following to encourage AI to be useful, while still encouraging critical thinking and the information skills process.

• Checking the usefulness and reliability of information provided by a chatbot - Is it relevant? Is it correct?
• Organising summaries of notes
• Proofreading written content. Tools such as Grammarly have AI embedded in it. I have found that it has improved my writing skills after regular use of it. 
• Summaries of Pdf files. 
• Fact Checking - Checking to make sure AI-generated summaries are correct. If searching for content, conduct a usefulness and reliability check - Does it answer the research question
• Scaffolding - helping the student to organise their information
• Avoiding situations where one copies and pastes AI-generated content into an assessment task
• Expecting students to edit and reedit written work to ensure that the content complies with assessment requirements and marking criteria, and that it is expressed in their own words. I'd encourage them to think of themselves as the marker and consider what the marker might think of their work. Do they use a word in which they don't know the meaning or usage? I'd tell them not to use it and that teachers know how they typically write. 

These are a few ideas. You may have other ideas.

The first week of students back

The first week of classes for students is over. Being in a NSW public school, classes resumed last Monday (2 February), which was Week 2 of term (Week one was allocated for staff development days).

At 8 am on Monday, I opened the library doors for the first time in 2026. There is always at least one student, and sometimes several, waiting outside. This time, no one was waiting, and even on the previous first days, there would be at least one student outside. I still remember 2024 and meeting two year 7 students on that very first day and introducing myself to them. They are regulars to this day and one loves a chat.

It was certainly quiet, but interestingly, those who came came to borrow, especially for our 20-minute READ sessions that we run schoolwise each day, along with a massive number of returns which extended into the week. The Library Prefects were overloaded with returns. It was great that those who borrowed were generally prompt in returning their holiday loans.

Which day of the week could I say felt that activity was back to normal - Thursday. Sydney had its hottest day since January 10, with temperatures reaching 35 degrees. My school would have its temperatures linked to Sydney Olympic Park, which had a reading of just under 39 degrees. The heat pushed everyone indoors, and an air-conditioned library provides comfort. Friday was cooler, yet the crowds remained.

As the week progressed, the work piled up for our students. Students need to get the work done and I give them the space that they need to get it done. 

I will concede a few regulars have yet to come back that use the library and hopefully they do come back. One gets used to their presence, even to where they choose to sit.

I am looking forward to doing the Year 7 orientation sessions with my colleague in the next few weeks as it gives us a chance to meet them. I did have a chance to meet some of them informally at their orientation back in December as I supervised them completing activities around the school. We have seen a few use it, but I've had to reach out to them via Sentral to tell them that they are welcome and if they want to borrow, to start doing so.

Don't forget NSW Premier's Reading Challenge is around the corner as well - February 23.

The importance of Professional Development Plans

In NSW public schools, every employee is expected to prepare a Professional Development Plan (PDP), a process that allows a teacher to grow and develop in their teaching practice.

Catholic and Independent schools may have their own PDP frameworks in place, but recently, I have had an opportunity to reflect on its importance as I reflect on my 2025 PDP but also consider the PDP in 2026.

I have come to value its importance in 2025, because I can use it as a benchmark to determine if I am professionally growing in my practice as a teacher. If not it gives me an opportunity to identify why it was not met and what I can do to address it.

This year, with the aid of ChatGPT, was able to organise reflective statements that were thorough to explain either how the goal was met or why it wasnt met along with what I learnt. If I did fail, I reflected on why.

As a teacher librarian, it gives me the opportunity to be able to identify areas that I'd like to work on, not just in my professional practice but for the library itself. I have been thinking about my 2026 goals and what I want to do and how to meet it because I feel that the doors will open for me to be able to achieve those goals and hence grow the library.

The Primary Libraries: Creative Collaboration website has some ideas that you may wish to consider in development of your PDP. Even if you don't work in a NSW public school, you may wish to consider them in your own setting or modify them as needed. 

Advocating for better library budgets

Back in 2020, Jan Sheridan's research paper School Library Funding, Staffing and Resourcing - A 10 Year Review was published in ACCESS (Australian School Library Association). It encompasses three areas relating to school libraries:

• Funding
• Staffing
• Resourcing

This entry focuses on the funding of school libraries.

Over the years, working in various schools before gaining permanency has provided me with valuable insight into how different schools approach funding of school libraries, the processes involved and even how different teacher librarians approach their budget submissions. This, combined with the processes involved in my permanent role, has provided me with a what-to-do-and-what-not-to-do list.

It feels like I am preaching to the converted, but there is a need for a reminder, and also in a manner that keeps it simple. This blog is not just a place to reflect or share what I put into it, but to simplify what is out there in terms of research.

I read the reasons why school library budgets were increased, e.g. new principals, new resources to accommodate new curriculum and one-off grants.

But I felt one reason was missing for increased budgets - advocacy

Why?

I have found that advocacy can be used to secure increased funding for a library. Consider the data that is taken to a budget meeting - loan records, resource acquisitions, quotes for equipment and much more. Surveys and feedback have their place as well. 

Even if you are not asked to justify why you want xxx for your library, make sure you do. Take the initiative to do so. For those in systematic schools, especially public schools, make sure your supervisor or Head Teacher is briefed before any meeting to discuss funding. If they know what you want, they are more likely to be able to press your argument forward. It will likely pay off for you.

Whereas if you request a figure and provide no justification, the answer is likely to shift to "no," even if the requested figure is low or conservative. 

Connect it to school initiatives and strategic plans. Does your school have a wide reading program? Establish connections. Relate it to school outcomes—how does the funding help the school achieve the outcome? Consider the connections to curriculum outcomes? How will they be met?

I know of one (now retired) teacher librarian who took the initiative to itemise every item that they needed for the library, especially with stationery. I would also suggest that, as purchases are made for items such as stationery, you keep a record of what you do use and refer to invoices to help you estimate how much they would cost if purchased. You may keep this in a procedures or processes guide or create a system that works best for you. 

Raising Readers - Megan Daley

The Sydney Weekend magazine in The Daily Telegraph (July 26-27, 2025) recently published an extract by Megan Daley, author of Raising Readers: How to Nurture a Child's Love of Books. A new edition of her 2019 book has just been published. 

She believes in the Science of Reading, which draws from neuroscience, linguistics, and cognitive psychology, asserting that reading and writing are not natural skills like speaking but need deliberate teaching.

Daley also suggests parents:

• Advocate for evidence-based literacy instruction
• Understand how reading works
• Support children at home with rich oral and print language environments
• Collaborate with educators and specialists (e.g., speech pathologists, psychologists)

For me, this reinforces what I see in the library each day. Children need more than access to books. They need explicit support and encouragement to become confident readers. The research is important, but so too is the human side of teaching — the conversations, the joy of sharing stories, and the chance to guide a student towards a book that sparks their interest.

As teacher librarians, we can bridge research and practice. We create spaces where reading feels valued, support colleagues in evidence-based literacy, and help families see the vital role they play. Each child who moves from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” is a reminder that raising readers is both science and art.

Collaboration and team teaching with teacher librarians and classroom teachers

In the current issue of SCIS Connections (#133, Term 2 2025), Vicki Bennett wrote about how she is applying evidence-based practice to collaborate with classroom teachers and engage in team teaching at one primary school she works at, referred to as "School B" to highlight its benefits as part of research in teacher librarian practice.

This stood out for me from reading the article because it is a fundamental part of our role: 

Collaborating with the teacher librarian empowers teachers and students by enhancing their knowledge and skill sets.

As part of her research, Vicki is trying to highlight the benefits that stem from collaboration and team teaching with students over a longer period each week, focusing on School B. It means that she can provide more support to the students and provide content that aligns with the curriclum. 

Her research is ongoing. 

Also, the article highlighted the need for access to research material from Australia. While it is beneficial to have access to overseas practices, Australian material is likely to be more relevant, as it aligns more closely with the Australian curriculum and education system. 

Engaging Reluctant Readers - SLANSW Webinar (February 2025)

The School Library Associaton of NSW (SLANSW), commenced its monthly webinar series this week. The theme was Practical ways to engage reluctant readers and featured contributions from Allison Tait (Author), Jade Arnold (NSW Premier’s Program Officer – Reading and Spelling) & Amanda Craig (Teacher Librarian - Telarah Public School)

I attended because I facilitate a READ group at school for students in Years' 10-12 that struggle to actively participate in the daily 20 minute session, where all students engage a time of silent reading, and wanted to be informed of some strategies applied to by others to encourage reluctant readers to add to my "tool kit".

I know two other READ groups that provide additional support to students in my school, and I should invite those groups to borrow during READ time. I have a small group already, and with my session in the library, I can open up the space to invite groups to borrow during that time and provide the opportunities that my group has access to, such as the lounges and beanbags to encourage them to relax. This would support the suggestion to make all students in a class borrow a book, unless there is a book of their own that interests them.

Reading goals are essential as well to encourage reluctant readers. I applied this strategy with general class groups e.g Litgym at MLC School (2014), but should use this to both groups as well. It has worked for me with regular groups and I cannot see why it would fail with both groups.

Book labels also arose, and I didn't realise the impact they could have on reluctant readers, given that genre labels can guide students in selecting related texts or reading particular stories that interest them. I have been involved in the setup at my school. While it has consumed time and resources, it is a good investment, even if it's not a financial one because my goal is to have students borrowing and reading books that interest them. If students borrow and read more, I will be happy, and feedback from the wider student body will be favourable to date. 

Improving Graphic Novel Collections in schools

In the latest issue of INCITE magazine by ALIA (Australian Library and Information Association), I read a case study on Barker College Library’s efforts to expand and update its graphic novel and manga collections. In 2024, the library undertook a review to ensure those collections align with student interests and to encourage diverse reading experiences. The process involved forming a committee, gathering data and consulting students. 

As a result, they made informed decisions to refresh displays, shorten loan periods (two weeks to one week) and introduce new, age-appropriate titles.  

One of the changes implemented by Barker College has been reducing the loan period from two weeks to one week. At my school, graphic novels are loaned for two weeks, and to encourage greater engagement with graphic novels, I should consider whether a shorter loan period would work for them.

Selecting age-appropriate manga is a challenge that confronts school libraries. While manga titles have a rating system, some of the themes may not be consistent with the rating, so it does need to be scrutinised. It also needs to align with the values and ethos of the school, whether it is a public or private school. 

End of 2024

This is my last entry for 2024. I have found it challenging to post new entries, trying to stick to fornightly posts as much as possible, but other matters, whether they are workplace or personal take over. I actually had begun compiling a list of topics to discuss to keep me motivated. Fortunately, I will have ideas that I can hopefully bring to fruition in 2025.

It is now December, and this year with my colleague and the library prefects have organised Christmas activities for students.

Fortuantely at my school, we are able to have decorations hung in the library, particularly on our annexe room, entrance and circulation desk. Within the school itself, the faculties and departments all compete against each other to produce the best Christmas display or best door (faculty staffroom).

Last Friday, we organised simple art and craft themed activities our library annexe, which had a good turnout. We also organised a soundtrack of Christmas carols and songs to add some atmosphere. I was encouraged by the attendance, that another two days of Christmas activities are planned to finish off the week.

This week, we had our annual presentation day at the Sydney Opera House. During the ceremony, nine students were presented with their NSW Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) medals under a special awards category, which acknowledges student achievements that would not fall under traditional categories such as academic, endowed and sports awards. It is a rare privilege for someone to earn a medal for the PRC and have it presented on one of the finest stages in the world, and its right here in our city.

My challenge is to get more students up on stage with medals next year, provided that the medals reach the school in time. A big thanks to PRC organisers for ensuring that the medals made it to my school on time. 

School Libraries: Improving the Literacy and Wellbeing Outcomes for Young People

I am currently undertaking the Flexible Blended Learning Course provided by the School Library Association of NSW (SLANSW) focusing on the book publishing by Margaret Merga - School Libraries Supporting Literacy and Wellbeing.

So far, I have worked through two modules, both of which have required me to reflect on my role but also my role as a literacy educator.

Sometimes, I feel that I may not be fulfilling all aspects of the role of the teacher librarian, but having to review tables published in the book, I found that I was fulfilling my role, even if I did not notice it. It gave me assurance that I am doing my job, but also the depth at which I am doing it. 

It has also given me an opportunity to reflect on my professional growth in recent times and should I wish to seek employment elsewhere in the future, I will have a guide to help me reflect on the skills, experience, qualities and attributes that I can use to explain to employers why I am the most suited person for the role. 

The decline of newsagents

Newspapers and magazines can be used to enhance literacy skills but also provide students with information that they can apply in any subject. Reading newspapers while I was at school helped me to relate what I was learning in the classroom to current events and vice versa, and I believe that this helped me do well academically in the classroom. 

Sadly a major source of newspapers and magazines - the newsagent has fallen to store closures. The pace of closures has accelerated further in recent years. 

Newsagents now compete with supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations for the sale of newspapers and magazines and big-box retailers such as Officeworks, BigW, Target and Kmart for stationery.

Even lottery sales cannot escape competition. In NSW, it is possible to purchase lottery tickets online or in person at a convenience store or petrol station, despite the "rivers of gold" that lottery sales bring to the agent. 

Newspaper publishers have taken over the home delivery of newspapers, which in decades past provided income for newsagents. You could either have home delivery organised through the publisher (paid the newsagent commission per newspaper delivered) or you could arrange directly with the newsagent for home delivery with the delivery fee added to the cover price of the newspaper.

Closures mean that a source of information is being taken away from us and along with a source of reading material, but also the control how of how we acquire and maintain a newspaper and magazine collection within a school.

The decline of newsagencies, along with my interest in reading newspapers and magazines, has motivated me to explore this. 

After the holidays, I am going to reflect on their decline and what it means for us in terms of promoting reading.

Stop Reading the News by Rolf Dobelli

I confess to being a news nut. I recall watching the news each night as a six year old, even if I didn't completely understand what the content was about. It may have been years before I realised that I was actually a witness to history if I see or read an item years later. I enjoyed reading newspapers as a seven year old, even if it was just the weather page but just seeing pages loaded with lots of words and pictures. It made me feel grown up. 

Recently, I read Stop Reading the News by Rolf Dobelli and his main argument is that watching, reading, or listening to the news is harmful to a person and impacts our personal wellbeing. He goes as far as arguing that people are less likely to concentrate.

In addition, he argued that the content we view is pointless and that if its important, we will hear about it. The news is irrelevant.

He also suggested that in building our knowledge and understanding in the world, that we read on topics that interest us and read deeply into it. We should specialise our knowledge on a small range of fields.

I can see his point, particularly when it comes to reading deeply into a topic and as an educator, I need to encourage students to read widely and deeply on a topic.

But I have concerns about having to not watch, read or listen to the news, particularly in an educational context because watching the nightly news, reading a daily newspaper or reading a magazine helps us to make connections between the theory and application of knowledge. 

My best subject in the HSC in 2003 was Legal Studies. By watching the news and reading the newspaper each day, I was exposed to how the law was being applied. I kept folders of newspaper clippings from court cases or legislation being debated in our State and Federal Parliaments. I would be encouraging students in 2022 to do the same.

I think we as a species are wired to be curious about the world and its happenings but also to be able to share with others what is going on the world.

But if it was a takeaway note for me, maybe we need to slow our approach to how we view the news. For example, I should try and focus on longer articles instead of shorter articles. Fortuantely, I still subscribe to printed newspapers. The digital replica is the lazy way out unless on a ery crowded train. I notice in a printed sense, I abosrb the news more slowly but at the same time immerse myself with the content. 

We should not fear if we miss the nightly news on television or not have enough time to read it the next day. 

What is meant by Wide Reading?

"You need to broaden your wide reading."

Two months ago, a colleague at school made this remark to me. I was asked if I had read certain novels. I had not heard about many of them. However, some were classic novels that I may look at reading in the future and was "instructed" to re-read certain titles because of student interest or because of their place in the curriculum.

To me "wide reading" has been about spending a period of time e.g. thirty minutes or one hour reading, focusing on literature of interest but also challenging myself to read a variety of literature.

On a typical day, I will spend on average between one hour and one and a half hours a day reading books. I also read the newspaper for about an hour a day on top of my book reading. 

My reading preferences are geared towards non-fiction, since I enjoy reading about the world that we live in and boosting my general knowledge including:

• Geopolitics (It has helped me understand some of the challenges facing the world right now e.g. Ukraine and China)
• History
• Poiltics
• Economics
• Business
• Social Trends/Current Affairs
• Biographies 

When I choose to read fiction I prefer:

• Young Adult Literature (helps me with book recommendations)
• Storylines reflecting issues facing society (including diversity)
• Science Fiction 
• Historical Fiction
• "Political Fiction" - Storylines focusing on politics

At times I have challenged myself to read items that may come from other genres such as Fantasy or Classics to help me recommend suitable literature to read to my students.

I feel thats wide enough for my reading

But some definitions of  "wide reading" focus on reading a wide range of literature relating to a specific topic e.g. Australian History or genre and being able to understand and comprehend its content. Did my colleague see it this way? 

What does "wide reading" mean to you?

Representation Matters: Embracing Diversity and Inclusion - SLANSW Summit

The School Library Association of NSW (SLANSW) held the first of its biannual summits for 2022 which was provided online on Saturday.

The focus was on embracing diversity and inclusion and attending on Saturday was a must given that in a secondary setting, students are indicating a preference for literature that reflects the world around them.

Two items stood out on Saturday

Firstly, I enjoyed listing to keynote speaker - Will Kostakis (Author), who provided a wonderful overview of his writing career, and the challenges that he has faced in writing literature as his novels such as The First Third and Sidekicks have been inspired by his experience growing up as gay. He had been told that he had to "de gay" the storyline for The First Third. I have read both of those titles and are very well written.

Secondly, Pooja Mathur (Teacher Librarian, The Kings School & ) presented a workshop that helped us to identify suitable literature that can be representative of all students within your school including authors. In our resource acquistion, we had to consider the impact the story may have on the reader and if it improves our understanding of an issue. Also how can we classify it. "Relationships" was recommended. Promotion of literature that is from the "Relationships" genre is straightforward and can be easily applied in my practice.

One matter raised during the day was the amount of censorship or concerns that have been raised about books and how they may "misrepresent" certain groups or issues in society.  Even great and bestseller books have been listed as doing so, even though the intention is to provide an insight into their world but also help society understand their needs and issues in a positive way. I would not be surprised if these concerns are being raised more by the "politically correct" or "woke" groups in our society in terms of outing the faults in books, and not realising the debate and discussion and positive change that has stemmed from the publication of the book.

I am currently a Metropolitan Representative on the School Library Association of NSW Management Committee.

A new school....

This year, I begin a permanent full-time role as a Teacher Librarian and 2022 is the start of the next stage in my professional journey. I am based at a secondary girls' school on Sydney's Upper North Shore.

It is a thrill to be in this role and should be very rewarding in the years to come.

School has only been open a week and I am in the "swing of things" and adjusting to the routine that comes with this role.

I will continue to share and reflect on some of the initatives that I undertake and reflect on any professional learning that I engage in.

COVID-19 has sapped alot out of us but I did make good use of this time to brush up not just on school libraries, but also my broader role as an educator.

It is great that schools are open as normal even as we in Sydney experience our third and worst wave of the pandemic but also the fact that infection rates have dropped in time for the school year. Yes, there will be a rise a cases, but we will be on top of it.

It's great too to be working within the library space itself. Working from home can have its limitations for people like us. 

New Year - Back in the mood

It has been six months since I decided to post on my blog.

Why the break? It had been a period for me of trying initatives and practices at the school that I was working with.

The appointment with the school is now complete and I have had time to implement and reflect. 

Some practices built up and consolidated on previous practices and experiences while trying new practices for the first time. 

I will look forward to sharing some of my work in upcoming entries. I am hoping that I can share an entry once a fortnight during 2021.

Also, I have prepared a flyer to promote my services as a Teacher Librarian in 2021 especially schools may be looking for a qualified person to undertake work in either a casual, temporary or permanent capacity. Contact details are included for those who wish to get in contact with me. 

To our readers who may know someone or a school who is looking for someone, please feel free to forward the flyer to them.

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.

Teachers Talk about Literature

Cover 2 Cover had an unexpected benefit in terms of building up a culture of reading in a school and this is reinforced through articles that I have read.

One of my colleagues was assisting me with Library supervision several weeks ago. They actually leaked out their favourite book to a group of students. The teacher in question was one of those featured in the staff favourite books guessing competition.

I recall that they shared some details about the book and this got the students interested.

The students who took part in the guessing competition themselves and even after the answers were publicly revealed (once winners had collected their prizes) learnt a lot about teachers' reading preferences and I hope it might encourage them to read. If teachers can reveal their reading preferences and share it, it will motivate them to read, whether it is the books featured or other books.

Most importantly, the message conveyed to students was that teachers, even with their busy schedules put time aside to read.

Even I learnt a lot about what my colleagues like to read. I could tell that the books meant something to them.

But in the classroom, what could you do as a teacher to promote reading as a fun activity?

• Find books with storylines that relate to the work being studied in class e.g. The Lord of the Flies is fantastic in reflecting how important having laws are in society. 
• Sharing background information, especially classic novels can be used to relate them to history.
• Share quotes or extracts from books with your class.
• Talk to students about your reading and invite them to share what they read with you.
• Get students to try and identify books or stories that relate to the content studied.
• Share books relating to a specific subject, e.g. Adam Spencer's books on numbers are great for mathematics.

There might be some other ideas. What could you suggest?

Digital Replicas of The Sydney Morning Herald (back issues)

Newspapers have made an effort in recent to provide subscribers access to articles featured in back editions, whether they go back 10 years, 25 years or since publication of the first issue.

The OZTL_NET forum had a request from one person about accessing an article from a specific edition in 2002.

I have noticed that The Sydney Morning Herald has appeared to spread itself far and wide in providing databases to provide specific timeframes.

Newspapers.Com (Paid database) has issues dating back to 1831, when publication began. Anything up to 1954 is freely available on Trove. What I like about it is the ability to download a full page in jpeg format or as a pdf for easy printing in a great size.

The disadvantage is that they end at January 31, 2002 and some editions are not listed.

They also have one archive that covers 1955-1995. This is available if you a member of the State Library of NSW.

Many libraries provide the library edition that covers 2006 - today.

I think its created some problems for what formerly was Fairfax. Wouldn't it make sense to consolidate it all into one database?

Not to mention, it creates more costs for libraries that want to provide access to one has been regarded as one of the world's great newspapers.

Databases like Factiva will list articles from the newspaper to cover the 2002-2006 period, but what if the individual wants to view a more authentic version of the article?

What about the library edition in schools?

I think generally they are great in providing a digital replica of the newspaper but is limited in its back library to January 1 2006. Would be great if they could add editions before 2006 to help students in their research, especially history students.

OLT Autism Training

I have recently been given the opportunity to undertake some Autism training through my school which is a mixture of face to face and online training.

The insights that have been given onto Autism today have interested me, especially the changes in the definition of Autism under DSM - 5, where Autism Spectrum Disorder is classified by levels and is determined by assessment by medical professionals.

Two matters have stood out for me which I will need to consider as a Teacher Librarian:

1. Ensuring that I provide explicit instructions in how to access library services. I have focused on providing step by step guides in how to access database or undertake a particular task in a program or application for the general school community. Could breaking it down further be better and/or identify an area that may require explicit instructions or ensure effective use.
2. Inquiry Learning - We have been presented with a hypothetical case study as part of the course. The person who was one who found creative tasks and answering open ended questions difficult. While inquiry learning is great in formulating questions of our choice to help us in research, for a person with autism, it may be overwhelming. Obviously there is a need for detailed steps to be followed including templates and scaffolds. But what about what to choose as their area of focus. I have thought about it and I would suggest at this time to focus on the persons specific interest area to narrow it down and allow them to enjoy a research task that accommodates their interests.