Synergy

Fostering interaction and growth: The SLAV Mentor Program

2022-07-04T07:39:32+10:00

Joy Whiteside, the cordinator of the SLAV Mentor / Mentee Program describes the wonderful progress of this important initative outlining the benefits of the program to all involved.

An update on the New Zealand school library landscape

2022-07-04T08:23:01+10:00

Miriam Tuohy reflects on the current state of school libraries in her country considering the New Zealand Covid Recovery programme, the impact of upcoming curriculum changes and drawing on the 2021 national survey of school libraries in Aotearoa.

Redesigning and developing the library space at The University High School

2022-07-04T07:57:01+10:00

Stephanie Ward describes the process of the redesign of the new library space at The University High School clearly outlining every step of the process. Her article highlights the importance of careful and considered planning and community consultation and an obvious passion for the role of school libraries in learning and teaching.

Remembering Ross Todd

2022-07-04T08:19:00+10:00

Dr Carol Gordon reflects on the far-reaching impact and legacy of her friend and colleague Ross Todd.

Horizons

2022-07-04T08:32:34+10:00

Upcoming events and conferences.

Teacher-librarians as agents of academic integrity education in Australian schools

2022-07-04T07:44:42+10:00

School education provides a significant opportunity for students to develop ethics and integrity. By developing these moral and ethical values at a young age in schools, there is a possibility to enhance and empower public integrity and ethical citizenship. This article by Zakir Hossain, our guest author of the Reflections and Actions section for 2022, explores this this topic, the Australian school landscape and its contribution to this area and the role school libraries and teacher librarians play in academic integrity education and integrity literacy promotion.

What does one typical cohort of year nine students really think about reading and reading experiences?

2022-07-04T08:12:53+10:00

Bronwyn Keane explores the results of a recent survey of the reading habits, and perceptions about reading, of the year nine cohort at John Paul College. The survey assisted in increasing the school’s understanding of the students as readers and helped foster a better understanding of how to better support their needs.

Social reading cultures on BookTube, Bookstagram, and BookTok

2022-07-04T08:16:06+10:00

What opportunities do readers have to engage with books on the digital social media platforms YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok? As part of an ARC-funded project investigating how Australian teenagers choose leisure reading material, we are mapping the digital ecology of teen reading in Australia. One aspect of this mapping is to examine the reading practices and book talk in the digital reading communities on online social media networks. In this article Bronwyn Reddan examines the fascinating development of different social reading cultures on BookTube, Bookstagram, and BookTok.

T4L Kids Magazine

2022-07-04T08:25:10+10:00

Yvette Poshoglian and Sandy Phillips describe a wonderful resource, the T4L Kids Magazine, developed quickly to help supplement the constraints of online learning but now proving a useful curriculum linked, enrichment tool for our return to the classroom.

A school librarian’s journey through manga collection development

2022-07-04T07:59:41+10:00

Jillian Rudes, an active school librarian in New York City, describes the world of manga outlining its history and its value. Rudes shares how school libraries can build and promote meaningful collections of this fascinating format offering a range of helpful, practical suggestions and lists.

Social emotional learning and trauma informed care in the school library

2022-07-04T08:04:25+10:00

Dr Harper outlines the need for social emotional learning and trauma-informed care services embedded in school practices and describes clearly how school libraries can play a vital role in supporting, resourcing and fostering an optimal educational environment that benefits everyone.

Canadian School Libraries Presents the CSL Collection Diversity Toolkit

2022-07-04T08:20:54+10:00

Our wonderful Canadian Colleague, Anita Brooks Kirkland, introduces and describes the Canadian School Libraries Collection Diversity Toolkit, posing questions of relevance to school libraries everywhere and offering us the tools to develop meaningful, equitable solutions.

Editorial

2022-07-04T08:58:17+10:00

Vale Associate Professor Ross Todd

2022-07-04T07:49:38+10:00

The special section for Ross (2 articles).

School libaries and the VELS: Great minds at work

Note: Article 1 was written for Issue 2 of Synergy in 2006. This was Ross’s first article in the new Reflections and Actions section which he wrote for many years. The article is reprinted here in celebration of Professor Todd’s longstanding contribution to school librarianship.

School Libraries and Evidence-Based Practice: A Position Statement

Note: This article was written for Issue 1 of Synergy in 2008. It appeared in the Research section of the journal. The article is reprinted here in celebration of Professor Todd’s longstanding contribution to school librarianship.

Reviews

2022-07-04T08:27:28+10:00

Reviews

School Libraries Supporting Literacy and Wellbeing
Playing Games in the School Library: Developing Game-based Lessons and Using Gamification Concepts
Adult Media Literacy in Australia: Attitudes, Experiences and Needs
Information Fluency Framework

At a Glance