SA School Libraries

26/08/2026

By now you may have heard the sad news of Dolly Parton's passing. She was of course a legendary singer, songwriter and actress but we will forever be grateful for her most valuable legacy as founder of the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Her philanthropy work in this field was founded in honour of her illiterate father, in the hope that children around the world would be given the opportunity to develop life long literacy skills. Thank you Dolly for putting millions of books into the hands of children. May you rest in peace knowing that your legacy will exponentially improve the lives of millions of children, families and communities.

26/08/2026

Hip hip hooray! It's Australian School Libraries Day 🎉

In the midst of Book Week celebrations remember to take a moment to acknowledge your achievements throughout the year. Book Week shines the spotlight on our school libraries for one special week, but we know you make the magic happen behind the scenes all year long.

SLASA thanks you for all that you do, whether you are on your own for a just a few hours a week or you are part of a busy team of support staff and educators, we congratulate you. Every positive day in the school library makes a difference!

Today is Australian School Library Day. Click on the link, download the thank you cards and ask staff and students to write a thank you note to your school library staff to thank them for the incredible work they do- especially during Book Week.

https://www.alia.org.au/Web/Events/Australian-School-Library-Day/Australian-School-Library-Day-2026.aspx

25/08/2026

SLASA committee members Di Scott & Katie Silva started their Book Week with a visit to the State Library's brand new Little Library. It was buzzing with little people and their grown ups using every part of the beautiful new facility. As you walk past the pram park and into the library space, there is a wall for library visitors to add a post it note of their thoughts and ideas. In the centre of the library is a safe contained interactive play space for babies and toddlers surrounded by comfortable seating for their grown ups. On the opposite wall is a massive mural covering the floor, the wall and the ceiling, and filled with cartoon like characters depicting all manner of SA oddities and familiar sights. The mural is designed to encourage discussion, curiosity and vocabulary development aligned with the Words Grow Minds campaign - all of which we saw in action with everyone who entered the mural space (it had us engaged, curious and nostalgic too!).

Further on is a fun digital interactive table where children can create character heads using tessellated tiles which are then scanned and projected onto the wall as dancing characters. The large area at the far end of the Little Library is a versatile space for active little people to get their wriggles out by jumping, climbing or performing. Then along the southern wall are bays of books for children of all ages and including a collection of books on parenting and plenty of board books for our newest readers. There is a bay of musical instruments, displays of old and new, comfy places to snuggle in with a book in each bay and a serene reading room with plenty of space to disappear into a story on your own or with a reading buddy.

This lending library is part of the One Card system so anything borrowed here can be returned to your local library. Shelves will be restocked quickly as we saw many children take lots of books out through the self checkout. We encourage you to make time to visit this extraordinary facility, check out the current featured exhibition, head upstairs to the State Library, visit the world renowned Mortlock Library and maybe have lunch at the cafe! So much to see and do!

But this Little Library really has set a new standard in the world of libraries! Happy Book Week everyone 🎉🎶📚

25/08/2026

SLASA President and founding member of the Students Need School Libraries campaign Hajnalka Molloy spoke on ABC News Breakfast this morning about the concerning decline of school libraries across the nation. She spoke articulately about the importance of school libraries and their staffing, the critical role of the teacher librarian, the diverse services that school libraries provide, not just seasonally through events like Book Week, but throughout the year with author & illustrator visits, enriching connections to curriculum, digital citizenship and reading engagement activities.

Wednesday 26th August is Australian School Libraries Day so this is a perfect time to talk on the national stage about how vital school library services are to our staff and students. The community sentiment is evident, the global educational research is clear - Students Need School Libraries now more than ever!

Is the library still part of your life? 📚📖

24/08/2026

Drawing media attention to the importance of school libraries and staffing is advocacy in action. While the Book Week spotlight is on us, we can all shout out how important our services are to all students, all the time. We are so much more than a dress up day!

Tune in if you can to hear SLASA President Hajnalka Molloy speak up for all school library staff on the diverse roles we have in school libraries and the benefits that students and school communities gain from having well staffed and well resourced libraries.

21/08/2026

Authentic stories make the reading experience more meaningful 📚

20/08/2026

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Today BTN is filming a segment about the importance of school libraries and their staff. Keep your eye out for next week’s episode.

14/08/2026

As an experienced educator, author and musical creator, Phil Cummings knows firsthand the true value of well staffed school libraries. Thank you for your valuable words of support Phil 🙌

A thriving and dynamic school library provides quality resources, learning experiences that meet the needs and interests of the school community and a diverse, inclusive collection aligned to the curriculum. It is essential that school libraries employ professionally qualified staff who are uniquely positioned to use their expertise, skills and knowledge to support the teaching and learning needs and promote a reading culture.

In the lead up to Australian School Library Day on August 26, Students Need School Libraries is grateful for the support of authors who have shared their thoughts about school libraries and why they are the best investment. Thank you to Phil Cummings for highlighting the benefits of investing in a qualified teacher librarian.

14/08/2026

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We have an important update for our marketplace creatives at the State Library celebration event on 29 August!!!
Please see attached image for the updated line-up of (now) 15 wonderful South Australian creatives who are looking forward to meeting you, having a chat, and selling/signing their books 😁🎉

13/08/2026

SLASA President Hajnalka Molloy makes an insightful observation in this timely article about the concerns of the school library role.
“Too many people see the word ‘library’ as a noun, they see it as a place that stores books rather than a verb, which is a service that meets the needs of the students and teachers in the school.”

At a time when Australia’s core educational priorities are focussed on equity and system reform, it’s hard to fathom that the obvious and known benefits of school libraries and teacher librarians are being overlooked by government and school leaders.