Library Update

2025 in the College Library hit the ground running with a flurry of activity and excitement that saw our primary and secondary students and staff once again cross the library threshold and trawl the book-laden shelves during their weekly library sessions. Thousands of books and resources have crossed the circulation desk throughout the year, borrowed, returned and shelved ready for the next eager borrower; sometimes not even making it back to the shelf but straight into the eager hands of the next borrower. Throughout the year hundreds of new books have been catalogued and processed ready for borrowing and put into the hands of eager students thrilled to be the first to borrow a new book. However, that is not all that has been happening within our Library.

This year saw our Kinder students visiting the library regularly on Monday mornings throughout the year. It was wonderful to see them enjoy their weekly sessions in the library with Michelle and the team. What a way to start the week. I love it!

Term Two

During Term 2, The Australian Library and Information Association’s (ALIA) annual National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) took place on Wednesday 21 May 2025 at 12pm. This year the ELC and Junior School enjoyed reading and listening to “The Truck Cat” by Deborah Frenkel and Danny Snell and completed related activities.

Term Three

During Term 3 in August each year across Australia, The Children’s Book Council of Australia brings children and books together by celebrating CBCA Children’s Book Week. The Book Week theme for 2025 was “Book an Adventure”. During this time, schools, libraries, booksellers, authors, illustrators, and children, celebrate Australian children’s literature. The Council shortlists a number of books in different categories and awards prizes to the best books of the year. This year, our Library was able to bring each of these books into our collection, each text given a place on display for all to read and enjoy.

To celebrate the event and the magic that reading brings, we held our annual Book Week Dress Up Day. This year the Kinder and Primary students and staff celebrated Book Week by dressing up as their favourite book character. Students also participated in other Book Week activities organised by their teachers throughout the week. Our ELC enjoyed listening to the various Book Week Shortlisted Books during their weekly visit to the Library.

Students also voted the following shortlisted books as their Book Week 2025, Boronia K-12 College Student Choice Book Award for Best Story and Best Illustrations.

Winners for our Boronia K-12 College Student Choice Book Award for Best Story are:

• 1^st The Truck Cat written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell
• 2^nd Spiro written and illustrated by Anna McGregor
• 3^rd One Little Dung Beetle written by Heather Potter and illustrated by Mark Jackson

 Winners for our Boronia K-12 College Student Choice Book Award for Best Illustrations are:

• 1^st The Truck Cat written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell
• 2^nd Spiro written and illustrated by Anna McGregor
• 3^rd One Little Dung Beetle written by Heather Potter and illustrated by Mark Jackson

Term Four 

During Term 4 in October, the College Library held its annual Lamont Book Fair and earned 20% commission on the total sales during this event. This resulted in $228 worth of books being added to our College Library collections. It was wonderful to see the excited and smiling faces of children and parents once again entering the Book Fair realm.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole of our Boronia K-12 College community in helping our College Library raise funds to purchase these new books, which will enable our staff, students and families to borrow and enjoy sharing the continued lifelong learning opportunities provided by reading.

Reading for pleasure inside and outside of school has real and long-lasting benefits. It unlocks the power of information and imagination, increases literacy skills, and helps children discover who they are as well as the wider world around them. I hope this year has bought our students a wealth of enjoyment as they buried themselves within the Library stacks and the world of knowledge and inspiration reading books brings to their lifelong learning journey.

I hope everyone enjoys the remaining days of the 2025 school year and has a relaxing and enjoyable summer break and I look forward to seeing your wonderful excited, smiling faces in the Library again in 2026.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Jenny Young,

Librarian