Library News
The library team welcomes our new and continuing students and their families to the McCarthy Catholic College Library.
Our library is open from 8:30 am until 3:15 pm each day. Last year our Library Team said goodbye to Mrs. Susan Barrett and this year we welcome Ms. Rebecca Hannan to the team.
The 2025 Library Team is:
Libby Laird and Rebecca Hannan, Teacher Librarians and
Josie Cox, Library Assistant.
Library Orientation for Year 7 2025
Over the last two weeks, Year 7 Science classes have been coming into the library for a library orientation experience and a Book Scavenger Hunt. We have shown the students how to find the library online and how to bookmark the site onto their bookmark bar for easy access in the future. Students also hunted amongst the library shelves and found many fiction and non-fiction resources that we have in our library. The sessions have been enjoyable and students now know a lot more about our library resources.
Reading in the Library
During 2025, we will continue to build our positive reading culture. McCarthy students are encouraged to have a book to read weekly during mentor groups and Year 7 and 8 students will be reading most nights as part of their homework routine. When students come into the library to borrow books, we assist them to choose their books and to talk about what they are reading. We are looking forward to working with students to increase their reading skills and enjoyment of books in 2025.
Blind Date With a Book
In Weeks 3 and 4, Year 11 English students were treated to a ‘blind date with a book’ in celebration of Library Lover’s Day. Students were welcomed with candlelight, roses, and a plethora of books to “taste”. Students had a speed date with their books, in five-minute intervals, and made judgments about the themes, characters, setting, and stylistic choices, rating their books and deciding if they’d like to read further. It is always such a joy to see students engaging in new and challenging materials and enjoying new ways of reading texts.
Year 8 HSIE and the Medieval World
Again, this year, the Year 8 HSIE classes will spend one library lesson a fortnight in the library reading and retrieving information from a selection of online library resources on “Life in Medieval Europe” topics. We look forward to working with the students and sharing our curated library reading list resources with them.
Visit, relax and enjoy during breaks and study periods
The library is a great place for students to come and enjoy before school and during break times. We have promotions and events throughout the year. Students can play board games every Monday and during break times on request.
We are looking forward to continuing to support our students in the library environment.
Libby Laird
Teacher Librarian
Bec Hannan
Teacher Librarian
rhannan@arm.catholic.edu.au