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In April 2012, Softlink conducted the third annual Australian School Library Survey. This paper outlines the findings from the 2012 Softlink School Library Survey into Australian school library budgets, qualified staffing levels and NAPLAN literacy results. Principal findings from the 2012 Softlink Australian School Library Survey include:  There is a positive relationship between well-resourced libraries and higher student literacy outcomes  School library resourcing is inconsistent across school type (primary, secondary, P-12) and education provider (Government, Catholic, Independent)  The majority of school libraries had no change in budgets in the past 12 months  Very few school libraries received additional resources for implementing the National Curriculum  Staffing levels remained unchanged for the majority of school libraries during the past 12 months  There is a strong intention to purchase eBooks in the coming year  Mobile technology (iPod, iPad, smart phone and tablet) use by students is widespread across all school types and education providers and is having a greater impact on the role of the school library  Access to resources outside of the library is considered important by 75% of teacher librarians  80% of all teacher librarians understand the need to integrate with their Learning Management System but only 43% have done so  Teacher Librarians see opportunities to remain relevant and current to staff and students through embracing eBooks and mobile technology  Challenges continue to be: gaining funding, finding a balance between the physical and digital collection, collaboration with teaching staff and the recognition of Teacher Librarian's skills and their evolving role The outcomes from the 2012 survey again show the correlation between school library budgets and literacy levels. This link between funding and literacy is an issue facing schools and their libraries worldwide.

101 Digital Tools for the 21st Century Classroom Just what we need, another 101 list. This is the part where I attempt to convince you that this one is different. Friend and colleague Kyle Wood (@jkylewood) and I wanted to make a different kind of list, a list not just of tools people mentioned on twitter or we saw on wikis, but a list of solid educational tools that we have personally tested in an actual educational setting! The list was created as a component for a conference we are presenting at this summer. Below is the Google Presentation that we planned to use with the list. You are welcome to use it as you see fit. If you reuse/modify the list or presentation, please give attribution.

"Welcome to Book Club 2.0. This is a place for you to list or find virtual book clubs for students, teachers, and anyone else in education."

"An effective school library impacts more than student achievement-it also lifts a school's entire educational climate, says a recent two-phase study by Rutgers University's Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL) on behalf of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL)."

The Information Literacy Section of the International Federation of Library Association and Institutions ( IFLA) has created this database to record information literacy materials from different parts of the world, on behalf of UNESCO. Librarians, educators and information professionals are invited to participate. If you have developed information literacy materials and would like to share them with the world community, please submit the required data.

The following is a guest blog post by Dr. Greg Farley. Greg is the Director of Technology at Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District and an Adjunct Professor and course developer at the Graduate Schools of Education at Monmouth University and Drew University. Greg also conducts workshops at K-12 schools and universities and mentors doctoral students and administrators in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Check out his blog Embrace, Adapt, Enhance. I visited Eric's High School on February 24th to observe Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and his implementation of a contemporary learning environment. I was impressed. I was most impressed at Eric's reflection that he was once part of the problem, banning devices from his school rather then embracing the use of the technology. That has changed and Eric trusts his students to interact responsibly with media and communication tools. These expectations are being met by staff and students.

tables that draw together the inquiry skills sequence (F-10) in science, history and the draft geography curriculum. by Mandy Lupton Lecturer in Teacher-Librarianship School of Cultural and Language Studies in Education, Queensland University of Technology Victoria Park Road Kelvin Grove QLD 4059, Australia

Dear Savvy Searcher, My students keep wanting to enter their entire research question into the search bar. I keep trying to tell them that's a bad idea. How do you teach students to identify the right words to use in a search? Frustrated Educator

"Collaborative learning is a type of learning where a group of people pool their resources and attempt to learn together. Even if the "group" is just two people working together, collaborative strategies can help to stimulate interesting debate and allow learners to discover a new perspective on material. Many educators are now turning to collaborative learning strategies to help their students to learn. Here are 10 of the best collaborative learning tools available on the web today."

Purpose of this topic To provide guidance to ensure that schools respond reasonably and respectfully to objections about the use of specific curriculum resources.

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