Welcome to the SBHS Libraries

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The KJ Andews Library at Sydney Boys High School

Students using the KJ Andrews Library 1

Students using the KJ Andrews Library 2

Students using the KJ Andrews Library 3

Students using the KJ Andrews Library 4

Students using the KJ Andrews Library 5

There are two Libraries at Sydney Boys High - the K J Andrew’s Junior Library and the McDonald Senior Library.  Past parent donations for buildings and present parent donations to the Library Fund has allowed the establishment of two well-resourced libraries.

Both libraries open early.  Our libraries are extremely well used and popular, with 131,000 students visiting in the last 12-month period.

It is our libraries’ policy to nurture High’s uniquely talented students by providing quality learning environments and a chance to experience maximum engagement via increasingly on-line, 24/7  resources.

Both libraries work in concert to offer students generous opportunities to access online resources 24/7 for self- directed learning and a constantly refreshed range of young adult literature and popular high interest non-fiction titles, 3000 eBooks, ClickView educational videos, LinksPlus curated educational websites and Issues in Society PDF’s via Oliver search.

Our two libraries share the web-based Oliver/SoftLink library management system.  Students can search our catalogue from school or home.  They can borrow eBooks or watch ClickView videos from school, home or holiday destinations. They log in via their own personal Oliver account to do this and can see their overdues, borrowing history or renew books from a distance using Oliver online and through their student Portal.

Both libraries allow students to borrow up to 10 hard copy books and magazines plus additional online resources.  The loan period for paper resources is one month with an opportunity to renew for a second month.  The eBook loan period is two weeks.  High use items such as Study Guides or magazines have a one week loan period.  Our busy students are encouraged to borrow during the holiday period by our librarians.

Both libraries maintain the Oliver News Page to display new books, links to Reading Lists and direct links to subscription databases such as Britannica Online Encyclopaedia, ClickView (videos), LinksPlus (websites) and Wheelers or OverDrive eBooks.  Students are able to do Advanced and Federated searches using Search Other Sources to combine State Library resources, Google Scholar, Google Books, ProQuest and so on with any library search and well as search results for other subscription databases above.

Students are regularly emailed library information such as a monthly email about new resources, the annual library survey, or requests to return or renew books.

Both Libraries run “Events” throughout the school year including the Chess King blitz Chess Competition, Author visits such as a talk by Phillip Wilcox Slam Poet as well as Film Festival and the Harmony Day book to movie film week.

The KJ Andrews Junior Library

As the Andrews Library is more commodious than the McDonald Library it is open and welcoming to both Senior and Juniors.  83,000 students visited the Andrews Library over the past twelve months.

Opening hours:

Monday 7:30am - 3:30pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 3:30pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 3:30pm
Thursday 7:30am - 3:30pm
Friday 7:30am - 3:30pm

The KJ Andrews Library consists of:

  • 3 separate class sized spaces which are booked out for classes – the Computer area, the Quiet Area and the Class Area.  These spaces effectively operate as spare classrooms and our technology team has made them bookable online for teachers. Two of these areas are supplied with screens, teachers’ computers and projectors.
  • Our Library has recently developed a small but comfortable reading area.
  • A paper collection of 6500 fiction, non-fiction and reference items.
  • Our popular Young Adult Fiction Collection is Genre organised.
  • Subscription access to 2 collections of eBooks (3000 books) from Wheelers and OverDrive.
  • Subscription access to SBHS teacher and library curated ClickView educational videos and movies.
  • We currently subscribe to 7 magazines and 3 newspapers daily
  • Our library also subscribes to an education curated website database from WebLinks Plus
  • Our library has recently subscribed to Issues in Society which is a collection of PDF’s on current social issues which can be searched on Oliver

Mr Rodney Love
Teacher Librarian
KJ Andrews Library
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The McDonald Senior Library

Students using the McDonald Senior Library 1

Students using the McDonald Senior Library 2

Students using the KJ Andrews Library 3

Students using the KJ Andrews Library 4

The Senior Library at Sydney High is open to Senior School students (Years 10, 11 & 12). Junior students have access when they need to request items from the Senior Library at any time.

Opening hours:

Monday 8:00am - 3:15pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 3:15pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 12:30pm
Thursday 8:00am - 3:15pm
Friday 8:00am - 3:15pm

If the Senior Library is closed during school hours, students can use the Junior Library.

The Senior Library collection consists of:

  • An ever-expanding collection of the latest fiction, literary fiction and the classics.
  • A carefully selected high interest non-fiction collection.
  • Fiction and non-fiction to support the senior curriculum and the HSC.
  • Access to E-Resources through our Oliver Library Enquiry Portal/News Page – these include Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, ClickView (videos), LinksPlus (websites), Ebooks (Wheelers and Overdrive) and links to State Library Eresources (with a library card) as well as curated Reading Lists of curriculum and high interest titles.
  • Over 20 magazine and periodical subscriptions.
  • Newspapers including the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian and the Daily Telegraph.
  • Careers information.

In addition, the Senior Library offers research assistance and reader advisory from the Teacher Librarian. All students in Year 10 participate in the State Library program, join the library, and learn how to access and use the e-resources available.

The Senior Library also holds regular literary and reading promotional events such as author visits, book days and film showings throughout the year.

Other Services offered by the Senior Library:

  • 24 desktop computers with a range of up to date software
  • Photocopying, scanning and printing in black and white and colour. Students pay for printing. Costs and recharge instructions are provided in the Student Portal
  • Quiet reading area with lounges
  • Silent study area with individual carrels
  • Air conditioning

Please feel free to contact to the library staff: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Ms Beth Hinton
Teacher Librarian
McDonald Senior Library
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