“Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities.” – R. David Lankes.

One of the most important lessons I have learnt in my time working as a teacher librarian is that a library’s worth should never be measured by the building it is housed in, but by the community who gathers in it. This quote, by R. David Lankes, resonates with me because I have long held the view that libraries should never be the domain or entitlement of a particular user but a place that accommodates the vibrancy and diversity of the school community – a sort of cultural ‘billabong’, where the ebb and flow of school life spills into, and then pools, in our lovely library space.

I am the new Head of Library and Education Resources at St Catherine’s School and I am lucky because I enjoy working in a beautiful library building but, more importantly, I work with a great community of students, staff and parents. We have huge windows that frame the gorgeous gardens and buildings outside and inside, light fills the booths where girls meet to work collaboratively, to study in silence or to huddle together over a book or to share stories from their weekend.

My first impression of St Catherine’s is that the girls love to read. Our Thursday Book Club (for Middle school students) and Senior Book Club (for Senior students) have hit the ground running. Every week we meet before school to talk books, eat cake and laugh. I am in the most enviable situation where the girls drive the discussions, their energy and enthusiasm so amplified at times that on a Thursday morning I am quite sure the St Kevin’s boys down the road can hear the peals of laughter coming from the Nicholas library.

Developing and nurturing a reading culture in the Nicholas Library is a passion I share with our Library Technician, Mrs Nihal Kocdag. We always endeavour to link the life of the School and broader community with the books that fill our shelves, giving the girls every opportunity to explore the broad range of literature we have to offer. Valentine’s Day presented an ideal opportunity to promote both romance fiction and reading in general as this universal day of ‘love’ coincides with Library Lovers’ Day. The girls were invited to go on a ‘blind date’ with a book; to take a chance on a book without knowing what it was – no cover, title or blurb to go by. The opportunity to borrow a beautifully wrapped book without knowing what was inside was met with enormous enthusiasm and we believe some perfectly happy matches resulted from this activity. The week culminated in a special morning tea for the staff in the Library, with trays of heart-themed chocolate cupcakes promoting our special love for the Library and the temptation to go on a blind date too hard to resist for many of our staff.

The Library hosted a special Valentine’s Day morning tea for St Catherine’s.

Similarly, celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March gave us a chance to promote our range of strong, female-focused literature – those books written by inspirational women with incredible stories to share of resilience, bravery and achievement. In our display such new titles as Becoming by Michelle Obama, You Daughters of Freedom by Stella prize winning author Clare Wright and Accidental Feminists by Jane Caro kept good company with the enduring classics, The Female Eunuch and The Beauty Myth.

Meanwhile, in our beautiful Barbreck Library, Mrs Victoria Baldacchino and Mrs Judy Hoole continue to enthuse our Junior School students to read and celebrate the richness of stories. Our Year 5 and 6 students were especially lucky to participate in the launch of Anna Ciddor’s book 52 Mondays last week. This highly acclaimed children’s author spoke to our girls about the importance of family and remembering the details of events and people and how our personal history is interesting to others. As well as a formal presentation, Anna completed two workshops where she dissected the text in a chapter and highlighted the work that had gone into each sentence and edit to make the most perfect version. She also showed the girls some of the editing mark ups and spoke about the process of getting a book to print.

St Catherine’s Year 5 and 6 students listen as children’s author Anna Ciddor reads from her new novel, 52 Mondays.

At St Catherine’s, we are most fortunate to have two beautiful school libraries but, even more so, we are privileged to have these shared spaces that nurture and encourage the reading and telling of stories. In a climate of increasing cynicism and uncertainty, it is most important that we celebrate the stories of those who move us, challenge us, remind and excite us, motivate and encourage us. We all need a story to identify with, and as long as we provide unfettered access to those books and narratives, and perhaps a space to read and reflect, we will continue to be a strong and vibrant community.