Coolock Library News – Semester 1, 2024

With the new furnishings and arrangement of the Coolock Library reading room and main library area we are continuing to build our reading community. In conjunction with the beautiful new seating and shelving we have created a more focused, genrefied fiction collection so students can locate titles of interest more readily. We celebrate ‘Real Reading’ and reading engagement through sustained silent reading, following short library activities. Library lessons, held fortnightly during English classes, have supported students to access the wide range of resources we have available. These include digital subscriptions to resources such as Britannica, Wheelers ePlatform with digital books and audio books, ClickView and others.

We recognise that reading is not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’, so shared reading activities, supporting reading engagement and celebrating non-fiction whilst sourcing high interest titles have been important. For example, during Reconciliation Week it was lovely to see our students reading and enjoying First Nations titles in small groups. Coolock Library has a rich collection of own voice First Nations titles and knowledge together with folklore stories from other cultures.

The library is a social space for many students who enjoy catching up with friends, playing games and trying new things. Chess and Uno are always popular and knitting and crochet have been enjoyed by many students.

Writing Club and Shadow Judging for the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards are underway and we look forward to the Book Week celebrations.

Makerspace activities will be a focus over the winter months with various challenges and activities to be run during lunchtimes. LEGO, newspaper engineering and domino runs will be amongst those on offer. These activities will be advertised on the library window.