Hours of opening
The library is open before school, at recess and lunch time Monday to Friday.
Facilities
The library offers comfortable, air-conditioned learning spaces that can accommodate whole classes, small groups and individual students working autonomously. In addition there are two seminar rooms which are used as a senior study area.
Technology
Technology available includes:
- An interactive whiteboard
- Nineteen desktop computers
- Four enquiry terminals
- A flatbed scanner
- Wireless internet for those students with their own laptops
Borrowing
Students in Years 7- 10 may borrow ten items (five fiction and five non-fiction) for two weeks. Students in Years 11-12 may borrow twelve items (six fiction and six non-fiction). Students must show their ID cards in order to borrow.
Students are encouraged to borrow over the school holidays.
Reservations
Students may reserve items at the circulation desk. When a reserved item is available a notice will be put on the library noticeboard outside the teacher-librarian's office.
Overdues
The return date is stamped on the date slip in the back of the book and all students and staff are encouraged to return items by the due date as others may be waiting to borrow an item. If you need to keep an item for a longer period of time renew the loan before it is overdue.
Overdue notices are distributed in roll call and a list of students with overdue books is also displayed on the noticeboard outside the library.Students with outstanding loans are not permitted to borrow until all overdue items have been returned.
Library collection
The library collection, with more than 16,000 items, comprises books, periodicals, newspapers, Infocus literature articles, audio books, DVDs, and CD-ROMS. A number of websites have also been catalogued into the library database and can be accessed by clicking on the hyperlink in the catalogue entry.
Archives
The library also houses the school archives, which is an extensive collection of photographs, memorabilia, uniform items, school records and artefacts including a school cane. Those interested in viewing the archives may make an appointment to use these resources on school premises. Mr Remo La Cava co-ordinates the archives collection.
Library catalogue
The catalogue is the key to finding resources held in our library. It can be accessed by students and staff at home and at school through the Department of Education and Training (DET) portal.
Students can access the library catalogue by:
- Opening the DET portal
- Clicking on the ‘Visit your school library online ‘ option in the search box (under Google and TaLe option)
Staff can access the library catalogue by:
- Opening the DET portal.
- Clicking on the Applications Tab.
- Scrolling down to the My Library option.
Links for learning
The library catalogue home page also features a Links4Learning icon which provides access to a range of syllabus support material in each key learning area, as well as Information skills, Reference, a Teachers' digital toolkit and a link to TaLE (Teaching and Learning Exchange).
What can the library do for you ?
The library provides a learning and recreation space for students. Library staff can provide assistance with:
- Research and information skills
- Essay writing
- Bibliography writing, citing and footnoting
- Printing, scanning and photocopying
- Literature advice
- Promotion of the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge
- Using the online catalogue, the school network, the internet and the interactive whiteboard.
Information skills lessons
Year 7 are timetabled for one lesson per fortnight in the library. The information skills course is designed to introduce and develop a range of skills that students require to assist them in their learning.
Collaborative teaching
The teacher –librarian is available for collaborative teaching and programming, resource collection, individual and/ or group assistance.
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge
All students in years 7-9 are encouraged to participate in the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) which runs from 1st February to 1st September 2013. All students entering and successfully completing the Challenge receive a Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) certificate, a Library certificate and see their name published on the Premier's Reading Challenge Honour Roll in the ‘Sun-Herald'.
Students who receive a PRC certificate four times are awarded a Gold Award for Reading. In 2012 a new Platinum Certificate was introduced for students who have completed the Premier's Reading Challenge seven times.
Students must complete a set amount of reading to meet the Challenge. Students in Yrs 7- 9 may enter and must independently read twenty (20) books. Fifteen (15) of these books must be from the Premier's Reading Challenge booklist and 5 books can be personal choice books.
Students record the books they have read on a reading log which is then electronically entered on the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge website. Students use their Department of Education and Training login to access their online reading record.
Premier's Reading Challenge books are marked with a blue sticker and are located within the Fiction and Non-Fiction collections. Registration for the Reading Challenge takes place in March. The teacher-librarian co-ordinates the Premier's Reading Challenge.
Registering for the Premier's Reading Challenge
Students can register for the Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) by clicking on the PRC link on the DET portal homepage. When the site opens the student is automatically registered.
Alternatively a student may open the Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) website, click on logon and using their DET username and password logon to the site. Once they have logged on they are automatically registered.
Photocopying and printing
There is one photocopier in the library. Students wishing to use the photocopier need to purchase a photocopying card from the office. The card, which comes with $5 credit, needs to be inserted into the slot attached to the copier.
The photocopier is also the network printer and students may print in black and white (10 cents per sheet) or colour (40 cents per sheet single sided) and in A4 and A3 size.
Items can also be scanned and emailed using the copier.
Useful links
Libraries
Parramatta City Library http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/play/facilities/library
State Library of NSW http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au
National Library of Australia www.nla.gov.au/
Trove: National Library discovery service http://trove.nla.gov.au
Trove is a powerful search engine run and developed by the NLA. Visitors to the site are able to search a vast range of resources including maps, music, images, oral histories, books, journals, magazines, archival collections, biographies and digitised newspapers through one simple, user-friendly website.
ABC SPLASH
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has partnered with Education Services Australia to produce ABC SPLASH – a free education website offering an extensive online library of educational media resources all directly linked to the Australian Curriculum.