Library Mission Statement.

St Michael's College Library Staff, in partnership with the wider school community, is dedicated to creating a stimulating, literature rich and well resourced Library environment which also fosters the development of information literacy through promotion of the principles of resource based teaching and lifelong learning.
 

Who are we?

Mandie Gardiner - Teacher Librarian.

Thelma Vidler - Library Teacher Aide.

Cameron - Year 7 Library Captain

What do we offer?

Our collection comprises over 22 000 items in the form of Junior Fiction, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Reference and Teacher Reference. Co-operative planning and  teaching form the basis of the teacher librarians role as well as instruction in ICT skills to all staff and students.

Book Club is offered twice a term and the mobile Book Fair visits our school once a year.

Lunch time activities, competitions and general supervision is provided 5 days per week Monday - Friday. Mrs Gardiner is also available before school to assist with borrowing, research guidance and questions from parents regarding literature choices for their child.

The Library offers a small parent library from which families are encouraged to borrow. Enquiries concerning the parent library need to be directed to Mrs Gardiner.

Information Literacy.

At St Michael's College, staff are committed to helping our students develop the skills needed  to;

• access and use resources in print, pictorial and electronic formats

• understand and use effective and efficient research strategies

• select, interpret, evaluate and use information from all sources and media

• expand their own knowledge base and understanding of the world and its people

• think critically and make decisions according to personal needs, beliefs and values as well as factual evidence

• share information and opinions and be able to justify these through reasonable argument

• understand and respect the values and beliefs of other cultures

We do this through the Information Literacy Process.

Being Information Literate is:

• knowing when you have a need for information.

• being able to find the information you need.

• evaluating and using information effectively to meet your needs.

The Information Process.

 

	Defining What is the problem I have to solve? What information do I need? What do I already know? What more do I need to find out?
	Locating Where can I find the information I need? Which sources best meet my needs? Which sources do I already have? Where can I find those resources? Do I need help to find the resources?
	Selecting How can I search these sources effectively? Are there any clues and cues to help me? Which main ideas am I looking for? Which search terms will help me find these? How will I know that the information is recent, relevant, accurate and unbiased? How will I record the information I find? How will I credit my sources?
	Organising How can I organise this information so that I can understand it better? Does it need to be in a special order? How can I arrange it so that it is easily understood by others? Have I answered the focus question? Do I need more information?
	Presenting How can I share this information with other people? Who will be my audience? Which would be the best format? What do I need to do with this presentation? Have I included everything I want to share?
	Assessing What have I learned from this? Did I answer my focus questions? How have my knowledge and understanding changed? What will I remember for the rest of my life? How have my skills improved? Which parts did I do really well? Which parts would I change if I did the assignment again? Which parts do I need support with in the future?

(Information Literacy details courtesy Barbara Braxton - Teacher Librarian)