Overview

As students and teachers live and learn in an information-rich, digitally connected world the school library and its staff can play a crucial role in the school community. Innovative programs, services and spaces, responsive and collaborative teaching and learning activities, sustainable collections, practices and infrastructure, productive and inclusive partnerships and communities, professional engagement and practice are crucial for the development of essential skills and capabilities for lifelong learning and the sustainability of leading-edge school libraries.

The conference will focus on four major streams:

The Dynamic School Library

This stream will explore how a dynamic school library is agile in responding to the learning needs of its community and provides flexible learning spaces, programs, microcourses and activities that are student-focused and/or student-driven with strong connections to the curriculum.

The Sustainable School Library

This stream will focus on different elements around the theme of a sustainable school library. Being environmentally friendly in construction, design, layout, collection development, and learning space configuration can support practical solutions to address sustainability.

The Inclusive School Library

This stream will explore how the school library can support diversity in its school community by building an inclusive collection, engaging with the community, providing access to curated/annotated content/resources, and embracing inclusive activities, programs and services.

The Future-Ready School Library

This stream will consider key components of a future-ready school library. A futureready school library professional engages in collaborative, creative and innovative practices to develop skills and capabilities to lead, teach, and support students and staff in preparing learners for a very different future.

Target Audience

This conference is best suited to innovative classroom teachers, teacher librarians and those on the executive looking to build capacity at a school level or within the individual classroom.

Supporting Association

Tickets

Choose from one or two day ticket options. Tickets include including a buffet lunch, along with a Certificate of Attendance (Mapped to APST).

Register now and access Early Bird Rates

9:00 - 9:45am

Speaker: Krystal Gagen-Spriggs, Lecturer, School of Information and Communication Studies, Charles Sturt University

Factors Affecting the Teacher Librarian’s Influence on Reading Cultures

There are many factors that affect the teacher librarian’s influence on reading cultures in secondary schools, such as student reading identities, reading motivation, support from school leadership, and the time that teacher librarians have available to them. Krystal will share preliminary findings from the surveys and interviews of her PhD research that investigates these factors and more in detail. Practical suggestions for increasing the influence of the teacher librarian based on the findings of this research shall be highlighted.

9:50 - 10:30am

Speaker: Christine Peterson, Head of Library Services, Scots PGC College

Developing Inquiry in the Primary Years

Learn how to develop a lesson linked to the library that is dedicated to inquiry learning. The session will look at the introduction and development of the subject and how it has been designed for the Year 3-5 students.

10:30 - 11:00am

Morning Tea

11:00 - 11:40am

Speaker: Joyce Sendeckyj, Head of Library and Information Series, Kilbreda College Mentone

What do I get out of it? Building the Literacy and Reading Skills of Lower Secondary Students into the Future Through Gamification

Spurred by the necessity of finding engaging ways to deliver a mandated reading program for years 7 & 8 in 2021, during many months of tag between classroom and homeschooling, an online program that incorporates elements of gamification and incentives was adopted. A survey of both teachers and students in late 2020 suggested that more engaging and ‘fun’ activities be adopted into their reading program. In this session, Beanstack, which incorporates the online ability for students to record the books they are reading, record time spent reading and also engage in response activities that demonstrate specific comprehension skills that are explicitly taught.  Hear how the program generates data and reports of student progress that are used by the teacher librarian and English teachers for tracking student progress and for reporting and assessment.

11:45am - 12:30pm

Speaker: Kelly Burrett, Teacher Librarian, Kedron State High School

Engaging Library Experiences for Secondary School Students

Regular "library lessons" help students to form connections with their school libraries, develop research skills, and foster a love of reading. Learn  two of the approaches taken at Kedron SHS in order to support students' use of the library and add value to school programmes. In 2023, in response to low borrowing data and less-than-enthusiastic attitudes towards reading among Year 10 students, the TENacious Readers' programme was introduced in collaboration with the English department. In this session, Kelly will outline the goals, successes and challenges following the first year of the programme's implementation, sharing borrowing data and feedback from student and staff surveys. In addition, she will share ideas and resources for running engaging library lessons for students in Years 7-8. While this session does focus on activities for secondary school students, many of the ideas can be easily adapted for primary school contexts.

12:30 - 1:30pm

Lunch in the Education Show

1:30 - 1:50pm

Conversation with morning presenters – What ideas did we take away from this morning?

1:50 - 2:20pm

Discussion

2:20 - 3:10pm

Speaker: Tracey Porter, Junior Teacher Librarian, Wenona School

The Science of Libraries: How do You Measure the Value and Contributions of the Library?

There is a strong correlation between student achievement and access to a library. Studies have shown that students who have access to a well-resourced library have higher reading and academic achievement.. Some common methods to measure the value and contributions of the library include, student surveys, Teacher surveys, Usage data, Program evaluation, and Cost-benefit analysis. The best way to measure the value of a library will vary depending on the specific school and its goals. However, learn  by using a variety of methods, schools can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the impact that their library is having on student learning.

3:10pm

Wrap up Day 1

9:05 - 9:45am

Speakers: Dr. Kay Oddone, Lecturer and Course Director, and Krystal Gagen-Spriggs, Lecturer, School of Information and Communication Studies, Charles Sturt University

“The Best Outcome for Our Children”: Public and School Libraries Forging Collaborative Relationships

There has been a long-standing link between the role of public and school libraries in the delivery of formal and informal education, recreational opportunities, and literacy promotion with a focus on “the best outcome for our children”. The collaborative role involving school and public libraries provide a unique vision for the services delivered, expectations of the qualifications needed for those who deliver them, and their mission in providing children’s services. In May and June 2023, the presenters replicated Alan Bundy’s 2002 study to understand how these partnerships have continued to evolve (or not) by surveying staff working in public and school libraries. This presentation will share the major findings with delegates including the demographics of our participants and their communities and most interestingly, the responses to open-ended questions where they reflected on their own knowledge and use of public and school libraries, identified barriers and promoters of collaboration between these two types of libraries and described current and past interactions and partnerships in their libraries. Translate these findings into practical outcomes for your libraries and communities, “the best outcomes for our children.”

9:50 - 10:30am

Speaker: Catherine Barnes, Teacher Librarian, Endeavour College

Teaching Diverse Literature and Students Through Immersive Environments

Diverse literature is a key tool in building empathy, positive self-esteem and community. However, understanding the characters can be difficult without an experience of the environment. Through immersive virtual and augmented reality, experiences are being built for our students where they can develop true understanding of the characters, their classmates and the challenges they experience.

10:30 - 11:00am

Morning Tea

11:00 - 11:20am

Discussion time with your MC and colleagues

11:25am - 12:25pm

Speaker: Pooja Mathur, Teacher Librarian, The King’s School

Call me by MY name…

Ponder upon and take-away a bouquet of contemporary national and international studies, and practical ideas to ensure our school libraries are inclusive, safe, and innovative spaces; that our programs support curricular as well as wellbeing initiatives; that the diversity of our school community is reflected on our shelves; that each student, staff, and wider school community member would find assistance, support, and inspiration through our programs; and that we endeavour to assist our students to grow into balanced, secure, empathetic, aware, and confident young people. Participants will be provided with series of prompts at regular intervals throughout the session to indulge in reflection, discussions, sharing of ideas, responding to online quiz/survey, and more.

12:30 - 1:30pm

Lunch in the Education Show

1:30 - 2:10pm

Speaker: Noni Harrison, Head of Library, and Penny Waring Teacher Librarian, St Rita’s College

Scaling Up and Stepping Out: Supporting information literacy success

This session is aimed at information specialists who are seeking to develop, refresh or build upon information literacy programs within their schools in a scalable way. The discussion will showcase practical methods for supporting both depth and breadth in students' abilities to navigate and use information effectively across the upper primary and secondary years, and how to develop information literacy programs that scale across year levels and subject domains. We'll explore concrete approaches to deepen understanding in the subject areas while broadening information fluency skills, from targeted instruction to scalable resources. Join us for a grounded discussion on amplifying the impact of information literacy initiatives, fostering a generation of critical thinkers poised for success in an information-rich world.

2:15 - 2:45pm

Speaker: Barbara McGuigan, Teacher Librarian, Bourke High School.

Increasing Student and Staff Engagement Through Variety

We are all working towards engaging students and staff in our school libraries and whilst huge, beautifully crafted programs are amazing they're not always something that we have the time or resources to implement. Barbara will share a range of activities, events, competitions and collaborations that she has implemented in her school library that have helped to engage the school community and increase their usage and appreciation of what the school library can offer. She will also share the things that have not been quite as successful and her insights for taking things forward.

2:45pm

Wrap up Day 2 and Conference Close