Take a walk around my school library with me. It’s lunchtime and the place is buzzing. Upstairs there are students quietly studying. In the small rooms, students meet for boardgames club and Dungeons and Dragons club, forming friendships over shared experiences and interests. A group of year 11 students browse the shelves and sit and chat. They come across my pile of new books to show my younger classes and dive into the new non-fiction titles. They ask me when I pass by if we have any on turtles and I head off to retrieve some for them. Downstairs, students work on their school work in small groups, others are playing chess or card games.
Through to the makerspace, and students from year 4 are sewing their own animal creations for our Book An Adventure jungle-themed display, and year 7 and 5 students are gathered around the 3D printers, tinkering with their designs. Senior student leaders and their younger helpers are painting large banners for an upcoming carnival. There is a student sewing on the sewing machines, a group of year 11 students colouring in, and two groups of year 10 and 7 students playing esports on the big screens. A trio of year 7 boys have redirected their energy into creating cardboard airplanes. There’s a group of year 10 boys at the lego table and another group at the sensory light box. A few students are tucked into the zen zone reading. Scattered in between are students continuing their own projects, playing cards, solving Rubik’s cubes and just passing through. It is a thriving hive and hub of learning, creativity and connection. It’s a place to belong, to discover new things and to find your space. It’s what a modern school library is and offers to students, and that’s just in a five minute snapshot. Imagine what else is happening throughout a day, a week, a term and a year in a school library.
School libraries have always been more than just a room full of books. Today, in an age of AI, a need to support young people’s wellbeing, misinformation, and a complex and confusion online world, they are essential hubs for every kind of literacy students need to thrive, from media and AI literacy to digital and health literacy. And at the heart of it all? Skilled library staff who connect people, ideas, and opportunities in ways that transform learning and make those connections for students. In a school library, students are seen, known and nurtured.
The Hub of the School
A vibrant school library is a meeting place of curiosity, creativity, and community. It’s where a year 7 student might discover a love of fantasy while a year 11 student learns to evaluate the reliability of an online source. It’s a safe space for exploring diverse perspectives, asking challenging questions, and building a sense of belonging.
Libraries don’t just serve students, they connect teachers with resources, offer spaces for collaboration, and bring parents and the community into the learning journey. In this way, the library becomes the central hub of the school, connecting students to ideas, knowledge and opportunities.
The Role of Library Staff
Library staff are far more than book borrowers and shelf organisers. They are teachers, information specialists, literacy advocates, and tech guides. They:
- Teach students how to navigate the flood of online information through media literacy skills.
- Build AI literacy so students can use tools ethically and critically.
- Support digital literacy, from basic skills to advanced research strategies.
- Resource teachers with quality, curriculum-aligned materials.
- Guide students in health literacy, helping them find and assess trustworthy wellbeing information.
- Support students through activities, clubs and opportunities for connection. Their expertise ensures that students don’t just consume content but engage with it critically and creatively.
Beyond Books
Modern school libraries are dynamic, multi-purpose learning environments. Beyond traditional reading promotion, they offer:
- Events and programs that bring learning to life, from author visits to themed literacy weeks like Book Week.
- Makerspaces that foster innovation, problem-solving, and hands-on learning.
- Reading culture initiatives that keep students reading for pleasure at every age.
- Student wellbeing programs, offering quiet spaces, social connection, and access to supportive resources.
This week is the CBCA Book Week. It’s the perfect time to highlight the place school libraries have in supporting students, staff and families in reading and literacy. Right in the middle of Book Week is Australian School Library Day. It’s a day to celebrate school libraries and school library staff and the valuable work they do. This year’s theme is All the Literacies. You’ll find resources to celebrate Australian School Library Day on the ALIA website.
“A well-resourced school library with supported staff is the most precious and effective resource a school can have when it comes to supporting reading literacy, reading for pleasure and whole school reading initiatives. Yet a library and its staff can offer even more when it comes to curriculum areas such as information literacy, media literacy, digital literacy, health literacy, social and emotional literacy, cultural literacy, science literacy, financial literacy … the list goes on and on!” (ALIA, 2025)
It’s a great reminder that school libraries support a wide range of literacies for our staff and students. This Australian School Library Day, celebrate the work you do in school libraries. Share it. And be encouraged that your work is incredibly valuable.