Championing the importance of school libraries and learning, Students Need School Libraries is an important campaign advocating for the key role of school library staff and facilities. As special hubs and places of learning, school libraries and librarians help students access literature and play a key role in supporting education, learning and development, and even the health and wellbeing of students.

Story Box Library (SBL) is spreading the word about the #StudentsNeedSchoolLibraries campaign, with more information on how to get involved, and tips for schools and school librarians on using SBL to save educator time, enhance learning, get kids excited about reading, and improve learning outcomes. 

"Ultimately, we want every state and territory to ensure that every student has a school library run by a team of qualified library staff led by a teacher librarian."

- Holly Godfree, campaign coordinator

About #SchoolsNeedLibraries

Our Mission

Our mission is to ensure student access to high quality school library services. School libraries, and the qualified staff that run them are vital for ensuring that all students are equipped with the research and literacy skills they need throughout their life.

Our Vision

Our vision is to ensure that every student has access to a dynamic, well-resourced school library run by qualified library staff.

Why that's important

The ease of access to technology, online sources, and fake news, increases the need for a qualified teacher librarian who can teach all students the necessary research, online safety, and information literacy skills, as well as instilling a love of reading.

Using Story Box Library at your school and school library

SBL helps educators, schools and school librarians inspire creativity, encourage reading from a young age, and make learning fun. By using SBL’s online resource at your school and school library, you can improve learning outcomes, extend important digital literacy skills, and even during restrictions to on-site schooling, families and students can access a world of stories from home.

Download versatile templates 

Story Box Library has designed graphic organisers and thinking tools to give students opportunities to further develop their reading comprehension skills, and deepen learning. With more in development, these downloadable and editable templates save educator time, help with developing reading comprehension skills and can be used across all primary levels. Download templates here.

Discover our online PD events for educators

Supporting educators in making the most of Story Box Library (SBL), in 2020 we launched an ongoing series of online PD events that address Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Our first two online PD events focused on providing educators with step-by-step guides to the SBL basics, and 12 key steps to engage readers using the platform. Online PD events can now be accessed for educator professional development, contributing towards addressing Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Watch our online PD events for educators here.

Find inspiration for storytelling and literature

Our blog features regular interviews and features, offering inspiring stories and profiles on educators, school librarians and children’s literature advocates. Meet Amelia Otto, Education Resource Developer at Story Box Library, sharing her journey through education and children’s literature, and her best tips for using SBL in the classroom. Read more about Evie Andrews, a teacher librarian from the Victorian College of the Deaf, on her experiences in Deaf education, and the countless benefits of integrating accessible digital literacy from a young age, with platforms like SBL. Read more on our blog.