The inaugural “Book Buffet” took place in the Yangadlitya library after school on Friday 9 June.

The Yangadlitya Big Room (YBR) was transformed from classroom to cosy reading nook, complete with a gourmet hot chocolate bar, a crackling open (digital) fire and most importantly a tantalising selection of new books for students and staff to come and sample. Students from a range of year levels came along to peruse and borrow from the book buffet and to chat about the types of books they enjoy and would like to see more of in the Yangadlitya collection. It quickly became clear that crime and dystopia are still popular genres amongst the readers of Concordia. It was also lovely to see a few familiar faces from the staffroom who popped over to join in.

Building a strong reading culture amongst all students is integral to the role of school libraries, and schools more broadly. Building such a reading culture, with the aim of inspiring students to be lifelong readers for pleasure, is something that Donalyn Miller writes about eloquently in The Book Whisperer (2009, available for borrowing from Yangadlitya). She explains that “Students will read if we give them the books, the time, and the enthusiastic encouragement to do so. If we make them wait for the one unit a year in which they are allowed to choose their own books and become readers, they may never read at all. To keep our students reading, we have to let them.”

Activities like our Book Buffet help to highlight the pleasurable and sociable aspects of reading as a leisure activity. Watch this space for more about our aim to inspire a lifelong love of reading in all Concordians.

Jessica Smith
Library Assistant