Webinars and Events

with Madison Dearnaley, Head of Library Services, St Paul’s School

Wednesday, 11th March 2026, 7.00 pm to 8.00 pm AEST, Brisbane, QLD

Non-member registration is $45.00 for this live webinar. 

[As we are in Daylight Saving Time in Australia, please check the time of the webinar in your time zone, e.g. NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS = 8.00 pm, QLD = 7.00 pm, SA = 7.30 pm, NT = 6.30 pm, WA = 5.00 pm]

Today’s school libraries curate dynamic and inclusive collections that support curriculum, reading culture, wellbeing, creativity, and hands-on learning.

This webinar explores how to curate and manage modern school library collections with clarity and purpose. We’ll unpack collection policies and procedures, auditing and refreshing collections, managing book challenges, aligning collections with curriculum priorities, the role of nonfiction, finding age-appropriate materials, and creating graphic novel, teacher resource, family, wellbeing, and manga collections. We’ll also explore creating collections of resources, such as robotics, recording equipment, puzzles and games, and makerspace equipment. This webinar will also discuss how to improve discoverability and how to promote and present collections.

Outcomes for attendees

• Gain practical strategies for auditing, weeding, purchasing, designing layouts, and improving accessibility.
• Develop or refine clear collection policy and procedures to align with curriculum, withstand challenges, and promote inclusivity and responsiveness.
• Develop diverse collections.

Madison is passionate about empowering school libraries to be dynamic centres of learning, creativity, and wellbeing. As Head of Library Services at an independent school in Queensland, she leads with a focus on innovation and evidence-based practice. Madison is dedicated to supporting the professional development of school library staff to continue to transform the role of school libraries. She writes about school library practice on her website, where she shares insights, resources, and professional learning for school library professionals.

For all States and Territories:
This webinar will provide self-identified professional development addressing the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the Proficient level:
3.4 – Select and use resources
6.2 – Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.4 – Apply professional learning and improve student learning

Please check the time in your time zone at Event Time Announcer

[Subscribed members, please log in to register for this event. Your membership subscription includes access to this webinar.]

with Dr Kay Oddone, Senior Lecturer, Course Director: Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship), Charles Sturt University

Wednesday, 25th March 2026, 7.00 pm to 8.00 pm AEST, Brisbane, QLD

Non-member registration is $45.00 for this live webinar. 

[As we are in Daylight Saving Time in Australia, please check the time of the webinar in your time zone, e.g. NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS = 8.00 pm, QLD = 7.00 pm, SA = 7.30 pm, NT = 6.30 pm, WA = 5.00 pm]

Leadership is an essential and inextricable part of the role of Teacher Librarians and other school library professionals. Yet their leadership potential is often overlooked by themselves and by others in education. While leadership training is commonly offered to teachers pursuing administrative roles, opportunities tailored to the unique leadership responsibilities of school library staff remain scarce.

This webinar aims to bridge that gap, encouraging you to see yourself as a leader within your school community and providing strategies to strengthen how your expertise is recognised and applied to strengthen school-wide decision-making.

After participating in this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify and reflect on a range of leadership styles and recognise how these are already evident in their own professional practice.
• Develop practical strategies to navigate school hierarchies and communicate the value of their work with greater confidence and impact.
• Strengthen their fluency in the language of leadership to ensure their expertise and contributions are recognised in decision-making contexts.
• Use their school-wide perspective to contribute meaningfully to leadership conversations and initiatives that shape teaching and learning.

Dr Kay Oddone is an educator and information professional with over 25 years experience across early childhood to postgraduate education. She has served as a Classroom Teacher, Assistant Principal, Teacher Librarian, and Learning Designer, and is now Course Director and Senior Lecturer in the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) at Charles Sturt University. Her research and teaching focus on teacher librarianship, generative AI, connected learning, and critical digital and information literacies. Widely published and a frequent national and international presenter, Kay shares her work at www.linkinglearning.com.au

For all States and Territories:
This webinar will provide self-identified professional development addressing the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the Proficient level:
6.2 – Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.4 – Apply professional learning and improve student learning

Please check the time in your time zone at Event Time Announcer

[Subscribed members, please log in to register for this event. Your membership subscription includes access to this webinar.]

with Mali Jorm, Head of Libraries, Bacchus Marsh Grammar

Wednesday, 20th May 2026, 7.00 pm to 8.00 pm AEST, Brisbane, QLD

Non-member registration is $45.00 for this live webinar. 

This presentation offers inspiring tips for integrating essential aspects of a best-practice library curriculum into punchy, high-interest lessons for primary students (K-6).

Using the Three Spheres of Library Skills model and the GRAF Framework (Growth mindset, Agency, and Framing), Mali will offer insights into how to build lessons that use current psychology, education and library science research to effectively teach students higher-order skills in reading engagement, research and critical literacy skills.

Attendees will receive ready-to-use printable lessons and activities, as well as planning documents to develop their own high-engagement lessons.

Outcomes for attendees:

• Broaden knowledge of K-6 library lesson ideas
• Use motivation research to engage students with challenging or low-interest content
• Develop student capacity for higher-order critical literacy and research skills

Mali provides award-winning leadership in library and information management through innovative research-backed content, curriculum, and student engagement programs. With two decades of experience working with students from Pre-K to adult education, the ‘lady in black with the facts’ is an acclaimed speaker and writer with a focus on the interdisciplinary use of psychology, marketing, and community outreach to promote results-driven library products and services.

For all States and Territories:
This webinar will provide self-identified professional development addressing the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the Proficient level:
3.3 – Use teaching strategies
3.4 – Select and use resources
6.2 – Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.4 – Apply professional learning and improve student learning
7.4 – Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities

Please check the time in your time zone at Event Time Announcer

[Subscribed members, please log in to register for this event. Your membership subscription includes access to this webinar.]

with Jessica Lonard, Head of Library and Information Services, St Patrick’s College Strathfield

Wednesday, 10th June 2026, 7.00 pm to 8.00 pm AEST, Brisbane, QLD

Non-member registration is $45.00 for this live webinar. 

At a time when student anxiety is rising and academic pressure feels constant, the school library has become something more than a place for study. It is a purposeful space for wellbeing. This session explores how today’s libraries go beyond supporting learning to become places where students feel safe, welcome and genuinely valued.

Drawing on real-world school examples, we’ll look at how libraries create a sense of belonging for a wide range of students. From flexible seating and quiet corners to vibrant makerspaces and lunchtime clubs, the physical and social design of the library helps students regulate, connect and recharge. We’ll also reflect on the important role teacher librarians play in providing informal support, curating inclusive collections and balancing energy.

Rather than treating wellbeing as an add-on, this session positions it as embedded practice. When we intentionally design programs, spaces and relationships, the library becomes a steady presence in a busy school: a place where students can find connection, creativity and confidence.

Outcomes for attendees:

• Recognise how library activities can act as intentional wellbeing supports.
• Assess current programs through a belonging and inclusion lens.
• Design inclusive, low-barrier clubs that engage diverse learners.
• Align library programming with whole-school wellbeing priorities.

Jessica is a Teacher Librarian and Digital Learning Specialist with over 18 years of experience in secondary education. She creates programs that help students build on what they know while encouraging them to explore new ideas using research and information skills. She is passionate about getting students into reading and sharing my love of books. Jessica is also interested in AI and its applications in education, exploring how it can enhance learning and teaching. Beyond the library, she runs webinars and workshops on educational technology and teacher librarianship, sharing tips and strategies with other educators.

For all States and Territories:
This webinar will provide self-identified professional development addressing the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the Proficient level:
3.3 – Use teaching strategies
3.4 – Select and use resources
6.2 – Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.4 – Apply professional learning and improve student learning

Please check the time in your time zone at Event Time Announcer

[Subscribed members, please log in to register for this event. Your membership subscription includes access to this webinar.]

with Virginia Hand, Secondary Teacher Librarian, Shellharbour Anglican College

Wednesday, 17th June 2026, 7.00 pm to 8.00 pm AEST, Brisbane, QLD

Non-member registration is $45.00 for this live webinar. 

As senior students transition to greater independence, many struggle with the academic research skills required for success in Year 12, tertiary study, and vocational pathways. This professional development session presents an evidence-informed model for explicitly teaching academic research processes through a structured, scaffolded program embedded within the school curriculum.

Drawing on information literacy frameworks (Association of College & Research Libraries, 2021), metacognitive theory (Zimmerman, 2020), and recent studies on student autonomy and self-regulated learning (Bai et al., 2023; Broadbent & Poon, 2022), this session outlines a multi-module program that supports students to develop inquiry skills, critically evaluate sources, integrate evidence ethically, and reflect on their learning processes. Particular attention is given to teaching students how to locate and identify peer-reviewed journal articles, evaluate credibility in digital environments, and apply research skills across subject areas.

The session will demonstrate how teacher librarians can lead whole-school approaches to academic rigor, support curriculum goals, and advocate for the library as a centre for research skill development. Participants will explore practical examples, implementation strategies, and alignment with senior secondary assessment requirements, ensuring students are equipped for independent, evidence-based learning.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Design and implement a structured research skills program to support independent senior learners.
• Teach students how to locate, evaluate, and use peer-reviewed journal articles.
• Embed information literacy and metacognitive strategies into curriculum and assessment tasks.
• Advocate for the role of the teacher librarian in developing academic rigor and research capability.

With over 30 years of experience in Australia and Hong Kong, Virginia is a Teacher Librarian and educator passionate about literacy, information literacy, AI, and research-based, project-based learning through guided inquiry. She loves putting books into the hands of readers, fostering critical thinking, and designing dynamic learning experiences that blend academic rigor with creativity and collaboration. She is committed to putting principles into practice and learning something new every day in her roles at Shellharbour Anglican College.

As a presenter, Virginia has shared her expertise across Asia and Australia, engaging educators in innovative approaches to literacy, inquiry, and emerging technologies. As a Sessional Lecturer for the Master of Teacher Librarianship at Charles Sturt University, she guides future educators in evidence-based practice. I am also deeply committed to connecting and networking with future-focused educators, sharing strategies for student-centered learning, and exploring how technology can support meaningful, inquiry-driven education

For all States and Territories:
This webinar will provide self-identified professional development addressing the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the Proficient level:
3.2 – Plan, structure and sequence learning programs.
3.3 – Use teaching strategies
3.4 – Select and use resources
6.2 – Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.4 – Apply professional learning and improve student learning

Please check the time in your time zone at Event Time Announcer

[Subscribed members, please log in to register for this event. Your membership subscription includes access to this webinar.]

27th May 2026 – Topic to be confirmed

24th June 2026 – Topic to be confirmed