Library News
by Meghan Douglas - Director of Library Services
The Library in 2025
Over the past year, our Library Reading Program for Years 7, 8 and 9 has continued to grow into a positive, consistent part of school life—one that celebrates students as readers and supports teachers in helping them build strong, sustainable reading habits. Guided by current research, including the Deakin University ‘Discovering a Good Read’ study and the national report ‘Understanding Australian Readers’ from Monash University, we have shaped a program that gives students time, choice, and encouragement and the results have been encouraging.
One of the key insights from the research is the predictable spread of reader “types”. While avid readers and non-readers tend to remain fairly stable, the middle groups—those who read sometimes, or want to read more but feel unsure where to start—show the greatest potential for growth. Much of our work this year has focused on supporting these students by removing barriers such as limited time, choice overwhelm, or lack of confidence, by providing them with a clear pathway to follow as they discover new authors and genres.
Student feedback across all three year levels shows that this approach is making a difference. Year 7 readers reported feeling more settled and confident choosing books, while many in Year 8 noted that having regular time to read reduced stress and helped them discover genres they would not have tried on their own. Year 9 students, often the trickiest group to shift, shared that the program encouraged them to pick up books more frequently and made reading feel like a normal part of their week rather than an added task.
These reflections were supported by our borrowing statistics and student surveys, which showed clear increases in the amount students felt they read compared with the previous year. Although individual responses varied, the overall trend was a steady rise in reading confidence, reading frequency, and willingness to discuss books with peers and teachers.
Our junior English teachers have played a crucial role in creating this momentum. Their commitment to scheduling class reading time, accompanying students to the library, modelling positive reading behaviours, and encouraging conversations about books has helped normalise reading in our school culture. When teachers talk about what they’re reading or join the class in quiet reading time, it signals to students that reading is valued, enjoyable, and worth prioritising.
Looking ahead, we will continue to focus on the elements that worked best in 2025: building reading time into English classes; providing curated reading choices; offering genre guides and reading lists to reduce overwhelm; and reinforcing reading as a comforting, social, and rewarding activity. We will also keep encouraging students to set personal reading goals, explore new genres, and substitute small pockets of screen time with short reading sessions.
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/