This year has seen the development of a new leadership program for Secondary students in our library. The Library Leadership Program is a way for students to serve their school community and grow their confidence and skills, but also for them to have the opportunity to be library ambassadors that encourage their peers in reading and engagement with library programs and let student voices be heard to shape the future of the library.
The program was open to all secondary students, although with the pressures and time constraints of VCE, we naturally received a greater response from Years 7-9. The program is ideal for students who may not have taken up sporting or leadership roles in other areas, but who would like to be involved in serving others. For our Library Leaders that are approaching the age where they will be applying for jobs, the library staff are happy to write a reference for them.
To gauge interest, we displayed expression of interest posters in the library and visited all Year 7 and 8 home rooms to tell them about the program. We gave a brief overview of the duties (shelving, scanning issues and returns, etc.), as well as the skills they would grow in leadership, communication, time management, organisation, customer service, attention to detail and working within a roster. Students that were interested were instructed to fill out an online form and invited to an information session.
We have been so impressed by the response and how enthusiastic and committed the leaders are, some even volunteering to be backups for the days they are not rostered. We currently have 39 students from Year 7 to 10 on a fortnightly roster where they are swapping between serving at the circulations desk and shelving books/tidying shelves.
Well done to all Library Leaders for their valuable contribution to our school community this term.
"Becoming a Library Leader was one of the best decisions I've made all year. Working in the Library is such an amazing and rewarding experience, and it also teaches you many social and organisational skills that you can use in the future. As a Library Leader, we learnt how to work behind the circulation desk and shelve books. Working behind the circulation desk has to be one of my favourite things to do as a Library Leader, as it allowed us to chat to all kinds of people from different grades while also learning something new! Furthermore, one of the perks of being a Library Leader is that you get firsthand pick on any interesting books that come in ;) (For any of the readers out there, this is such an awesome thing to have access to!) Even if you don't really read books at all, becoming a Library Leader can help to boost your confidence and provide you with a fun and educational experience. Moreover, the staff at the Library are extremely supportive and friendly and are always there to guide you if you ever need help. Overall, I really enjoyed working as a Library Leader and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who shares the love of books or is just interested in experiencing something new and enjoyable!" (Meredith, Library Leader)
"Never be afraid of trying something new, because life gets boring when you stay within the limits of what you already know." (Anonymous)