Library News
It's a reading bonanza in the library!
Since the start of term, our new-look library has been buzzing - with more than 750 books loaned to students in just a few short weeks! It’s fantastic to see so many young people choosing to read for pleasure, research and curiosity. From fantasy epics to graphic novels, sports biographies to study guides, our shelves are well loved.
Library date-a-book event a smash-hit!
In February we celebrated reading with the return of our Blind Date with a Book Valentine’s display. Students selected a mystery title wrapped in brown paper, guided only by a few intriguing clues on the front. There were 33 blind book dates across the week, forcing our librarian to pull out the brown paper and sticky tape quite a few times more than expected! The excitement (and surprise reviews!) have been a highlight of the term and a lovely reminder that sometimes the best reads are the ones we least expect.
Speaking of reads you don't expect, our library introduced the magical, mystical Book of Wheel Fortune, where students spin a wheel to pick their next read. Apologies (sorry, not sorry) go out to the kids who spun the wheel without realising it obliged them to borrow a book from the genre it landed on! Our library also celebrated Lunar New Year, the Formula One season kick-off and International Women's Day. And there's plenty more to come as the term rolls on.
Please help these library books find their way back
With such enthusiastic borrowing, a gentle reminder to families: if you notice any library books at home - perhaps tucked under a bed, in a sports bag, or on a bookshelf - we would be so grateful for their return. If you have any of the books shown above - or one that our librarian hasn't noticed is missing yet (!) - please bring them back, no questions asked. Even long-overdue books are always welcomed back with no fuss.
Finally, a quick reminder that students must borrow books through the library desk before taking them home or removing them from the library space. Books cannot simply be taken from the shelves. This ensures everyone has fair access and our collection stays organised.
Thank you for supporting a thriving reading culture at our school!
A reminder about our new LibGuides
We recently expanded digital library access through Compass Library Links, allowing students to browse the collection, reserve items, and access research tools more easily than ever before, including from home. And we introduced Lib Guides, directly supporting student classroom learning through librarian-curated resource pages. There are helpful online guides - available now or coming soon - for every book-listed novel studied in English across all cohorts. These are accessible through the library catalogue via Compass.
Other curriculum-aligned pages also help guide students through Preston's respective DaVinci, Bandler Parks and Ada Years programs. Students have access to all these guides when logged into the library Infiniti catalogue through Compass. Ask them to show you the guides from their laptops at home or explore some of them here:
If you'd like some book advice or some help choosing a cracking read for your teen, please reach out via Compass email. I'm always happy to give recommendations or point students in the right bookish direction.
Nikki Protyniak
Library Manager