Canberra, 14 August: The 3rd annual
Australian School Library Day (ASLD) will be celebrated on the 21st of August 2024 with the theme ‘School Libraries Build Brighter Futures.’
Australian School Library Day highlights the positive impact school libraries and staff make on the school community. The day celebrates school libraries as places of learning, collaboration, expression, and creativity – not to mention places where a love of reading is fostered and flourishes.
Research shows time and time again that developing good reading habits at an early age aids in comprehension, critical thinking, empathy, and managing mental health. A well-curated and appealing library collection invites students to enjoy reading for pleasure, and activities and programs inspire engagement with content across formats.
“Beyond the books, library staff equip students with essential skills like digital literacy, information literacy, and how to be safe online” says Bernadette Power, Chair of the
Australian Coalition for School Libraries (ACSL). “As generative AI, mis and dis information proliferates, and new technological tools and platforms emerge , it is critical that all students have the skills to successfully navigate the changing information ecosystem. The school library teaches, and supports teachers, in developing these skills.”
Raffaela Grasso,
Students Need School Libraries Coordinator and teacher librarian echoes this sentiment. “Students in schools are immersed in multi-modal forms of learning opportunities. Learning how to navigate those multimodal forms of learning is crucial in developing skills to be an active member of society. Modelling and supporting this in a well-resourced school library, ably supported by qualified library professionals should not be the exception, but should be the norm for all Australian school students”
Australian School Library Day sits in the
CBCA’s 2024 Children's Book Week®, the longstanding celebration of Australian children’s literature. It’s a week in which many library staff will have been going above and beyond, and a terrific opportunity to say thank you.
We’re urging anyone who supports school libraries to help spread the word about the essential work that library staff do. You can find resources activity ideas on the
Students Need School Libraries website. You can also find resources on the
ALIA website, including a fillable gratitude card to give to your school library staff to let them know that we appreciate all that they do to ensure a brighter future for our students.
You can share your celebrations using hashtag #ASLD2024 and tag in our Students Need School Libraries campaign. Your contributions will help other school communities still working towards building a well-resourced and staffed school library.