Thursday, May 14, 2026

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

P1

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Overview

Building capacity in school libraries begins with the people who bring them to life. For many long-serving librarians, sustaining passion and purpose over decades can be both a privilege and a challenge. This presentation explores how non-teaching librarians contribute to the heart of school life through academic support, reading advocacy, and community engagement, and how rediscovering joy in the role can revitalise both individual practice and the library’s wider impact. Drawing on real examples from my experience - including organising guest author visits with Markus Zusak, Tristan Bancks, Morris Gleitzman; hosting Breakfast with Books, Great Book Swap, and Write a Book in a Day events; supporting student wellbeing and life skills programs; and curating inclusive collections - I will illustrate how non-teaching librarians quietly build the learning capacity of entire school communities. Participants will leave with practical strategies and reflective prompts to: • Recognise their own role in capacity building within the school library ecosystem. • Identify sources of inspiration and renewal to sustain long-term professional wellbeing. • Reignite their enthusiasm for library work after many years in the same environment.

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Speaker