ABOUT US
The Queensland School Library Association (QSLA) is the Professional Body for School Libraries in Queensland.
MEMBERSHIP
The Queensland School Library Association (QSLA) offers a range of benefits to members.
Welcome Dr Kay Oddone, QSLA Patron
We’re proud to announce Dr Kay Oddone as the inaugural Patron of QSLA. A passionate advocate for school libraries, Kay brings extensive experience and ongoing commitment to the profession. We’re honoured to have her support.
Australian School Library Day 2026
When is Australian School Library Day?
Australian School Library Day is celebrated on the Wednesday of Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Children's Book Week®, so this year it will be celebrated on 26 August.
Book Week is a busy time for school libraries but it is also just the right time for school communities to pause for a moment and recognise how essential school libraries are in ensuring that reading is a part of everyday life and that students have access to fabulous books and resources, not just in Book Week, but every week of the year. It is a day for school communities to celebrate the people who work to make sure that the school library a vibrant and joyful place of learning and discovery.
2026 Theme
The theme for 2026 is School Libraries: The Best Investment. At a time where Australia’s core educational priorities focus on equity and system reform, the obvious and known benefits of school libraries are sadly being overlooked by government and school leaders. The theme calls on decision-makers to see that access to well-resourced school libraries with qualified staff is the best value add that can be made for a better and fairer Australian education system that provides all students with the essential skills and resources required for full participation in contemporary society.
The 2026 Australian School Library Day theme highlights that as well as providing a beautiful space at the heart of a school, full and fair investment in well-resourced school libraries with qualified staff enhances ALL aspects of teaching and learning and improves measurable educational outcomes such as learning equity, student attendance, and increased engagement. School libraries truly are the best investment!
How can I get involved?
Australian School Library Day is day that highlights school libraries but it is especially about celebrating the staff who run them. We encourage teaching staff, school leaders and school communities to think of ways to invest in making your school library staff know that they are seen and the good work that they do is acknowledged. This can be done in many ways: it might be a card, an assembly announcement, a school newsletter item, or a social media post. Think of outlets in your community that might be able to promote and celebrate this important day.
We have provided a range of resources including social media tiles, email signatures and posters for you to promote the day.
However you choose to celebrate, don't forget to let us know by using the hashtag #ASLD2026 to share all your pics and posts for the day.
I’m really pleased to take on the role of inaugural patron of the Queensland School Library Association (QSLA). As a proud Queenslander, it’s a privilege to support an association that recognises and advocates for the critical role school libraries and library staff play in supporting teachers and students to enhance learning and wellbeing.
My career in education spans more than 25 years, and throughout that time I’ve worked across a wide range of contexts—from classroom teacher and teacher librarian, to Assistant Principal, Head of Libraries, and now Course Director of the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) at Charles Sturt University. At every step, I’ve seen the impact that qualified, passionate school library professionals can and do have within and beyond their school communities.
I completed my PhD at Queensland University of Technology, supervised by Associate Professor Hilary Hughes and Dr Mandy Lupton, exploring how educators grow and share their expertise through personal learning networks. That research continues to influence how I think about collaboration, leadership, and the role of digital technologies in education. My current research investigates how emerging technologies like AI influence the development of critical information skills, shape academic integrity practices, and transform the role of libraries in education.
Whether it’s presenting at conferences, working with international colleagues, or having a great conversation with a school library team, I’ve always found joy in being part of this professional community. Becoming QSLA’s patron is a great honour, and I look forward to working with an association that continues to demonstrate such commitment, creativity and care, especially in challenging times.
Media Release: ACSL
Date: 28 April 2025
National statements on school libraries released
The Australian Coalition for School Libraries (ACSL), the school library sector committee of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), has today released four key policies to guide school leaders and school library staff. These nationally agreed statements provide guidance on the expectations for school library resourcing, activities and staffing across Australia. Click here for more information.
Join the QSLA Council 2026
With the Teacher Librarian role disappearing from an increasing number of Queensland schools, it is more important than ever before to support other members of our profession, and to advocate for the important role of trained library staff in our schools.
The Queensland School Library Association is actively involved in advocacy for our profession. In 2018 we launched Queensland School Library Week, and members have jumped on this initiative as a way to promote their school libraries and to attract media attention in our regional areas. We are also supporting the national campaign for Students Need School Libraries
These recent initiatives have gained a lot of media attention, and demonstrate that there is strength in numbers.
We would like to take this opportunity to invite those schools who are not yet members to join the Queensland School Library Association. Come on board with us, and help us to keep our profession strong and healthy.
Online membership forms can be completed by clicking here. We would love to hear from anyone who is interested in joining us.
If you are already a member and are keen to join and contribute to our organisation, we currently have openings on our Committee for people who are ready and willing to join our enthusiastic team.
Please contact us via email if you are interested in becoming a part of the QSLA Committee.
Joint statement on school library inclusion in the
National School Reform Agreement
Brisbane, 28 March 2023: QSLA today joins with ALIA and other Australian School Library Associations and the Students Need School Libraries Campaign to publish the joint statement on school library inclusion in the National School Reform Agreement (NSRA).
With tens of thousands of Australian students not reaching basic levels of literacy and numeracy every year, Australia cannot afford the continued decline in student access to school libraries. The evidence is clear that access to a school library run by qualified staff improves student outcomes, and yet across the country that access is not guaranteed, with students in regional and low-socio economic areas least likely to have access to a well-resourced and staffed school library.
The statement calls for clear and achievable action to arrest this decline and set our children up for success.
1. A target being set for every Australian school student to have access to a well-resourced school library with a qualified teacher librarian and qualified support staff.
2. A support measurement to be implemented against this target for each state and territory to collect and report annually as to: a. The percentage of schools that have, and students that have, access to a school library 5 days a week.
a. The non-capital resourcing budgets for school libraries
b. The provision of qualified and other staff in school libraries.
3. Support of national collaboration and bilateral agreements to reinforce innovative programs through school libraries.
Read the full statement here.
The Statement has been sent through to the Federal Minister for Education, Minister Clare, by ALIA. The Statement has also been sent through to the QLD Minister for Education, Grace Grace MP, and QSLA looks forward to further positive engagement on this matter.
#StudentsNeedSchoolLibraries
Join the campaign to ensure that every student has access to a dynamic, well-resourced school library led by a qualified Teacher Librarian alongside qualified library staff.
Visit the campaign website to find out how you can help.