At the heart of every Catholic school is the library.
A place where students can let their imaginations run wild, as they transform into a pirate, a paramedic, pioneer, or even a prime minister.
While the role of the school library remains constant – instilling a love of reading in students – the resources it provides has changed dramatically in recent years. The introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has allowed the school library to become an extension of the classroom.
Emmaus College, Jimboomba Primary Teacher-Librarian Trish O’Connell said there was a lot of collaborating with teachers and students, to create and develop motivating, flexible and digital learning spaces with a wide and inclusive range of resources to support learning and teaching throughout the school.
“We make it a really warm, welcoming place which involves not only reading but also the latest technology for them to use,” she said.
Trish said the introduction of Information and Communication Technology had enhanced the role of the library to develop the skills students needed to succeed in a constantly changing technological, social and economic environment.
“It’s important for libraries to engage with the latest technology.
“It brings in some of the students who might not normally engage with the library.
“But, it’s also about taking a sensible approach to how technology is used in a library.”
Trish said however, students can still find a quiet corner to read where they can discover and spark their love of learning.