Laurence Library

Love Your Library

As we come to the end of the scholastic year Library staff evaluate the collection, reorganising and ordering to complete series and replace damaged or lost books. Our collection now, although small, is comprehensive. There are novels to meet the needs of diverse readers’ tastes. As the Library becomes enmeshed in the fabric of the school there is now a steady stream of borrowers, both students and staff. At the same time, we now have a good understanding of our readers and can offer suggestions and assistance with selecting a satisfying read. 

Lego Club is meeting again. However, there has been an interruption with their project as, once again, there are missing parts. These have been ordered, but it now seems unlikely the group will finish their task before 2024. It will be very exciting to see the build completed and on display.

Book Club will commence on Wednesday after school in the Library. We hope to see this Club grow in 2024. There are so many avid readers and it is enjoyable to share books with others. Homework Club also recommences and students are welcome to study in the Library after school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. There are teachers to assist students with their work at these times. As students head into examinations this is a very useful resource for them to use and study collegially with friends – a study buddy is a good thing.

As our Year 12 students prepare for the ATAR examinations, the Library is a place where they can meet their teachers or do private study. In the Library, we can provide support for ATAR students with some of their subjects. Students do need to be in school uniform if they come into the school to study or wait to sit an examination.

The recent holiday gave me the opportunity for some serious reading for pleasure. Finding a great book shop in the town where we stayed for the break, I bought three new Australian crime novels, two of them from West Australian authors. The Fall Between, by Darcy Tindale, set in Orange, NSW, links past stories of tragic death in floods to small town crime and lost children. I found this novel entertaining and enjoyable for the familiar Australian context. 

The second novel, I Am Already Dead, by local author David Whish-Wilson, continues with a character from a previous novel, True West. The second novel focuses on this character as he grows into his role as a private detective. Blackmail, kidnapping and murder provide an entertaining and fast-moving read, perfect for the holidays. 

The third novel, Summer of Blood, is the most recent by local author and musician, Dave Warner. Set in the 1960s, this novel follows two Australian policemen as they investigate the disappearance of an Australian student in Los Angeles. The setting, revolving around the sixties music scene in San Fransisco, is highly entertaining. Warner clearly enjoys returning to his first love, rock and roll. The chapter titles are all sixties song titles and various musicians of the era have cameo appearances. This novel is a lot of fun, and yes, there is also a lot of blood. All three novels are now available in our library.

Together, let us read.

Dr Annette Pedersen

Library Coordinator