Each iHub will have digital resources and some hard copy books,while"students can access other parts of the school's collection through the librarian,"said a spokesman for the NSW Department of Education.
Librarians have condemned it,saying it will be limiting for students,inefficient for teachers,and detrimental to the school's culture.
"I question it from an educational point of view and a practical,human point of view,"said Holly Godfree,the coordinator of the Students Need School Libraries campaign."I don't think it plays out as being very sensible."
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Arthur Phillip is not the only new school to have abandoned the traditional library. At Brisbane's new Fortitude Valley State Secondary College,learning will be paperless,while a Victorian school has replaced librarians with"change adopters".
At Parramatta,year groups will be based on different storeys,and the iHubs will provide hard copy and digital resources on each level."This offers the benefits of traditional libraries plus enhancements,"said the department's spokesman.
The enhancements include"targeting specific age group and curriculum while providing relevant quality literature and a wealth of digital resourcing where year groups are based instead of being aggregated for all year groups in one library area,"he said.