Library Resource Centre
It has been a productive and eventful year within the
Library, as we continued our work in meeting the academic
and recreational needs of the Ruyton School community.
We have broadened the type and range of our resources
and services, and have been pleased to note an ongoing
growth in our patronage, reflected in steady increases in
our door count, class visits and borrowing patterns.
The National Year of Reading, celebrated across Australia in
2012,
provided a wonderful opportunity for us to focus on
the value of books and literature within our own reading
community. Literature promotion occurs within classroom
sessions, one-to-one exchanges and, more recently, in
online spaces. The Library runs a Year 6 Reading wiki and
a Literature Club blog. These online environments provide
students with the chance to communicate and exchange
ideas with like-minded Ruyton students.
The National Year of Reading also encouraged us to reflect
on how fortunate we are to belong to such a strongly-
literate community. As a fund raiser for the Indigenous
Literacy Foundation, we conducted a book swap day.
Students from Prep to Year 12 were asked to donate a book
that could be sold back to the School community for a gold
coin.We were overwhelmed by the generosity of so many
Ruyton families. All monies raised have been sent to the
Indigenous Literacy Foundation to purchase relevant and
appropriate books for these communities.
This year we have also continued exploring the world of
digital texts and eBooks.While the Kindle continues to be
popular with both staff and students, we have also added
more high-quality digital reference texts to the Library
intranet. These resources add depth and choice for students
engaged in research tasks.
We seized the opportunity to assess the use of iPads within
the Library as part of the Ruyton Innovation Project. At the
completion of our project we were very pleased not only
with the levels of student interest and engagement, but
also with the new possibilities this technology offers.
The Junior School Library used the iPads to promote reading
through the use of book trailers and interactive eBooks and
eAudio books. Students were involved in writing e-stories
and compiling bibliographies of the Best Reads for the
Year. They were able to capture their work in photos and
learn about the importance of digital citizenship and
online ethics.Within Senior School, the iPads allowed us to
establish a Gamers’ Club involving student led, team-based
gaming. The grand final, a very popular event, saw students
play against staff members to discover the Ruyton Subway
Surfer champion.
The Library hosted many exciting events during 2012.
Literature Club continues to meet each Monday lunch time,
and these students enjoyed a movie night and excursions
to the MelbourneWriters’ Festival and InkyFest Schools’
Day at the State Library. Throughout this year, students had
the opportunity to attend presentations by the following
authors: Mr James Moloney, Ms Rhiannon Hart, Ms Fiona
Scott-Norman and Mr Doug MacLeod.
Junior School Library was again involved in the National
Simultaneous Story time. This year’s story
The Very Cranky
Bear
was aptly read by our guest reader, Senior School
English teacher, Mr Paul Upperton. Another highlight
for Junior School students was the lively and humorous
production entitled
Champions Read!
which was part of our
BookWeek celebrations. Our annual Book Fair proved to be
both enjoyable and successful.
We have continued to adapt our physical environment
to best suit the needs of the School community. Shelving
has been added and reorganised to allow easier access to
popular resources such as magazines, graphic texts and
high-demand research materials. The Junior School area
has been improved by the addition of a Smart TV monitor
and some additional soft furnishings.
Within the Library, we believe it is important to open
our doors to involvement from the School and broader
community.We welcome the willing Junior School helpers:
the Library Stars and the Year 6 Leadership teams.We
have also hosted volunteers from the Duke of Edinburgh
programme and a trainee library technician from Box
Hill TAFE.We extend our thanks to these people for their
commitment to and support of the Library this year.
Reflecting on the past year, it is with a sense of pride
and gratitude that I acknowledge that our progress is a
reflection of the commitment and dedication of the Library
team. I thank them for their good humour, expertise and
enthusiasm. I look forward to working with them again in
2013
as we build on this year’s successes.
Mrs Julie Purcell,
Head of the Library Resource Centre
Annual Report 2012
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