My Trip to Alice Springs

Monday 1st September - ALIA National Advisory Congress

Derek Whitehead presented a review of the “Education and Workforce Summit” outcomes. Participants were invited to ask questions and make comments about the outcomes. Derek also highlighted the Hunter NAC Regional Report – was amused by our talk on post-nominals and loved the kids reading to dogs at Lake Macquarie.

Summary attached, but available at:
http://www.alia.org.au/governance/nac/2008/Workforce.Summit.website.Jul2008.pdf

Jan Richards (Vice-president) hosted the discussion topic for the afternoon:

“Staying smart in a complicated world – professional development”

4 groups discussed one of the following questions each:

What do we need to do to ensure that we have the skills for a future workforce?
What is the role of employers and employees in professional development?
How can the Association’s PD Scheme be utilised to support this goal?
Can a compulsory PD Scheme benefit the profession?

Groups had to imagine the library world 3 years hence, devise a positive statement about where we will be the justification for the actions we will have completed, how we prioritised them, who was responsible (e.g. members, ALIA, employers etc).

Minutes were taken and should appear on web-site.

Tuesday 2nd September - Library Stars - The Best of the Best & Poster Viewing

Library stars: best of the best will be held as a satellite event at the ALIA 2008 Biennial Conference, dreaming08, in Alice Springs. Following its successful debut in Perth in 2006, the forum, hosted by ALIA's Public Libraries Advisory Committee (PLAC), will showcase public libraries, their projects, and successes.

The program will feature a keynote address by Inga Lunden, Director of the Stockholm Public Library.

We are pleased to announce the libraries which have been selected to present at the 2008 forum:

Access categoryNhulunbuy Community Library (NT) Increasing Indigenous Access: Nhulunbuy Community Library and Yirrkala Storytime

Entrepreneurial categoryLaunceston Library (TAS)Local History Publication Program

Meeting Place categoryRockhampton Regional Council (Yeppoon Library) (QLD) VerbYL

Keynote Address

City Librarian, Stockholm, SwedenInga Lundén is the City librarian of Stockholm, Sweden and Director for Stockholm Public Library (which includes the central library, 39 local libraries, an extensive library service at hospitals, nursing homes etc and the International library where staff manages 30 languages out of the collection's 120).

SPL is in the process of building a new central library as well as launching the first 2.0 library web. She is a journalist and a librarian who has worked as a newspaper journalist, director of information, project manager, library director and director of Arts and Sports.

Inga is a Member of the Stockholm University Library Board as well as the Board for National Co-operation at the National Library of Sweden.

VerbYL

VerbYL is a youth lounge provided by the youth and library services of Livingstone Shire Council Queensland, Australia for all youth between the ages of 13 to 25.

But what does this mean and where did we come from...
VerbYL was first conceived of by the library and community development departments of Livingstone Shire Council after consultation with the youth of the area about the lack of services and things to do for young people.

What they wanted most was a place of their own where they could meet, relax and enjoy themselves in a safe, secure environment where everyone was welcome.

Together the youth council and shire council developed VerbYL. Staffed by a both youth workers and library staff and providing many combined services, including information referral, counselling, study help, tax help and general fun.

Within the space are internet capable computers for chat, gaming, or study (if you want to), a Nintendo WII, Playstation, Xbox, Xbox 360and handheld Nintendo DS and board games for loan within the space. DVD's, books, console games, graphic novels, CDs and magazines are available to use both within VerbYL and for borrowing and membership is free for all young people between the ages of 13 and 25.

We hold regular games and events and to keep up to date with what's happening please check out the events calendar.

3rd September - Dreaming 08 Conference

580 delegates

Time to plan for IFLA August 2010 - Brisbane

1. Plenary: Prof Martin Nakata

Towards Guidelines and Practices in Australian Indigenous Digital Collections

· Prof Martin Nakata, Director of Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning & Chair of Australian Indigenous, UTS, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Public Collecting Institutions traverse complex terrains in the digital environment when dealing with Indigenous collections, copyright and Intellectual property regimes, and Indigenous people’s needs and concerns. The need for consistent standards and protocols for digital repositories across the Collections sector is now urgent. Prof Nakata will speak to these issues in his Keynote Address, and report findings of a research collaboration with three Australian State Libraries into potential standards and protocols for progressing consistent digitisation practices with Indigenous materials in public institutions.

2. The Fridge : Communication Matters at the SLV – Greg Honeyman

3. Sharing the DREAM: Libraries as Community Hubs – Margaret Birtley

4. Who are the Virtual Visitors to the Library and What are they doing? – Dr Vivian K. Waller

5. Plenary: Anita Heiss

Indigenous Literacy: A National Crisis

· Anita Heiss, University of QLD & Flinders University, AustLit - Black Words Database, Australia

The development of English literacy skills is important for the life opportunities of Indigenous children and youth. Literacy "provides them with the necessary skills to interact within mainstream society and avail themselves of the broadest range of civic, social, educational and employment possibilities". (Mellor and Corrigan, 2004)

However, in 2008 there is an enormous gap in the English literacy rates of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Australia. The gap is even wider for Indigenous people living in remote and isolated communities. September 3 marks the second national Indigenous Literacy Day which aims to raise urgently needed funds for Indigenous literacy.

This presentation will introduce the Indigenous Literacy Project, it's key aims and achievements to date, as well as showcasing a range resources and strategies that librarians and teacher / librarians can use to engage Indigenous children in the classroom and community members at local libraries.