Additions to the SCIS subject headings are made through a detailed process of consultation to ensure they are as appropriate as possible. 

The lifecycle of a new heading begins with an idea. Suggestions for new headings can come from teachers or librarians in schools, from changes in the curriculum or from cataloguers. They can be prompted by technological change, social change or changes in accepted terminology or language. 

Once a new heading is proposed, the first step is to write a working paper. This starts with a detailed rationale for the new or changed heading. We count the number of records in the SCIS database that use the term to determine how common it is and provide a dictionary definition for clarity. 

The structure of the new heading is laid out: ‘Broader terms’ and ‘Narrower terms’ are identified and ‘Use for’ references are indicated, where appropriate. The heading may also include a clarifying scope note. 

The working paper will then detail the existing reference structure in the SCIS thesaurus and determine how the new term would be integrated. 

The completed working paper then starts its rounds of consultation. Papers are discussed at SCIS cataloguer meetings in Victoria and New South Wales. Once any suggested changes have been made, the papers are discussed at meetings of external cataloguers who contribute to the SCIS database. Papers are also assessed by a group of school librarians and teachers. 

When all stakeholders have been consulted, the opinions of each group are collated and presented at a quarterly meeting of the SCIS Standards Committee, made up of representatives from each team that contributes to SCIS. Each paper is presented and discussed in detail, and then voted on for inclusion in the database. If the paper is accepted, the new term will be added. If the paper is rejected, it may be revised and presented again at a later date, or rejected as unnecessary. Papers may go through several iterations before the new heading is finally accepted for inclusion. 

Example of a new SCIS subject heading 

Key 

• BT – Broader term 
• NT – Narrower term 
• RT – Related term 
• UF – Use for 
• SN – Scope note 
• SEN – Special example note 

• In – Indexing note 

Heading 

Sleepovers 

SN Use for works about school-age or younger children sleeping over at another person’s home. 

• UF Sleep overs 
• UF Sleep-overs 
• UF Slumber parties 
• BT Sleep 
• RT Bedtime 
• RT Amusements 
• RT Children’s parties 

Find out about new subject headings recently added to SCIS:

Read More

In the immersive world of interactive fiction, players command the story by inputting text to guide characters and explore rich narrative landscapes. Dubbed text adventures, these non-linear tales allow you to carve your own path through intricate choose-your-own-adventure stories online.

Excitingly, SCIS cataloguers have meticulously created records for 35 free interactive fiction titles, complete with URLs for direct, seamless access to these resources straight from your library catalogue.

Free Interactive Fiction Titles

How to batch import the records into your library system

1. Log into https://www.scisdata.com/
2. Navigate to Downloads – Collections
3. On the left you will see the categories of digital collections curated by SCIS
4. Click on a category e-Books (free) click Download
5. A list of the records in the list appears for you to evaluate suitability:

• Clicking on the SCIS number opens the SCIS record
• Clicking on the title will opens the digital resources

6. Select resources to be removed from the download list by ticking the square box(es)
7. Click Remove selected # records for any resources not relevant to your school community
8. When you are happy with these records to be added to your catalogue click Download records
9. You will have a new file in your computers download files with file extension .mrc
10. Go to your LMS and use the file import process to import the records into your LMS (contact you LMS vendor with assistance with this step).

Download today

More reading about Interactive fiction:

• IFWiki https://www.ifwiki.org/Main_Page
• Interactive Fiction Database https://ifdb.org/
• Interactive fiction (Wikipedia) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_fiction
• People’s Republic of Interactive Fiction http://pr-if.org/ (Warning – No SSL certificate, be careful not to share any personal information on the site.)

We’re eager to gather feedback on how interactive fiction has impacted students in schools. Your insights are crucial for SCIS as we contemplate the future of this project and consider adding more titles. Email your feedback to help@scisdata.com.

Accessit users can now automatically import Authority Files into their library management system via our API. This new feature saves time for library staff who no longer need to manually import the files.

Authority Files enhance your catalogue records by incorporating “see” and “see also” references. These references serve as a helpful tool for you and your school community, facilitating easier discovery of relevant resources. It’s like adding an intuitive search assistant to your catalogue!

Our team of expert cataloguers create name, subject, and series linkages, thereby broadening your search results to encompass resources that may not directly match your search term but are still relevant. For instance, when searching for “Stars,” you might also come across resources related to Astrophysics, Nebulae, Planets and Solar Systems . This expanded search experience empowers your school community to find more specific or related resources on the topics they search for.

If you’re an Authority Files subscriber and already use the SCIS API, setting up the new automatic import is straightforward. See the instructions below:

1. Navigate to Cataloguing -> Imports -> Import MARC Authorities
2. Select option ‘Import from SCIS API’
3. Select ‘Authority Type’ – (Subject / Name / Series)
4. Click ‘Start Import’

If you don’t yet use the SCIS API with Accessit, contact Accessit customer support for assistance setting it up and activating the automatic import.

Once the setup is complete, manual imports become a thing of the past, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of Authority Files effortlessly. In Accessit, these benefits are immediately evident in the ‘See Also’ tab of your search display, as depicted in the screenshot below:

We’re thrilled to offer Accessit users the opportunity to enhance their catalogues with our automatic Authority Files import! If you’re an Accessit user and an Authority Files subscriber, we highly recommend setting up the automatic import today. SCIS extends its gratitude to Accessit for working with us to implement this feature, which helps simplify library management.

Don’t subscribe to our Authority Files yet? No problem! Our friendly customer service team is here to help. Contact us at help@scisdata.com or any of the phone numbers listed on our website to learn more about the benefits and how to get started.

Exciting news from SCIS!

Our Authority Files can now be automatically imported into Softlink’s Oliver V5 library management system with a single click via our API. This new feature saves time for library staff who no longer need to manually import the files.

Authority Files enhance your catalogue records by creating “see” and “see also” references, helping you and your school community discover relevant resources. Think of it as making your catalogue smarter!

Our expert cataloguers create name, subject, and series reference linkages that extend your search results to include resources that may not directly match your search term, but are still relevant (E.g. “Disasters” will also show you Shipwrecks or Disaster Relief so you can find more specific or related resources). This creates a “rich” search experience and provides easier access to the resources you’ve carefully curated to aid learning and development.

Oliver V5 users can set up the SCIS API to import Authority Files automatically using parameters 7324 -7327 to set up the import. See below information:

• 7324, ‘SCIS Authorities Automatic Import’,enables the new automatic import.
• 7325, ‘SCIS Authorities Automatic Import Options’,the same options as available when manually importing a MARC Authority file.
• 7326, ‘SCIS Authorities Automatic Import Frequency’, how often the process is run as part of nightly housekeeping. This defaults to every 6 months.
• 7327, ‘SCISAuthorities Automatic Import Type’, the same options as available when manually importing a MARC Authority file.

In addition to the new parameters, two existing parameters (7320 and 7321) are also used for this functionality:

• 7320, ‘SCIS Username’,available from SCIS for use with their API.
• 7321, ‘SCIS Password’,available from SCIS for use with their API.

If you need help completing the process, you can contact Softlink at support@softlinkint.com.

Once set up, there will be no need to import manually, and you can simply enjoy the benefits of Authority Files through features like Oliver’s cataloguer display. This display provides clickable links to broader, narrower, and related terms, as well as series references. See the example screenshot below:

We’re excited that Oliver V5 users will now be able to enrich their catalogues through Authority Files without needing to lift a finger! If you’re an Oliver V5 user and Authority Files subscriber, we highly recommend setting up automatic Authority Files import today. SCIS would like to thank Softlink for implementing this new feature, making library management easier.

Don’t subscribe to our Authority Files yet? No problem! Our friendly customer service team is here to help. Contact us at help@scisdata.com or any of the phone numbers listed on our website to learn more about the benefits and how to get started.

Education is an important part of reconciliation. Making sure your school community has access to resources that can help them learn about our shared culture and history supports and strengthens our ability to build a better community for all Australians.

To help you expand your library collection to include more new resources about and by First Nations people, here are six resources we’ve catalogued over the last year.

First Knowledges Law: The way of the ancestors

Marcia Langton & Aaron Corn

SCIS number 5448393

Law is culture, and culture is law. Given by the ancestors and cultivated over millennia, Indigenous law defines what it is to be human. Complex and evolving, law holds the keys to creating resilient, caring communities and a life in balance with nature.

Marcia Langton and Aaron Corn show how Indigenous law has enabled people to survive and thrive in Australia for more than 2,000 generations. Nurturing people and places, law is the foundation of all Indigenous societies in Australia, giving them the tools to respond and adapt to major environmental and social changes. But law is not a thing of the past. These living, sophisticated systems are as powerful now as they have ever been, if not more so.

Country tells us when …

Tsheena Cooper, Mary Dann, Dalisa Pigram-Ross & Sheree Ford ; translation by the Mabu Yawuru Ngan-Language Centre

SCIS number 5443458

Some cultures around the world have four seasons that they look out for on a calendar; summer, autumn, winter and spring. The Yawuru mob don’t have four seasons that are told through a calendar. They have six seasons and Country tells the Yawuru people when they have arrived by what can be felt, seen, tasted, smelled and heard.

The Voice to Parliament Handbook: All the detail you need

Thomas Mayo & Kerry O’Brien, cartoons by Cathy Wilcox

SCIS number 5449162

Indigenous leader Thomas Mayo and acclaimed journalist Kerry O’Brien have written this handbook to answer the most commonly asked questions about why the Voice should be enshrined in the Australian Constitution, and how it might function to improve policies affecting Indigenous communities and genuinely close the gap on inequalities at the most basic level of human dignity.

Looking after Country with fire: Aboriginal burning knowledge with Uncle Kuu

Victor Steffensen, illustrations by Sandra Steffensen

SCIS number 5441515

Join Uncle Kuu as he takes us out on Country and explains cultural burning. A timely story of understanding Australia’s ecosystems through Indigenous fire management, and a respectful way forward for future generations to help manage our landscapes.

The Queen is Dead

Stan Grant

SCIS number 5449211

‘History is not weighted on the scales, it is felt in our bones. It is worn on our skin. It is scarred in memory. ‘The Queen reigned for seventy years. She came to the throne at the height of Empire and died with the world at a tipping point.’

What comes next after the death of what Stan Grant calls ‘the last white Queen’? From one of our most respected and award-winning journalists, Stan Grant, The Queen is Dead is a searing, viscerally powerful, emotionally unstoppable, pull-no-punches book on the bitter legacy of colonialism for Indigenous people.

William Cooper: an Aboriginal life story

Bain Attwood

SCIS number 5445080

William Cooper’s passionate struggle against the dispossession of Aboriginal people and the denial of their rights, and his heroic fight for them to become citizens in their own country, has been widely commemorated and celebrated. By carefully reconstructing the historical losses his people suffered and endured, this book reveals how the first 70 years of Cooper’s life inspired the remarkable political work he undertook in the 1930s.

Ahead of our webinar on developing your library collection with SCIS, cataloguer Mavis Heffernan previews some of the ways you can use SCIS as a collection development tool. Register for the webinar today for in-depth advice on how to use the tools covered below.

A subscription to the SCIS database provides much more than bibliographic records for school libraries. With access to more than 1.6 million bibliographic records, the database is also a means of support for teachers, providing a valuable view of curriculum resources.

At present, there is an increasingly overwhelming number of print and digital curriculum resources available for teachers. However, due to their heavy workloads, teachers are finding that they do not have time, or the expertise, to find specific resources relevant to their needs. Because of this, it is becoming more important for teacher librarians to search and analyse content efficiently in order to support teachers and provide them with access to a wide range of resources. This is where access to the SCIS database can help.

When I was in a school library, I established a Current Awareness service for teachers, using information from what was then the Victorian Education Department’s Central Cataloguing service. This was done on a very small scale. I began by contacting teachers at the school, asking if they would like to have information about available resources for their curriculum planning. This information was accessed mainly from bibliographic records in the Central Cataloguing service. Teachers were notified monthly, using printed lists, and were then able to use the resources already in the school library or to request that additional resources be purchased.

Today, using the SCIS database makes a ‘Current Awareness’ service much easier, both for teacher librarians and teachers. For example, teachers could complete an online form, detailing their curriculum areas of interest, as well as other relevant information, such as resources for professional development. The teacher librarian, or other library staff, then do an advanced search of the SCIS database for bibliographic records of relevant recent resources. This search would include learning area, subject headings, year level, print and digital resources, as well as fiction and nonfiction resources. The summaries in the bibliographic records can also be very useful for resource selection.

In addition, URLs are included for websites and apps, so that staff can click through to a website or app from its catalogue record. Here are some examples of how SCIS records can be used in a Current Awareness service.

1. The SCIS database, with its curated collection of more than 1.6 million bibliographic records, gives teachers and teacher librarians access to view resources to use for planning curriculum content, planning projects and professional development. For example, the ClickView digital video library features more than 13,500 videos; the Wheelers ePlatform has ebook and audiobook records, fiction and nonfiction, for Australian, New Zealand and UK schools at both primary and secondary level; and there are records from the National Library of New Zealand. There are also records, for secondary level, from Massolit.
2. A wide range of records for teacher reference resources are available from the SCIS database. These resources are especially useful for teacher professional learning. There are also useful websites for supporting teachers. Some recent examples include: Responding to students’ trauma disclosures (foundationhouse.org.au); Music teacher resources (music-teacher-resources.com); and Educational resources about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures (ABC Education).There are also more than 900 apps available. Examples of recent apps include: Planboard: lesson planners for teachers (apple.com); TinyTap: kids’ learning games (apple.com); and Move ease (nsw.gov.au).
3. The SCIS database is also very useful for primary school teachers who wish to select class sets of reading materials. A search by the subject headings ‘Reading materials’ and ‘Levelled readers’, and by publisher, such as Sunshine Books and Decodable Readers Australia, will provide access to view a large range of up-to-date print and digital resources.
4. The SCIS database can also be used as a buying tool or resource selection tool for teachers, as well as teacher librarians. When a search of the database is completed and a list of resources is produced, the teacher will then be able to request these resources to be purchased for use in the library or classroom, and can download the SCIS records for these resources in anticipation of their arrival.

By being proactive, initiating current awareness, and producing specifically curated lists from the SCIS database, school librarians can enhance the efficiency and impact of their collection development practices.