The School Library Association of NSW Teacher Librarian of the Year for 2020 is Vicki Courtenay. Vicki is currently a Teaching and Learning Librarian at Trinity Grammar School in Summer Hill, Sydney.

This award 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. To this end, Vicki has demonstrated her passion to establish the library’s role as a centre for academic scholarship, co-teaching opportunities, and reading culture.

Vicki exhibits a strong understanding of information literacy theory and practice through the development of The Research Wheel. Inspired by Carol Kuhlthau’s Guided Inquiry Design and Information Search Process, the Research Wheel acts as a framework for teaching information literacy skills and helps students develop and apply lifelong learning strategies. Vicki works closely with both the HSC and the IB students at Trinity to build their study skills and has run a number of professional development sessions for staff to support them in fostering use of The Research Wheel with students.

Working closely with her colleagues, Vicki co-teaches information literacy skills in context with curricular content. She applies an understanding of how boys learn to ensure success through student application of The Research Wheel.  During the remote learning phase of 2020, Vicki championed a “Library Minute” initiative, involving recording short explanatory videos using screencasting software to explain how to access various online library resources from student devices.

Fostering reading for pleasure has also informed Vicki's programs in the senior school. For example, her rapid recommendations activity taps into the value of peer recommendations in reading engagement. A positive reading culture in Vicki's school community is evidenced by her coordination of reading picnics, pop-up library events in the school grounds, along with reading aloud to staff and students in support of Australian Reading Hour and National Simultaneous Storytime.

As a teacher librarian at Trinity Grammar School, Vicki Courtenay has made an outstanding contribution to teaching and learning within her school, and has actively and effectively engaged with the school library community.  Members of the School Library Association of NSW congratulate Vicki on receipt of this award.

This award will be presented at The Laureate & The Literacy Leader Professional Learning Summit on March 13th, 2021.

Download PDF