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 2024 is Bronwyn McLoughlin. Bronwyn is the Librarian in the Senior Library at The King’s School, Parramatta.
Bronwyn is an integral part of The King's School Senior Library team. She's been a friendly face, a reliable presence and a helping hand to students and staff in the Senior Library for twenty-three years. Her post-graduate qualification in Library and Information Management ensures the advice and support that she provides to the two teacher librarians, teaching staff, and students is authoritative and comprehensive. Bronwyn also provides support to staff in the school’s other two libraries as required.
The nature of Bronwyn’s position as Librarian is wide ranging. The administrative side of her role involves everything from selecting, purchasing and accessioning physical and digital resources to ensuring the library tutoring system operates efficiently. As well, Bronwyn ensures that the library management system is accurate, operational, and accessible, and she also oversees supervision of the circulation desk. As the “go-to” person for copyright matters, Bronwyn undertakes regular professional development to ensure her advice is accurate. She is a member of the school’s Prize Committee and oversees the purchase, allocation, and presentation of prizes for the end-of-year prizegiving ceremonies.
Bronwyn’s expertise was integral to the genrefication of the Senior Library’s Fiction Collection – amending catalogue records, re-labelling all items, and co-ordinating the physical reshuffle. She is currently part of the team involved in the creation of the library’s new LibGuides page following the migration of the catalogue from Destiny to Oliver.
Bronwyn's English Literature background informs both her attention to the needs of students studying senior English courses, especially student research related to Extension English 2 projects, and the promotion of reading through collection management and Readers' Advisory assistance for staff and students. She also contributes to the creation of promotional displays for regular and special occasions in the library space and the Staff Common Room.
Bronwyn’s research skills have been recognised by the Senior Leadership team and she is consequently a member of the school's International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Implementation Committee. To this end, she has undertaken the “Leading the Learning” and “Librarian” courses to ensure the library staff and resources are ready to support the IB curriculum.
Over her twenty-three year tenure, Bronwyn has witnessed and experienced the ever-changing face of school libraries and those who work in them. Her mantra is that "change is a constant" and, to this end, has embraced innovation and new directions, all the while ensuring the maintenance of the highest professional standards for the King’s School Senior Library.
Members of the School Library Association of New South Wales congratulate Bronwyn on the receipt of this award.
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