The way in which students and teachers interact with books has changed significantly over the last 25 years. It was this fact that prompted us to undertake a review of the Lowther Hall Learning Resource Centre (LRC) during 2018. We engaged with an educational researcher, Dr Gerard Calnin, from The University of Melbourne to assist us with the Review which was completed in July. Some of the recommendations which came out of the Review included:
• To maintain an extensive fiction collection for girls in each area of the School to be able to access.
• To separate out functions such as silent study and printing from the space of the Learning Resource Centre.
• To maintain spaces in each area of the School which students can visit to undertake reading or engage in other individual, club or group activities during break times.
• To provide specialist staff to support reading, research and resourcing.
Since completing the Review, extensive planning has been undertaken to support the implementation of many of the recommendations. The School community will begin to see some changes in the LRC space as we move towards 2019. Specifically:
• Specialist staff have been employed across the School in the areas of reading and literature; research; and educational resource management.
• The Junior LRC will be relocated to be within the Raymond House building, allowing easier access to resources for girls and teachers in this area of the School.
• The area previously occupied by the Junior LRC will be transformed into a silent study space for VCE students.
• Additional Senior School classrooms will be developed within the previous Senior LRC space.
• Photocopiers and printers will be relocated to other areas of the School where they can be supported by IT staff.
• New reading and research areas will be created.
We are excited to re-brand the Senior School area of the LRC the Nora Collisson Centre, in recognition of the contributions of previous Lowther Hall Principal, Ms Nora Collisson. The works associated with these changes will be commencing on Monday 19 November and will continue into 2019. We know that the girls will derive great benefit from the transformations that will take place.