St Mark’s Primary School

About St Mark’s Primary School 

St Mark’s is a co-educational Catholic primary school established in 1974, initially with 31 students in a portable classroom, and has now grown to over 450 students and 50 staff based in Dingley Victoria. Our vision at St Marks is “Inspired by our faith, we make a difference” and this vision is reflected in our monthly keystones which are focussed on and celebrated in the classroom. We promote and value academic excellence and provide a balanced personalised curriculum with a strong focus on student wellbeing. Being part of a caring faith community instils our students with a sense of identity and a feeling of belonging.

We have a purpose-built resource centre which incorporating the library, inquiry & STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) space where students can participate in coding and technology and science activities, art room and cooking facilities, multimedia facilities and a seminar room.

The St Mark's Primary School Library

Our library is a warm and welcoming space that supports both students and staff throughout the year. We’re always updating the collection with new resources each term, and our fiction titles and graphic novels are especially popular. We also ensure our nonfiction books are current so that students and teachers can access the most up-to-date information available.

Junior students borrow two picture books every week during class, and with over 3,000 to choose from, they’re spoilt for choice. We have a dedicated 'New Books' section that draws a lot of attention from students – they’re always keen to see what’s just been added. When a student enjoys a particular title and their friends line up to borrow it next, it’s clear the books are making an impact.

The library is open at lunchtimes during games club, and while some students play board games or chess, others like to help out at the circulation desk. It’s a great way for them to engage with the space and build confidence using the system.

Staff can request resources to support their teaching, and I make sure to respond promptly. I also provide access to a range of content — not just books, but also trusted websites and reputable online and social media sources.

Our Collection

We have a strong and varied physical collection that supports reading for pleasure, curriculum needs, and professional learning. This includes:

• 5,000 fiction books
• 3,000 picture books
• 100 senior picture books
• 4,000 nonfiction books
• 350 graphic novels
• A small collection of CDs and DVDs
• 1,200 teacher resources
• A total of over 22,000 items

I work part time, three days a week, and am supported by a wonderful parishioner who helps cover new books. It’s always a joy to see a stack of new titles disappear one day and return the next looking beautifully covered and ready for borrowing.

Why I Love This Role

What I enjoy most is the variety. No two days are ever the same. I love the interaction with students, teachers, and learning support officers, and I enjoy showing others how to use the system so they feel confident even when I’m not around.

I particularly like the process of discovering, researching, and ordering new books — as well as weeding out old ones that are no longer needed. When a popular title starts to show signs of wear, I do my best to give it a little extra care to keep it in circulation just that bit longer.

At the start of every term, we update the library display with a new theme. With help from the LSO team, we channel our creativity into creating something fresh that welcomes students and staff back into the library.

Using Oliver v5

I’ve been using Oliver since 2024 and find that it significantly improves the way the library is run. The cataloguing function is extremely easy to use — if I had to manually catalogue each new resource, it would take hours. Being able to customise reports is another great feature that helps with tracking and planning.

I use the Oliver homepage to share key information with our school community, such as library opening hours, details about new and popular books, and reminders for events like Book Week or the school book fair.

Our junior students are confident using Orbit. Many of them look up series they’re interested in or search for books they’ve found online to see if we have them. If not, they often request them to be ordered. For newer students I like to show them how to search resources and we often search titles together so they know how to in the future. 

The improved overdue notice reports with images have made things easier for classroom teachers and help prompt students’ memories. It’s one of several features that makes Oliver more user-friendly and visually engaging for our school community.

Support from Softlink

Softlink’s support has been consistently helpful. I regularly use the online help and tutorials, and when I search the v5 community, I always manage to find the answers I need.

I also attended a training session in 2024 and found it really worthwhile. There are so many features and reports still to explore within Oliver, and I’m looking forward to continuing to build on what I’ve learned so far.

Final Thoughts

Oliver v5 has been an invaluable part of our library’s growth and improvement. It makes our work more efficient, supports our students’ learning, and allows us to continue delivering a dynamic and engaging library experience.

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