At Geelong Grammar School, libraries sit at the centre of learning and student life. Staffed and managed by one dedicated team of qualified library professionals, they bring a consistent approach to resources, research support and reader development from Early Learning through to the final years of Senior School.
The Junior Years
Each library reflects the age and needs of the students it serves. The recently opened Austin Library at the Junior School, Corio Campus is a bright, open space designed for young readers, group work and whole-class sessions. At Toorak Campus, the Library in the Sir Robert Southey Centre serves students from Early Learning through to Year 6, supporting both curriculum needs and a genuine love of reading.
Middle School
At the Middle School, the Panckridge Library is a busy part of daily school life, used by classes and individual students, boarders and day students alike. In the evenings, boarding students use the library for academic Prep.
Senior School
The Fisher Library is the heart of Senior School academic life at Corio Campus, with extended opening hours to accommodate the rhythms of a boarding school community, including late weeknight hours and weekend access.
Timbertop
At Timbertop, the library is woven into the fabric of daily life. Students have access to an extensive contemporary collection that caters to all reading interests. The library has a focus on student wellbeing in addition to developing research skills.
A new dedicated library space is due to open later this year, which will further support the deeply embedded culture of reading.
The Library programme supports learning from ELC to Year 12, with library staff working with classes at all year levels to develop reading, research and information literacy skills. APA 7 referencing is taught across the School, providing a strong foundation for academic writing. Students develop increasingly sophisticated research skills and have access to extensive print and digital resources, including online databases, digital magazines, global newspapers, eBooks and audiobooks.
GGS libraries loan out an average of 1,432 books per week, with loans up 23 percent across the five campuses between 2023 and 2026. The collections are contemporary and actively maintained, with age-appropriate books supporting a wide range of reading levels and interests. In the Senior School, around 30 percent of student borrowing is for leisure reading, a figure that reflects how much students value the libraries as places to read for pleasure alongside their academic work.
The libraries are designed to be genuinely welcoming spaces that support student wellbeing, connection and belonging throughout the school day. They offer a range of activities and low-sensory opportunities across campuses, providing calm, inclusive environments where students can connect, engage or simply take time out.
The Hawker Library at Corio Campus holds a particular place in the School’s history. Originally the School’s main library, the building dates to the 1940s and later housed the History Library before being converted in 2005 into the Michael Collins Persse Archives Centre. It continues to serve Senior School students as a quiet space for independent and group study, and as the custodian of the School’s archival collection.
