The Deakin Teen Reading research program has been investigating the reading habits and preferences of young people in Australia. You'll find a range of their research findings and articles on their website. They have also shared their Discovering A Good Read report.
Read the report on the Teen Reading website.
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Dr Margaret K. Merga has continued to show her support of school libraries and the important role of school library staff. Dr Merga has conducted an array of research, including the reading habits and attitudes of teens, the role of the teacher librarian, the importance of reading, and so much more.
You can access a list of Dr Merga's research and links to the reports and articles via her Research Gate page.
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Findings from Softlink's 2019 Australia, New Zealand and Asia-Pacific School Library Survey into school library budgets, staffing, library services and trends.
Read the report on the Softlink website
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The focus of the school library staff during this time has been:
We kept the library open right up to the school holidays. We were open for classes to come and borrow books as well as organising packages of books for students who were already learning at home before the school holidays to come and pick up from school. We did close the library for students at lunchtimes due to the number of students in a small space and we weren’t open for ‘Fridays with families’ on Friday mornings, because parents were no longer allowed in the buildings.
What has been the result for staff and/or students? Students would have had a lot of books to read at home, especially with the extended holidays when you add the week 11 student free days. I think this would have provided students with a sense of security and comfort because we are a school with a great reading culture. The library and the library prep area is also a hub for SSOs. In a time where there was an uncertainty about what their role would be when school returns after the holidays, it provided a space for venting concerns as well as sharing ideas about best practice.
A lot of thought and consultation occurred to be able to establish a returns/borrows protocol for after the school holidays. It will be challenging dealing with the numbers of books that are going to be returned and the hygiene aspects as well.
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The Courier Mail featured Mt Alvernia College's School Library, the iCentre. The article interviewed the school's principal, Dr Kerri Tuite, who explained that the library was the centre of the school and a vibrant hub. The article also highlighted the work of the school library staff and some of the programs students have access to and the impact this has on student reading practices.
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Linda Morris of Sydney Morning Herald spoke with Australian Children's Laureate, Ursual Dubosarsky, about her concerns for teenage readers and the importance of school libraries.
Read the full article on the Sydney Morning Herald website.
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Coinciding with QSLA's Queensland School Library Week, Toowoomba's Glennie School library featured in The Chronicle about their library's Blind Date with a Book event. The article also highlighted the importance of school libraries.
If you have a subscription with The Chronicle, you can hear more from Teacher Librarian Marie Miegel here.
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An article in QLD's Courier Mail, accompanied by a splendid photograph of students, featured the good work of teacher librarians in Queensland who are building students' literacy. Activities highlighted in the article included reading and writing workbooks with children's author Aleesah Darlison, and the Premier's Reading Challenge.
In a follow up to the article, Queensland teacher librarian, Marie Miegel's letter to the editor was picked as the letter of the day. Her letter highlighted that many school libraries do not have a teacher librarian and this role is quickly disappearing. Many parents are unaware of this situation.
Students need school librarians and dedicated reading programs to enhance their mental health and wellbeing.
Not only does reading fiction help adolescents navigate personal and emotional development during their teens, but developing a reading habit can help to mitigate the disruptive effects of mental health throughout their entire lives.
As we read stories mirror neurons in our brains learn from imagining the story almost as much as if we were the characters in the story ourselves. We are learning vicariously, practicing and testing alternative responses for later use as we accompany our fictional heroes through the pages of the novel.
What’s special about stories?
Stories show us that it’s okay to fail, that mistakes are opportunities for learning, that courage isn’t an absence of fear, and that not everyone is as they seem.
Stories help us identify and refine our values and ideals, show us what resilience looks like, help us to define our goals and encourage us to explore our emotions.
Stories reflect and validate our lived experiences, help us to accept our past, help us to create order from our chaotic lives, and encourage us to be optimistic about the future.
Stories comfort us, help us connect with others and make us feel less alone.
Stories reframe our problems, help us create distance and see different perspectives, and nurture optimism, hope and self-efficacy.
Stories promote empathy and compassion, remove stigmas and stereotypes, help us to embrace diversity, and help us to be more accepting of ourselves by showing us a wider view of normal.
Stories introduce us to ancient wisdom and create intergenerational connections.
Stories help us to understand our world and help us to recognise the importance of our own life story as part of a bigger picture.
Stories give us answers to questions we don’t know how to ask.
Stories give us role models to inspire us to persevere and improve, to empower us to speak out, to join in celebrating the successes of others, and to help us to be grateful and accepting of ourselves.
Stories give us the insight, the language and the confidence to seek help when we need to share our concerns or can’t manage alone.
Stories are not only the easiest way but sometimes the only way to learn about ourselves, and find our place in the society and the world we inhabit, from a safe and secure place.
Who can ensure our students are learning these things if not the teacher librarian?
Developmental Bibliotherapy occurs when Young People recognise that a change has taken place in their thoughts, feelings, beliefs or behaviours.
Implementing Developmental Bibliotherapy can take as little as five minutes or can be developed into a unit of work. Whether as an informal chat, recalling an event or quote, creating a piece of artwork or writing a book review, Developmental Bibliotherapy is almost certainly taking place in every library wherever a skilful teacher librarian is talking to young people about the books they are reading.
Simply put, Developmental Bibliotherapy is a process by which a reader, after reflecting on significant characters or events in a story, makes a conscious change in their thoughts or beliefs.
Although reading fiction is not a panacea, by showing young people a wider view of normal, by allowing them to explore their emotions and their identity alongside fictional heroes, by removing stigmas and stereotypes and by giving them the language and the confidence to seek answers from trusted adults, Developmental Bibliotherapy programs gives students skills that can promote better mental health outcomes throughout their lives.
Implementing Developmental Bibliotherapy – a few simple ideas
If an activity results in the reader reflecting and articulating a positive change in their thoughts, feelings, beliefs or behaviours then Developmental Bibliotherapy has been in effect.
Depending on the age level of the readers, some activities you might easily implement include:
Ask individuals…
Would you like to be any of the characters in the book [they are reading] and why/why not?
Would you like any of the characters in the book as a friend and why/why not?
What are the personal qualities that make [this character] a good/bad friend?
Have students create a bookmark with a quotation from the book and talk to them about the significance of their choice of quotation.
Create a template for a book review that includes guided questions to encourage reflection.
NOTE: Books do not judge and neither should librarians – remember that in developmental Bibliotherapy activities there are no wrong answers.
Two reasons why a Teacher Librarian is the best person to implement Developmental Bibliotherapy
Teacher Librarians love to talk about books. And Teacher Librarians provide guidance, encouragement opportunities for learning without grades.
For more details and resources on how Developmental Bibliotherapy promotes better mental health outcomes in teens see https://www.scoop.it/topic/developmental-bibliotherapy
Judith Wakeman, October 2019
Judith combines a Bachelor of Education with Graduate Diplomas in Computer Science and Information Management alongside a seemingly insatiable thirst for knowledge and a love of books in her current role.
As a teacher librarian, Judith quickly realises the special relationships many students build with their school librarian, helping them view their library as a safe place – a learning environment where they are able to explore ideas and be themselves free of judgement from others.
Her extensive reading comprises largely of books from the Young Adult genre. She has studied Bibliotherapy and Youth Mental Health First Aid, and believes that the school library can be one of many exciting and colourful pathways to building and maintaining good mental health and resilience for young people struggling with life pressures.
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The first section of the document highlights research evidence on reading for pleasure from domestic and international literature; exploring evidence on the trends and benefits of independent reading amongst both primary and secondary- aged children, as well as why children read.
The second section covers the evidence on what works in promoting reading for pleasure.
Reference: UK Department for Education. (2012). Research evidence on reading for pleasure. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-evidence-on-reading-for-pleasure
Read the report on the UK Government website
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