With only 30-minutes to present, I want to ensure I pitch at a level that will be as useful as possible, so please feel welcome to tell me a little about projects you have on the horizon - renovations, reinvigorations, cosmetic upgrades? This will help me tailor content to your needs.

That said, as always, I'll ensure my presentation is jam-packed with inspirational images and hopefully just as many new ideas! See you online... www.kevinhennah.com.au

kevin@kevinhennah.com.au

Additionally, the once large single space has been divided up into 4 awkwardly sized rooms (with large glass collapsible walls between them), with the shelving spread out across all four rooms (3 of them doubling as regular classrooms).

The library has a mismatch of furniture, including dented metal shelving, and at least two different types of wood shelving. We have several old heavy navy couches and an assortment of bright blue ottomans and lounge seats. Despite the need to regularly move furniture, such as student tables and chairs, to the sides of the rooms for special events, nothing in the space is easy to move.

The walls are two different colours, and many have old pinboards still up. Before the new Librarian was brought in, there were also lots of “homemade” classroom posters and old school signage.

When the library was first re-opened the shelves were overpacked and disorganised, there was no signage and no displays.

The shelves were very dusty and needed cleaning. Many of the resources were older than 10 years and there was little borrowing. In 2024, the record show students only borrowed 181 books.

Today the library is a much more vibrant space. We have weeded the collection and re-organised the books to prioritise high interest genres such as Manga and Graphic Novels, taking advantage of dynamic shelving to increase face out.

Borrowing increased to over 240 student loans in Term 1, and over 600 in Term 2!

We've also started multiple student clubs and started running programs. We have signage for the collection on the walls, and tables organised in a layout that works for the students in both class and during lunch times. We host anywhere from 60-120 students in the library at lunch every day, and 10-30 students for quiet study and reading at recess.

Students now describe the library as “fun” and have expressed their happiness to see the library being a library. One Year 11 student came in to use the Library for the first time this year!

We are hopeful for the future of what we can achieve by being resourceful and promoting the library program within the school and broader community.  However, we are limited by a small budget (10K) and have so far needed to prioritise refreshing the collection (over 50% is still older than 10 years, despite extensive weeding already).

Our school library is turning 50 years old and is ready for a transformation to meet the needs of our growing student population and evolving learning programs.

 Vision Statement:
To create a dynamic, inclusive, and flexible learning space that supports teaching, reading, digital literacy, and student wellbeing.

 Key Considerations:

•  Three classroom zones: Reading Room (RAP), ICT Lab, and Teaching Area

• 📖Collections: Picture Books, Generified Fiction (RAP), Non-Fiction, Graphic Novels, Magazines, Teacher & Reference Materials

• Student Spaces: Chess, Uno, Quiet Reading, Private Study

• Display & Events: Dedicated display board wall for seasonal and cultural events

•  Uniforms: Daily and formal uniform storage and lending

•  Workroom: Resource storage, book processing, archives, and staff workspace

•  Bag Storage: Exploring indoor/outdoor options

•  Security System: Upgrade needed for student exit monitoring

• Long Term  Digital Transition: Exploring eLibrary to replace traditional encyclopedias

💬 We welcome input on:

• Budget allocation priorities

• Furniture and shelving solutions

• Digital resource integration

• Timeline planning and phased implementation

• Is genrefication a solely display decision or does it affect the cataloguing process?

  
  

Genrefication is a display and cataloging decision. It involves a physical move of books on shelves and you also need to update of the library's catalog to reflect this new layout. 

• Does genrefication require a higher-capacity librarian?

I encourage all schools to genrefy and many schools are (sadly) not managed by trained librarians, so whilst experience is certainly beneficial, I do not think it is essential in being able to carry out the process. Particularly with fiction,  as publishers usually indicate what genre a book belongs to. 

Genrefication can be a little  labour-intensive process, but if it is executed well, it offers wonderful  return on investment. Some schools will also involve teachers in the process of creating genres that reflect the curriculum. 

• Would there be an issue locating a book when the book location does not go according to the DDC system?

  
  

Most, if not all catalogue systems are geared up for this as genrefication  is not a new concept. I was the keynote speaker when Softlink launched Oliver-5. From memory, this was around 2018 and even back then that operating system was ready. By now, I would assume most if not all are.

• What proportion of the library collection would you recommend to genrefy? Would you have different advice to genrefy fiction vs non-fiction books?

Based on the fantastic results at many schools that I have worked with, I would recommend you do both. That said, depending on staffing levels, available time and experience levels, it may be better to tackle one first.  I would probably do fiction first as most schools have the same amount of genres (9-10) and these are relatively easy to define. Nonfiction might require more thought and the number will be influences by shelving and available space.

I hope this helps!

kevin@kevinhennah.com.au