Library News

The 2022 Library Leaders were appointed at the start of this term and  have been doing a wonderful job of assisting in the library, recommending books to their peers and advocating for reading. 

Our Library Monitors work in the library at set times during the week, assisting with loans, book recommendations, shelving and promoting books through creating displays. Library Ambassadors promote reading and the library through reviewing books, helping create events and competitions, and raising awareness about what is happening in the library by speaking on assembly.  

Congratulations to the following students who were selected as Library Monitors and Library Ambassadors;

Jasper Mantica (Monitor and Ambassador)

Dolma Tentso (Monitor and Ambassador)

Pia McLean Barth (Monitor)

Olivia Wanner (Monitor)

Tayla Dudley (Monitor)

Kyle Tucker (Monitor)

Ivy Roberts (Monitor)

Gemma Ralph (Ambassador)

Grace Turnbull (Ambassador)

They are planning a great range of activities and competitions for students to engage in this year including art challenges, trivia events and writing competitions. 

The Premier's Reading Challenge is currently running with students from Year 7 to Year 10 able to participate. We have had one student complete the Premier’s Reading Challenge already. I want to remind students to make sure they are completing their reading log online so it can be validated and to come to the library to find books or recommendations from the PRC list. The challenge will close Friday 19 August. 

Students have been busy engaging with the wellbeing activities provided in the library. The community jigsaw puzzles are being completed at a rapid rate, with a third jigsaw opened this term and already half finished. The origami station was well used with a number of origami boats and cranes appearing throughout the library. The paper cranes students have created are on display in the library as a community art piece. 

Reading is a great activity for reducing stress as it has been shown to increase relaxation. Allowing yourself to get lost in a good book has a range of benefits. In a 2009 study conducted by the University of Sussex, individuals who had read for even just six minutes exhibited slower heart rates, less muscle tension, and reduced stress levels. According to the neuroscientist, Dr David Lewis, who conducted the study reading, “is more than merely a distraction but an active engaging of the imagination as the words on the printed page stimulate your creativity and cause you to enter what is essentially an altered state of consciousness.” 

Reading for pleasure is even faster at helping lower stress levels than listening to music or having a hot drink of tea. For our Seniors students, who are completing classwork, assessment tasks and contemplating life beyond school, making time to regularly read for enjoyment is an extremely beneficial activity for their overall wellbeing. 

The library has a number of new books added to the collection this term. For students who like Dr Who, the Dr Who 12 Doctors 12 Stories anthology is available. Other great books ready for reading include My Spare Heart by Jared Thomas, The Museum of Broken Things by Lauren Draper, Circe by Madeline Miller, Seven Days by Fleur Ferris and What We All Saw by Mike Lucas. Loans are for two weeks but can be renewed if needed.

Miss Shelley Klein

Librarian