The iLibrary

UPS has a fully qualified Teacher Librarian who manages the library collection and the library program. The iLibrary program is run as part of the RFF timetable, with students receiving an hour lesson (in most cases) with the Teacher Librarian once a week. Within this time, students return and borrow books as well as participate in their library lesson.

UPS has a wonderful library space that has just been redsigned and refreshed. It contains over 10 000 books, a story time area and a computer lab containing both laptops and desktop computers.

Our library collection is current, relevant, appropriate and provides materials that will enrich and support the curriculum as well as excite and encourage reading for pleasure in students of all ages and levels of reading ability.

Instilling a love of reading for pleasure is a key goal of our library! There is nothing like the thrill of introducing a student to a book that begins their life-long love of reading!

There is much research showing that students that read for pleasure not only do better at school but also in life, with better job and health outcomes*. Reading fiction has also been shown to increase empathy and compassion as students learn about other ways of thinking and being.

In the iLibrary, students are supported by the Teacher Librarian to become transliterate as they develop the technology and information literacy skills they require to be future focused life-long learners. Students are encouraged to become critical thinkers and savvy technology users, essential in our modern world.

Vision Statement
The iLibrary’s goal is to foster a love of reading and an appreciation of literature in students, while also building collaborative and creative problem solvers, with the skills and curiosity to be both critical thinkers and life-long learners.

Mission Statement
To be a future focused learning hub for the UPS school community, providing inspiration as well as opportunities and resources to support students and teachers to meet educational needs. With mutual trust and respect at it’s core, the iLibrary aims to develop transferable skills and knowledge to develop student abilities to become positive role models in addition to being successful and active citizens.

In the iLibrary we teach:

The 4 Pillars of the iLibrary are:

1. Ensuring that the library is a welcoming place, which continues to build a reading culture;
2. Putting students and staff in touch with the right book;
3. Developing digital citizenship knowledge and understanding;
4. Building capacity in the overlapping concepts/skills of digital and information literacy.

iLibrary and Computer Lab Opening Times:

Monday - Friday at recess (library only)
Monday - Thursday at lunch time.

iLibrary Monitor and Tech Crew Leadership Program
Each year, students from Years 4-6 can apply to be Library Monitors and/or Tech Crew. In these positions, students are able to develop their leadership skills and enable the library to run smoothly.

Once a week, Library Monitors and Tech Crew volunteer to come to the library during their lunch break to help out in the library.

Library Monitors reshelve and tidy books on shelf, help and play with younger students, pack up the library when the bell rings and run the circulation desk during class time. They also help out at library events, such as National Simultaneous Storytime, Book Fair and the Book Week Parade.

Tech Crew run the Computer Lab during lunch time, supporting students to be good digital citizens and helping anyone who requires it. They make sure the computer lab is returned to a tidy space at the end of each lunch session.

Book Club
Supporting the building of a home library, Scholastic Book Club is run twice a term with great deals on the latest children’s books.

Book Fair
Creating fun and excitement around books, the Scholastic Book Fair is run twice a year with students and parents able to visit the UPS iLibrary to purchase books. 25% of all revenue goes back to building our own school library collection.

Book Week
Each year in Term 3, we celebrate Book Week. Annually, the Children’s Book Council of Australia nominates Australian books and presents awards to books of literary merit for outstanding contribution to Australian children's literature. During the term, our focus will be on the shortlisted books culminating in Literature Day and the Book Week Parade during Book Week itself. This is a K-6 event with our school community invited to watch the Parade.