Library News
By Meghan Douglas - Director of Library Services
The Library in Winter
Winter is a great time to curl up with a book and read! Through our structured reading programs, we have been promoting a broad range of genres and giving students options about what they might be interested in reading next. Our Year 7s have explored War Stories and Historical Fiction, as a genre introduction for next term’s study of Katrina Nannestad’s ‘Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief’. Our Year 8s have explored non-fiction, borrowing everything from cook books, to Pop-Science, Health information, Finance guides, Biographies, and beyond. Our Year 9s were in reading a range of short stories and examining their structure, before their own writing assessments in English. Later, they returned to read Romance novels as a gentle introduction to ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Holiday borrowing has now begun, with all new loans extended beyond the holiday break to make sure everyone has plenty to read!
Reconciliation Week in the Library
During Reconciliation Week the Library hosted our Year 7 Humanities and Year 8 RE classes for learning activities related to the theme “Bridging Now to Next’. We know that one of the ways we can build this bridge is through education about First Nations culture and experiences. To that end, our Year 7s watched and read bilingual Dreaming stories from around Australia, examining the purpose or role of these texts, and being exposed to stories told in Language. Many classes were able to join us for a second lesson, where they explored the importance of language maintenance, alongside the meaning of Wadawurrung place names using the Gambay language map. Our Year 8s practiced their research skills, investigating the biography of a famous First Nations leader using physical and online resources, before teaching their friends about this person through a competitive game of memory. The Library’s First Nations guide has many resources that students and staff can use to learn more about Australia’s history and First Nations culture.
Seniors in the Library
Year 11 and 12 English students have joined us in the Library over the last weeks to learn more about researching and referencing to support their persuasive speeches SACs. They have used the Echo, Informit Explore and Access Australia (Newsbank) databases to research their topics, as well as being reminded about proper referencing conventions. The Library’s ‘Newspapers and Statistics’ guide is a rich resource for these students, collating helpful databases, news sources, referencing information, and reliable sources of statistics and data to support and extend their arguments.
All students in Years 7 to 12 have access to the MyConnect digital bookshelf, which allows them direct access to all digital resources they purchased through our book seller Campion. Instructions for accessing this are published on SIMON for students, and they are encouraged to make use of this resource to support their learning. Students are welcome to come to the Library for support with accessing or using this resource.
Library Links
Library Website: https://libguides.loreto.vic.edu.au/Loreto-Library
Our email: library@loreto.vic.edu.au
Our eBook and audiobook collection: https://loreto.wheelers.co/
Instagram: Follow us @loretoballaratlibrary