I am sure that you are as deeply concerned as I am about the threat for all school library staff. This current action in the Catholic Maitland-Newcastle Diocese is another decision that diminishes the value of the school library for the entire school community. Removing any qualified teacher librarian will impact programs and services, while also putting immense pressure on non-teaching staff to keep an under-resourced school library operational.

ALIA and ACSL, of which SLANSW is a member, are currently calling upon Catholic Schools Maitland-Newcastle (CSMN) to urgently reconsider their decision. You can read the full ALIA ACSL Media Release on the SLANSW Website (https://slansw.net.au/media) or via the link at the end of this update. SLANSW has released media statements via our official social media channels in support of teacher librarians in the CSMN Diocese. I have also been in communication with the President of the International Association of School Libraries (IASL), Dr Corinthia Price. Dr Price has written letters in support of teacher librarians in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese. IASL have also issued a Statement of Support, which can also be found in full, at the end of this update.

ACSL representatives and supporters from the author community met last week to discuss further action. Kate Temple’s Change.org petition now has over 16,000 signatures. The petition calling for mandated teacher librarians in all schools will be sent to NSW Parliament along with a letter requesting a meeting this week.

In a communication from a Catholic Schools Maitland-Newcastle representative, we were informed that “CSMN is currently undertaking a consultation process with affected staff regarding proposed changes to staffing arrangements for the 2027 school year.” I would be interested to know if you feel any consultation has taken place.

The Association wants to assist all members to advocate for your position and your school library. Please contact me via info@slansw.net.au if we can assist in any way. We will continue to advocate for the importance of qualified school library staff and the need for appropriately resourced school libraries. SLANSW will keep members informed of further communication via our website and social media channels.

Karen Seeneevassen | SLANSW President

ALIA ACSL Media Release (pdf)

IASL Statement of Support (pdf)

ALIA and ACSL troubled by Catholic Schools Maitland-Newcastle plan to cut teacher librarian roles

Karen Seeneevassen, President of the School Library Association of NSW (SLANSW), is concerned not only for SLANSW members, but for all school library staff. “This decision diminishes the value of the school library for the entire school community. Removing qualified teacher librarians will impact programs and services, while also putting immense pressure on non-teaching staff to keep an under-resourced school library operational. There is a high risk that these school libraries will cease to function with immeasurable detriment for students and learning outcomes."

To read the full ALIA and ACSL media release, download the pdf here

The award for SLANSW Teacher Librarian of the Year is given to a teacher librarian or team of teacher librarians in recognition of their outstanding contribution to teaching and learning in their school and their engagement with the school library community. The 2026 SLANSW Teacher Librarian of the Year is Barbara McGuigan, Teacher Librarian at Bourke High School.

As a Teacher Librarian, Barbara McGuigan embodies the principles of lifelong learning. She is committed to professional growth through membership and participation in the ASLA and SLANSW, engaging in mentoring programs as both mentor and mentee. Barbara collaborates with neighbouring small schools without Teacher Librarians to support their library programs and resource access. She actively demonstrates leadership within her school and the wider professional community, presenting at the National Education Summit, WATL network conferences, and panels for webinars delivered by ALIA and SLANSW.

Using the Information Fluency Framework (IFF) Barabra collaboratively developed lesson plans across various subjects, aligning them with curriculum and IFF outcomes. Her rich understanding of the school community and curriculum is reflected in how she curates and maintains a library collection that meets the unique needs and interests of students and staff. By collaborating with teachers and responding to the community’s cultural and educational context, Barbara ensures that resources are relevant, inclusive, and support the school’s broader curriculum goals.

Barabra’s specialist knowledge in information, resources, technology, and library management enables her to maintain a well-run, dynamic library that integrates ICT effectively.  This positions the library as a vibrant hub that supports information fluency, digital literacy, and lifelong learning for all members of the school community. Barbara helps students decode assessment question terminology and teaches critical research and referencing skills that apply across subjects. She intentionally links learning by integrating content from different faculties.

Barbara has helped staff establish meaningful connections with students in their remote community, building trust and rapport in ways that students to feel comfortable reaching out for mental health support. Barbara creates a safe, welcoming space for students both during and after school, organises literacy challenges, author visits, and community programs that bring students together and sparks engagement far beyond the curriculum. She provides inclusive spaces, including confidential access to sensitive library materials, ensuring every student feels respected and supported.

Barbara exemplifies dedication, generosity, and leadership through action, transforming not just the library, but the entire school community through her energy, commitment, and care.

The School Library Association is proud to acknowledge the outstanding contribution of Barbara McGuigan to her School Community by awarding her the Teacher Librarian of the Year Award for 2026.

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The John Hirst Award honours the memory of the Association’s founder, who had a vision and a passionate drive to establish the primary place of libraries in every NSW school. The award recognises excellence in professional leadership and/or service by an Association member who is either a teacher librarian or who supports school libraries in New South Wales. 

Rhonda Bruce has over 30 years of dedicated experience in school libraries and professional associations.  Throughout her extensive career, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to mentoring emerging librarians and fostering their professional growth and development. She empowers school and district staff to enhance their skills in managing school libraries.

As a member of the Western Area Teacher Librarian (WATL) network, Rhonda has been a tireless advocate for the association and the vital support if offers to teacher librarians throughout the region. Her inclusive approach ensures that all teacher librarians receive valuable information and invitations to WATL events. This broad outreach reflects her commitment to creating a cohesive professional community that fosters collaboration and resource sharing across the Western area. Rhonda has been instrumental in revitalising the WATL networking days, by procuring expert speakers and establishing a system to rotate events across the regions. This innovative approach has substantially increased equitable access to professional development opportunities for library staff.

In addition to her regional contributions, Rhonda has played an active role within the School Library Association of NSW. Serving as a committee member for Central Ranges and Western Plains between 2021-2025, she was a valued member of the Professional Learning Subcommittee and also contributed through her book reviews and engagement with SLANSW initiatives.

Rhonda’s advocacy for the profession is tireless and impactful. Her unwavering commitment to professional learning is demonstrated though her voluntary and professional endeavours. Recently, Rhonda dedicated her personal holiday time to support an emerging school librarian in her region, offering expert, hands-on assistance with accessioning, weeding, and organising of the library collection. This intensive, practical mentorship significantly enhanced the librarian’s competencies and ensured access to high quality resources, making a tangible, positive impact on student learning outcomes.

Ultimately, Rhonda’s work significantly promotes quality teaching and learning. By supporting school and district staff to manage their libraries effectively, she enhances the educational environment, ensuring that students and teachers have access to well-curated, relevant resources that support curriculum goals and makes her an invaluable asset to the school community. Her ongoing contributions continue to inspire and empower teacher librarians and library staff across the region, ensuring a vibrant and sustainable future for school libraries.

The School Library Association of NSW congratulates Rhonda on receiving this award, which is an acknowledgment of her leadership, advocacy and dedication to the profession.

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The Maurice Saxby Award recognises service to children’s and/or young adult literature by an individual, team or organisation that has displayed excellence and passion in promoting reading and/or writing for young people in NSW. The worthy recipient of the School Library Association of New South Wales Maurice Saxby Award for 2026 is Jade Arnold.

As the Program Officer for the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) Jade Arnold is committed to encouraging students across NSW to read more and develop a lifelong love of literature. In this role Jade has promoted children’s and young adult literature through innovative initiatives that engage students and educators. A key achievement has been expanding the PRCs review panel to 70 active members, increasing the number and diversity of titles reviewed annually.

She has prepared outstanding instruction lists and guidance support to make the PRC an achievable goal for any new educator from any education sector. Jade’s “Between the Bookshelves” podcast provides a valuable connection to creatives that enhance school library professionals’ ability to bring reading and books to life. This podcast responds to research indicating that students often struggle to choose books. Featuring Australian children’s and young adult authors, the podcast also includes interviews with outstanding teacher librarians who share strategies to engage reluctant readers through the PRC.

As the PRC marks its 25^th anniversary, Jade is expanding the podcast offerings with a new student-focused series called “Book Bites”, which features authors reading opening chapters of PRC listed books alongside classroom ready resources. These resources encourage students to reflect on reading preferences, explore new genres, and engage in creative writing activities to nurture a love of reading and writing. To coincide with the 25^th anniversary, Jade has created a suite of adaptable resources to assist schools implement effective wide reading programs. These include templates and activities that support leisure reading and can be customised to meet diverse student’s needs.

In Jade’s promotion of the importance of reading and writing through the administration of the Premier’s Reading Challenge makes her a worthy recipient of the Maurice Saxby Award and the School Library Association of NSW and its members congratulate Jade on this achievement.

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The SLANSW Library Professional Award is awarded to a library professional in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the development and promotion of library services within their school community. The recipient of the School Library Association of New South Wales Library Professional Award for 2026 is Catherine Lawrance, member of the Central Coast Grammar School Library team.

Catherine Lawrance is an exceptional library professional whose dedication to the Central Coast Grammar School and wider school community has had a profound and lasting impact. Her commitment goes far beyond the expectations of her role, and her contributions exemplify the highest standards of professional excellence.

A significant initiative founded by Catherine is the Library Leaders program, which she has successfully run for the past four years. This program engages Year 5 and 6 students in meaningful leadership opportunities within the library, teaching them about library operations, including shelving and resource organisation. Through this program, she fosters responsibility, teamwork, and a love of libraries among younger students. The longevity and success of the Library Leader’s program is a testament to Catherine’s vision and her ability to inspire and mentor emerging leaders.

Catherine is also a trusted mentor for senior students undertaking major works in extension subjects, providing unwavering support throughout the students’ academic journey. Her expertise in research methodologies and resource curation ensures students have access to high quality, relevant materials. Importantly, Catherine offers encouragement and personalised guidance, creating an environment where students feel valued and empowered. These students actively seek her advice as they know that she genuinely cares about their success.

Catherine excels in every facet of her role. She consistently demonstrates initiative, creativity, and professionalism, anticipating needs and delivering solutions which make her an indispensable member of the library team. Catherine approaches every task with enthusiasm and precision, whether is it curating resources, implementing innovative programs or collaborating with staff to enhance teaching and learning. She is the backbone of the library, and it would not function at the level of excellence our community has come to expect without her profound commitment to service and student wellbeing.

Catherine’s leadership, mentorship and unwavering dedication have enriched the lives of countless students and strengthened the role of the library as a dynamic, inclusive learning hub. Catherine embodies the qualities of the School Library Association of NSW Library Professional award and is truly deserving of this honour.

The Association and its members congratulate Catherine on the recognition provided by receiving this award.

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The SLANSW Library Professional Award is awarded to a library professional in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the development and promotion of library services within their school community. The recipient of the School Library Association of New South Wales Library Professional Award for 2026 is Cath Ferguson, member of the Abbotsleigh Library team – Sydney.

Cath Ferguson is an integral member of the Abbotsleigh Library team. With over 25 years’ experience in libraries, Cath is an exceptional Library Professional who has provided outstanding guidance and mentorship to other professional staff in both the Junior and Senior School libraries. Cath works collaboratively across all areas of Abbotsleigh to deliver outstanding service to students, staff and the wider school community.

Cath’s outstanding customer service is a model for all library staff. Her focus is ensuring the library is a caring and safe space, modelling this caring and friendly behaviour on a daily basis. Cath understands that school libraries need to be creative and engaging spaces, collaborating with the team to create displays and develop competitions to encourage reading and use of the library’s collection. Her reader advisory skills are outstanding. She knows the students and staff well, and as a result, provides personalised book selections and recommendations that are always well received. To support her reader advisory expertise, Cath devotes many hours researching to acquire the appropriate resources that meet the needs of the library’s users.

Cath co-ordinates the Technical Services function of the junior and senior school libraries, overseeing the workflow and activities of the Library Technician team. Her user focus is exemplified in her exceptional cataloguing skills, as resource description is focussed on the user and how best to assist them in finding resources. Cath has been a driving force in the “Indigenising the Collection” project for Abbotsleigh, and she has presented at SLANSW and ALIA sessions on this topic. This major reparative cataloguing process has developed documentation to support staff in assessing the appropriateness of resources. She is an active member of the ALIA Australian Community on Resource Description Special Interest Group which ensures that the Abbotsleigh collections reflect any current developments in this field. As the only school library representative in this group, Cath makes sure that the needs of school libraries, and their users, are considered in these high-level discussions.

Cath is a proactive Library Professional, and the Abbotsleigh Libraries operate so effectively because of her coordination of processes and procedures, as well as her genuine care for students and staff.

The School Library Association of NSW acknowledges Cath’s outstanding contribution provided over many years to the school community and the profession. She is a very worthy recipient of the Library Professional Award for 2026.

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The School Library Association of NSW Library Service Award is awarded to a member of the school community in recognition of their outstanding service to their school library. The 2026 Library Service Award is presented to Aaron Hatch, Library Support Officer at Wanaaring Public School.

Aaron Hatch has provided outstanding service to his school community through his leadership and commitment to transforming the school library into a dynamic centre for reading engagement and student wellbeing. His initiative and dedication have reshaped how students experience the library, turning it into a space that inspires curiosity, delight and a strong sense of belonging.

Aaron has coordinated the redesign of the library layout, sourced furniture and resources to enhance the space and created practical systems that dramatically improved accessibility. With thoughtful research into contemporary library design and ongoing consultation with staff and students, he ensured that every improvement was purposeful, engaging and student centred.

One of the most significant projects Aaron has driven is the curation and expansion of the library’s collection. He actively seeks student voice in purchasing decisions. His focus on high-interest, diverse and inclusive literature has ensured that all students feel represented and excited by what they find on the shelf. This has led to increased borrowing rates, stronger reading confidence and a noticeable shift in the way students talk about books and reading.

Aaron has taken a lead role in the organisation of the annual book fair, ensuring that is supports the development of literacy skills and is a positive experience for students. Students now describe the library as their favourite place to spend time, reflecting the warmth and inclusivity Aaron bring s to the space. His influence has extended beyond borrowing statistics as he has helped his school form a genuine culture of reading.

As a valued and long-serving staff member of his small remote school, Aaron consistently goes above and beyond the expectation of his role to ensure the success of every student. His leadership, creativity and pride in his work have resulted in a library transformation that will benefit his school community for many years to come. Aaron is an inspirational advocate for literacy whose work embodies the spirit of outstanding service. Through innovation, initiative and a genuine belief in the power of reading, he has made a profound and lasting difference to the lives of the students of his community.

The School Library Association of NSW is very pleased to confer the Library Service Award to Aaron Hatch, who is a highly deserving recipient.

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The Australian Coalition for School Libraries (ACSL), of which SLANSW is a member, has today released four key policies to guide school leaders and school library staff; ALIA ACSL Statement on School Library Staffing, ALIA ACSL Statement on School Library Funding and Resourcing, ALIA ACSL Statement on School Libraries and Information Literacy, and ALIA ACSL Statement on School Libraries and Digital Literacy. These nationally agreed statements provide guidance on the expectations for school library resourcing, activities and staffing across Australia. Download the pdf to read the full media release.

The Maurice Saxby Award for service to children’s and/or young adult literature is awarded to a person/s or organisation that has displayed excellence and passion in promoting reading and/or writing for young people in NSW. In recognition for his consistently outstanding contribution, the School Library Association of NSW presents the 2025 Maurice Saxby Award to Alex Wharton.

Alex is a dedicated and visionary educator whose passion for promoting literature and fostering a love of reading and writing in the classroom is truly inspiring. His ability to create engaging resources tailored to promote literature has consistently elevated student outcomes. Beyond the classroom, Alex’s passion for literature, coupled with his dedication to teaching excellence, makes him an exceptional educator who inspires both students and peers alike. He embodies lifelong learning, consistently seeking opportunities to refine his craft and share his knowledge with colleagues. He has generously shared this knowledge with members of the School Library Association on many occasions, including online meetups, conferences and special interest groups.

Alex has been a passionate and dedicated advocate for Australian literature through his exceptional involvement with the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA). This was especially the case when he served as a voluntary esteemed Book of the Year Award judge in the Eve Pownall category for the past three years, where Alex has demonstrated a deep commitment to celebrating and promoting Australian stories and authors. He has done this with great flair, participating in radio interviews and guest presentations.

More recently, Alex has taken on the pivotal role of Awards Co-Convenor and serves on the National Awards Subcommittee, where his leadership has been instrumental in shaping the CBCA’s mission to inspire young readers and support the literary community. Through his engaging speaking presentations and convening of three of the six CBCA Book of the Year Award categories, Alex has championed Australian literature to diverse audiences, sharing his expertise and passion for fostering a love of reading to change lives.

Alex’s unwavering dedication to promoting Australian stories ensures that they reach the hands of young readers across NSW and Australia. His contributions to the CBCA continue to leave a profound and lasting impact on the literary landscape. Along with his work with the CBCA, Alex has displayed excellence and passion in promoting reading and writing for young people in NSW by holding numerous pivotal positions, including Secretary for the national Mackellar Poetry Competition and a Board Member of #LoveOZYA. In recognition for the high regard in which he is held, Alex has been a respected judge for the 2020 Red Room Poetry Competition; the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition; and NSW Premier’s Literary Awards for Children’s Literature.

Alex’s passion to promote reading and writing in NSW schools is reflected in his work with teachers and students in the classroom and his involvement in external literature-focused programs and activities. In recognition of his work in literacy education and the promotion of reading, Alex has received several significant awards. As the recipient of the Copyright Agency’s Fellowship for Teachers of English, Alex researched how teaching First Nations literature could be improved through the use of literature frameworks and has been a keynote speaker on this topic at the Educational Publishing Awards and SLANSW. Other awards include the NSW Premier’s Teacher Scholarship; and an ACEL New Voice Scholar in School Leadership Award. In The Educator Magazine’s Hot List (2020), Alex was named one of Australia’s most influential educators for his innovative literacy leadership and profession-wide contributions.

Alex is a very worthy recipient of the Maurice Saxby Award, and he is congratulated on this achievement by all members of the School Library Association of NSW.

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