The Newmarket State School Learning Resource Centre was officially opened in 2011. It is a modern and spacious air-conditioned facility, appreciated and much frequented by students.
The library is well stocked with resources to suit all student reading levels and interests. The collection is continually being updated and expanded by the teacher librarian and library aide, who work from Tuesdays to Fridays.
This is the link to the Library Catalogue should you like to check which books we hold: library catalogue
Along with books, the library is well-equipped with the latest technology, including 16 desktop computers, an interactive whiteboard, a bank of 30 iPads and more. At lunchtime, children may visit the library to read, use the computers and iPads, play with toys, draw, and hang out with their friends. Different grades have designated days.
Lessons
All students visit the library weekly for a thirty-minute lesson. Literature study and curriculum-based research skills are covered, as well as weekly book borrowing.
Borrowing
While Preps borrow one book per week*, Grades 1 – 6 may borrow up to three resources at a time. Children are encouraged to choose from both fiction and non-fiction. Books can be borrowed for fourteen days, although most students return their loans weekly. Should a student have overdue books, they should return these before borrowing anew. All students are required to bring a named, waterproof library bag, so that books are kept safe from water-spills and other damage. The library staff are always happy to recommend a good book, or guide a reader in a new direction.
If you wish to see which resources your child has on loan, please call in at the library, send a note, or telephone 07 3552 7222.
(* If Prep students would like to borrow more books, or books designated for older children, they are welcome to visit with their parents after school from Wednesday to Friday.)
Monitors
Year 6 students have the opportunity to be library monitors. Their duties include assisting with shelving, processing, tidying up, and helping younger children.
Premier's Reading Challenge
Newmarket State School has participated keenly in the Premier's Reading Challenge since its inception. All children are encouraged to record their books read on the forms provided, between mid-May and mid-August. Participants who complete the challenge are awarded a certificate from the Premier.
Book Week
The Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) annual Book Week celebration is held towards the end of Term 3. This is an opportunity for children and staff to celebrate the joy of reading, as well as to acknowledge its value. Our festivities include a book-themed dress-up parade as well as our annual Book Fair (a fundraiser event).
Extra-curricular Activities
Throughout the school year, the library is the venue for activities including the Mini-Writers Festival in Term 3 (where budding Year 4 writers from schools within our cluster visit for intensive writing sessions with professional authors). Chess and Drama extra-mural sessions take place within the library, after school.
Volunteers and Donations
There are many ways you could help if you have an hour or two to spare. Pop in and see us if you're keen to cover or shelve books. And if you're clearing your bookshelves at home and have books to give away, we'd love the chance to have a first look at them. Those we do not keep for our collection or for Newmarket families, we routinely donate to organisations like Books4PNG Kids.
Feel free to pop in and visit the library; you're always welcome!