Library Services
READING CHALLENGES AND INCENTIVES
Year 10 Students vs Library Staff Reading Challenge
To add some incentive for our Year 10 students to get reading, the Sr Julian Quaine Library (SJQL) Staff have thrown down the gauntlet to them – the challenge being to read as many books as possible by the end of the year. Year 10 students vs Library Staff…the race is on! Should the Year 10 students read more books than the Library Staff by year’s end, a prize will be in the offing! (The prize for Library Staff is, of course, having those students read!) For transparency, the books read by each group are being recorded on the windows/whiteboard walls outside the Library Office.
As of Monday, 18 May 2026, the tallies are:
Year 10 Students: 92
Library Staff: 151
There is still plenty of time to catch up, so parents can encourage their Year 10 students to join in and help the cohort’s cause!
Library Loyalty Card
As mentioned in the previous Principal’s Bulletin, another incentive for reading at SJQL is our Library Loyalty Card! Books are far better for you than caffeine, so this loyalty program is infinitely superior to those OTHER ones going around. By reading 5 age-appropriate books and filling out the Library Loyalty Card, students based at Davisson Street Campus can earn a $5 Kmart voucher. Just another example of how beneficial reading can be!
SENIOR STUDY CENTRE AT SJQL
Parents are reminded that Learning Support Officers (LSOs) are available in the Library between 3:30pm and 4:30pm, Monday to Thursday, to support students with their study. LSOs can offer support in a wide range of academic areas – students can contact Library staff to find out when there will be LSOs rostered on in their area/s of need.
MEET A LIBRARY STAFF MEMBER! #7
Name: Mrs Sue Nash-Skinner (Teacher Librarian)
What is the best book you have read recently? Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet.
What is your favourite genre to read, or to recommend? Historical Fiction is my favourite genre to read, especially around the War of the Roses or Tudor England. I, however, usually recommend mystery and crime books to others because not everyone loves history as much as I do.
If you could only recommend one book to everyone, what would it be?
Well, obviously, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Hilarious social commentary, honest reflection on the place of women in society, and family expectations. Mrs Bennet is one of my favorite fictional mothers, she is a constant source of embarrassment to her children.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not at the Library?
I enjoy catching up with friends and family and walking my border terrier, Stanley.
I am a passionate AFL supporter - Go Dees! I love both the men’s and women’s comps and attend as many matches as I can.
Reading is something I do for fun and relaxation. My guilty pleasure is reading books inspired by the works of Jane Austen, especially Pride and Prejudice.
Every chance I get I am off exploring - Victoria, Australia, the world…so much to see and so little time.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be, and why?
I would love to be able to time travel. It would be amazing to go back in time and see some of the great moments of history live. Imagine watching in real time the coronation of Elizabeth the first, man walking on the moon or being at Woodstock. I would also slip back to 2021 and watch the AFL grand final in person - something Covid lockdowns prevented me from experiencing. So many choices!
MEET A LIBRARY STAFF MEMBER! #8
Name: Mr William Cook (Librarian/Coordinator of Public Speaking and Debating)
What is the best book you have read recently? The Giver by Lois Lowry. It was so poetic and philosophical I simply cannot stop thinking about it – I am very jealous that the Year 8 students get to study this.
What is your favourite genre to read, or to recommend?
I am sorry to be boring, but I will always love the classics more than anything else. Sit me down quietly with a roaring fire and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre any day of the week.
If you could only recommend one book to everyone, what would it be?
Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis - it changed my world.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not at the Library?
Taking my 10-month-old baby Magnus for walks in the Botanical Gardens and learning the names of the roses.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be, and why?
Whatever my mentor Elda Carbone has, because she is the best librarian going around.
That is all for now - watch this space for more updates from the Library Services Faculty!
Miss E Bruty
Librarian