Source: State Library of NSW
Visitor numbers at the State Library are climbing, and so is the Library’s popularity among HSC students with our reading rooms expected to swell by 20% during October .
This month, the State Library will be adding extra seats and making every conceivable space available for students with more than 300,000 readers and visitors expected to walk through the doors between September and November.
Minister for the Arts John Graham says the State Library provides a comfortable, safe, free place that is open when students need it.
State Librarian Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon says the Library – which welcomed over one million visitors during the June 2024 fiscal year – continues to be one of the few places that is always free, offering students, along with readers and visitors, a welcoming environment. Students can stay all day, even into the nighttime.
“Students gather at the Library for individual and group study, to meet their friends, use the free wi-fi and study rooms (in the Bashir Reading Room). And our librarians are always here when needed.
“Our reading rooms are humming. I love to hear students referring to the State Library as simply ‘State’. They clearly feel at home here, which means a great deal to me,” says Dr Butler-Bowdon.
Seventeen-year-old Blackwattle Bay Secondary College student Alice Grant has been visiting the ‘State’ after school three to four days a week to help keep her motivated and has met many new friends as a result.
“There are lots of different areas to study here; it’s very communal and very welcoming. I get easily distracted at home with my two siblings, and here it’s easier to stay focused and motivated because everyone is in the same position. I can work through problems with other students doing the same subjects and we can study together.”
The Library is offering free online HSC Help sessions for students state-wide: Monday 30 September (English) and Tuesday 1 October (History and Society and Culture). Each session offers tips from experienced teachers plus a live Q&A session. Students can submit their questions when they register or on the day.
In addition, the Library is offering Year 12 students complimentary snacks and sweet treats near the steps of the Mitchell building from 8 to 11 October [2-3pm], to help students stay energised and focused. There will also be puzzles and other activities available.
Around the state, public libraries are also preparing for the influx of HSC students over the coming weeks by extending their opening hours and providing study relief in the way of study snacks, mindful activities, dedicated student spaces and even pet therapy.