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“Oliver v5 continues to provide the functionality and support we need to help our students thrive.”
Julie Staley, Information Resources Coordinator R-12
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Loreto College Marryatville, South Australia’s only all-girls independent Catholic day and boarding school, has been providing education to young women since 1905. Set on beautiful heritage grounds, the college caters to students from Early Learning to Year 12. United by the vision of Mary Ward, Loreto College prides itself on developing strong, confident, and intelligent young women with the social consciousness to make a difference in the world.
A Loreto education is built upon a 400-year-old foundation that emphasises the importance of educating girls and young women to actively influence society through strong values and beliefs. The college offers a well-rounded education with a wide range of opportunities and the support needed for students to become confident, engaged learners.
Julie Staley, the Leader of Information Resources R-12, has been with Loreto College for five years. She manages both the junior and senior libraries, working with a support team that includes one junior school staff member and one senior school staff member.
The junior and senior libraries serve different purposes: the junior library focuses on borrowing, activities, and teaching library skills, while the senior library supports advanced research and self-directed learning.
With prior experience in systems like Smart Library, Dynix, and Bookmark, Julie finds Oliver to be a comprehensive library management solution that supports her goals for the library.
One of my main goals has been to help our Year 6 students transition smoothly from the junior school library to the senior school library, located across the road. The senior library serves students with more advanced research needs, and I wanted to ensure they felt comfortable using this larger, more complex space. In addition, I sought a system that was easy to use for both younger and older students, while still offering the depth of functionality required by the senior students.
Oliver v5 has been instrumental in achieving these goals. One of the standout features of Oliver v5 is its ability to offer separate user interfaces for junior and senior students. Our junior students use Orbit, a more child-friendly interface, while senior students benefit from Oliver’s advanced search and research tools.
To make the transition from the junior to senior library more exciting and engaging for Year 6 students, I created a game called "Library Cluedo." This who-dunnit-style mystery game helps students become familiar with the senior school library while also developing essential research and library skills using Oliver v5.
The game begins with an iMovie that sets the stage for a mystery. Over the term, students work in teams to solve the case by gathering clues hidden throughout the senior library. These clues are tied to catalogue searches in Oliver, encouraging students to learn how to navigate the system while having fun.
By the end of the term, students can log into their Oliver profiles, perform searches, interpret search results, and locate books using Dewey Decimal numbers. This hands-on approach not only helps students develop critical research skills but also makes the library a welcoming and less intimidating space.
The combination of Oliver v5 and the Library Cluedo game has had a significant impact on our students. Those who were previously less engaged with the library are now more confident in navigating the collection, and even non-readers have become more comfortable using the library’s resources. The game helps them retain the skills they learn because they are actively using them in a fun, practical way.
Students are now able to use Oliver to search for books, reserve materials, and access the resources they need independently. This independence is crucial as they prepare to enter secondary school, where self-directed learning becomes even more important.
At Loreto College, Oliver v5 has transformed how our students engage with the library, especially during their transition from junior to senior school. The Library Cluedo game has been a key part of making the senior school library an accessible and enjoyable space, while Oliver v5 continues to provide the functionality and support we need to help our students thrive. With Oliver v5, I’m excited to continue developing innovative ways to enhance student learning and support their independence as they move through their school journey.
Oliver Library Software
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