Scotch College

Another accolade for Scotch

Australian Literature Festival Project receives the IASL/SIRS Commendation Award in Seattle, June 3, 2002- Suzette Boyd, Head of Library and Information Services at Scotch College, Melbourne has been awarded the IASL/SIRS Commendation Award for 2002. The award recognizes 'outstanding and innovative projects, plans or programs that could serve as models for replication' by other associations and individuals. A plaque and cash award of US$500 was presented at the 31st annual conference of the International Association Scholl Librarianship (ISAL) in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia in August.

In making the award, President Peter Genco noted that the week long Literature Festival, organized by Suzette Boyd, included a social dimension that brought families, students and the school community together and comprised one hundred and ten sessions. Activities involving the school community included midweek 'Book's Blokes and Brekky' for fathers and sons, a literary dinner, reading challenges for staff and students, and an evening forum on 'Best Books for Boys'. The School Library website provided entertaining profiles of authors who led workshops and gave talks during the festival. Other schools have already been inspired to run a similar program based on this model.

The International Association of Scholl Librarianship comprises personal association members from over eighty countries enabling young people to develop literacy and cultural appreciation and to use information effectively throughout the improvement of School Libraries and School Library programs as a vital component of education.