Teacher librarians are always looking for ways to help students and teachers discover the right resource at the right time. But what if the resources they need aren’t just books on the shelf?

In this guest Q&A, Ceinwen Jones from Schools Catalogue Information Service (SCIS) shares how libraries can use SCIS together with Storybox Hub to create a richer catalogue experience — one that connects users with both physical and digital resources.

Why is it important for library catalogues to include digital resources?
As educators, we know that we need to offer information in different ways and formats to suit various learning styles. If you’re a subscriber to both SCIS and Storybox Hub, then you’re in luck! Not only can your library catalogue connect users with books you have on your shelf – but also with digital resources like video, ebooks and audiobooks. Including digital resources alongside print titles means users can discover more ways to engage with stories and information.

How does adding digital content change the catalogue experience?
When you add digital content, you’re enhancing the search experience for your library users. Having records for ebooks, audiobooks, websites and apps in your library catalogue means that users can see more varied and wide-ranging resources when they search. In other words, the catalogue becomes more than a list of physical items — it becomes a discovery tool that reflects the full range of resources available to your school community.

What might this look like in practice?
Let’s say you have a teacher who wants to find resources about refugees. They look up the library catalogue to see what there is. If your catalogue includes records for digital resources — such as websites, apps and digital videos — those results will appear alongside books. And perhaps from these results, your teacher decides they are especially interested in using the picture book Room on Our Rock. Because catalogue records connect different formats, teachers may discover that the same story is available in several ways. With SCIS’ collection of records for all of the StoryBox Hub videos downloaded into your system, your teacher will see that this book is available in multiple formats; and bonus, there is even a website with teaching notes among them from the Reading Australia digital resource collection!

What’s the benefit for teachers and students?
Bringing these records together in the catalogue means teachers can discover a whole suite of teaching resources from a single search. A picture book might lead to a StoryBox Hub video, classroom discussion prompts, or curriculum-aligned teaching notes.

The result? More pathways into stories, more options for different learning styles, and more value from the digital resources your school already subscribes to.

Thanks Ceinwen!
If you’d like to explore how to add digital resource records to your catalogue, take a look at our FAQ on downloading digital resource records from SCIS.

And if you need assistance, the SCIS team is always happy to help at help@scisdata.com.