Panel Discussion

Imagine the future: Spaces for inquiring minds and flexible thinking

This discussion is chaired by Sue Hamilton, Director, Community, Learning and Public Library Partnerships, State Library of Victoria. The panellists explore the purpose, shape and future of school libraries, including issues around:

• public policy
• relationships to curriculum
• evidence-based design of a learning environment
• educational planning embedded in an architectural practice
• the challenge of making it work in a ‘brave new world’!

Listen

Listen using our in-page media player. Need help?

Download

Download the audio file by right-clicking on the 'Download...' link below and saving. Need help?

Download Panel Discussion [mp3  59.8MB  65:00]

Sue Hamilton is the Director of Community, Learning and Public Library Partnerships at the State Library of Victoria.

Tom Bentley is Executive Director for Policy and Cabinet, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria. He is also Director of Applied Learning at the Australian and New Zealand School of Government and a trustee of the Per Capita think tank. From 1999 to 2006 he was Director of Demos, a leading London-based independent think tank. Prior to that he was a special adviser to David Blunkett MP, then Secretary of State for Education and Employment, UK, where he worked on issues including school curriculum reform, social inclusion and creativity. His publications include: Learning beyond the classroom: Education for a changing world, (Routledge, 1998) and The creative age: Knowledge and skills for a new economy (Demos, 1999). He is a member of the Library Board of Victoria.

Annalise Gehling is an Associate Educational Planner with Fielding Nair International, a leading firm in the planning and design of learning environments. In her first year in this role, Annalise has researched and authored a detailed critique of the Cayman Islands' school environments, acted as chief planner for a school library refurbishment, co-authored the introduction to SLAV's Rethink!, and played a key role in FNI's school planning contracts in Victoria, Tasmania, New Zealand and the Cayman Islands. Annalise is a recent graduate of Deakin University's Bachelor of Education (Primary/Secondary).

Dr Susan La Marca is a youth literature and library consultant and a former teacher-librarian and educator. She is the editor of Synergy, the research journal of the School Library Association of Victoria, and associate editor of the journal Viewpoint: On books for young adults. Susan has edited texts in the field of teacher-librarianship in areas including reading, library design and information literacy. She is the co-author with Dr Pam Macintyre of Knowing readers: Unlocking the pleasures of reading (2006) and the editor of Rethink! Ideas for inspiring school library design (2007).

Jennifer Sargeant is the Director of Information Resources and a Leading Teacher at Coburg Senior High School. She is an experienced teacher-librarian and was previously Head of Information Services at Toorak College, where she directed the development of an integrated electronic library service. At Coburg Senior High School, she is responsible for developing an online environment designed to increase student engagement and to encourage discerning and discriminating thinking and problem-solving.

This panel session was part of the 2007 International School Libraries Day Conference: Inquiring minds + Flexible thinking = School libraries. Presented by the State Library of Victoria with the School Library Association of Victoria on Monday 22 October 2007.

Where possible, a transcript or speaker's notes can be provided upon request.