P.L. Duffy Resource Centre Library
T
he function of the school library is essential to the superior education of any school. A report, The Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement published this year by the Australian Council for Educational Research has stated unequivocally that: a
strong library program that is adequately staffed, resourced and funded can lead to higher student achievement regardless of the socioeconomic or educational levels of the adults in the community. Our library certainly improves educational Mrs Rosemary Horton Teacher Librarian
achievements of Trinity students. This year in our senior library light grey has replaced the orange and dark blue tables and chairs. This has improved the appearance of the library even further. The light and bright library is always a hub of activity all day. Its pleasant aspect overlooking the beautiful and ever-changing Swan River welcomes the Trinity community within its walls. However, the resources of the centre are no longer contained within those four walls. Though books and magazines still remain the foundation of the library, multimedia resources like audiotapes, CD ROMS and online resources such as websites and databases provide an extension of the library into the whole school and beyond. Learning has never been contained to school and new resources have made it even easier to continue education beyond the walls of the school or the years of schooldays. Before and after school and at lunch time students fill the library with a buzz of engaged activity: at the shelves, the computers, playing board games or in the reading area. During classes both staff and students are enthusiastically involved in using the library’s resources.
Throughout the school or after school at home, wherever there is a computer connected to the internet, everyone can use the P. L. Duffy Resource Centre website http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/ and online catalogue. http://students.trinity.wa.edu.au/webopac/. Of course, we continue to acquire more materials you can touch, concentrating on selecting fiction books that are of especial interest to boys. We have added graphic novels to the collection this year. These are proving to be of interest to many boys as they combine visual and text literacies in interesting ways. Our audiotape collection has grown, and we are also building up an excellent collection of books for senior students and staff. The combined Trinity /Mercedes College Book Club, the Pagers, continues to engross members as they read new books, talk about them, and sometimes write book reviews as well as always enjoying the lovely afternoon teas. Another aspect mentioned in the report: collaborative relationships between classroom teachers and school librarians have a significant impact on learning, particularly in relation to the planning of instructional units, resource collection development, and the provision of professional development for teachers, is also a feature of our library and school and I want to thank all Trinity staff members for their professional collegiality. I would like to thank my indefatigable and fabulous library officers, Jenni Properjohn and Catherine Hamilton. Thank you also to IT staff who remain dependable in giving us timely assistance, and the administration who always give us their continuing support. Rosemary Horton Teacher Librarian
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