April 2008

In this aliaPUBNEWS broadcast:

States and territories
Biblio Turismo (NSW); WikiNorthia: Documenting life in Melbournes North (VIC); Reference and Information Services Forum (NSW); Why do we read? (NSW); Expanding Horizons (QLD); Rural And Regional Taskforce (NSW); Review of Public Library Funding Report (NSW); Readers Week - September 2008 (NSW)

Web Resources
Journal Article Reviews; 1 Billion Signatures to support Human Rights; Web 2.0 Tool; Shrink your URL

Celebrating Libraries and Librarians
Librarians are hiding something; 2008 Library Info Tubey Awards

National
Email Archive; Digital Future of Newspapers; National Library of Australia - Website Survey

Conferences
LIANZA Conference 2008: Poropitia Outside the Box - Auckland NZ

International
Automated Library Machines; Library of Congress - Portals to the World.; Urban Libraries Council

Professional Development
Disaster Planning - Is your organisation prepared?

Believe it or Not!
Wikipedia to be converted to a book in Germany

News from ALIA
Library Stars: best of the best 2008; National Library Technicians Day

Library and Information Week
Library and Information Week 19 - 25 May 2008

States and territories

Biblio Turismo (NSW)
Biblio Turismo is on again. This year it will be in May so as to coincide with Library and Information week. This is the third year the event has been run and is expected to be the biggest yet. Biblio Turismo is the NSW public library event of the year when librarians from across the state meet and visit public libraries over a three day period. It is all done on motorbikes and the event is used to help promote public libraries. All those working in the library industry and their partners are invited to participate. So if you have a motorbike or can borrow one and do not mind having your picture in the paper then contact the organiser now. Last year bikes from 250cc to 1200cc range were ridden during the event. If you want to come in a car you are also most welcome. Biblio Turismo will be leaving Gosford on Thursday the 22nd, May and will finish at Forster on the Saturday night. Travel will be via Tamworth, Armidale, Coffs Harbour and Taree. Contact: Alan A. Flores Library Manager Gosford City Library 02 43258801 alan.flores@gosford.nsw.gov.au Check out our website for more details and see what great fun was had in previous years.
http://biblio-turismo.blogspot.com/

WikiNorthia: Documenting life in Melbournes North (VIC)
A partnership within the northern region of Melbourne, consisting of Darebin Libraries, Moreland City Libraries and Yarra Plenty Regional Library have successfully secured funding from the Library Board of Victoria for a new project WikiNorthia an online encyclopedia designed to document life in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne. These three library services encompass five local council areas including Moreland, Darebin, Banyule, Nillumbik and Whittlesea. WikiNorthia is an innovative project that will encourage people across five local councils with rich cultural histories and diverse communities to get together and tell their stories providing a snapshot of life in the north of Melbourne now as well as the past. The project is the first of its type in Victoria and in fact Australia The project will result in a wiki with contributions by a wide cross section of people living in the City of Moreland, the City of Darebin, the City of Banyule, the Shire of Nillumbik and the City of Whittlesea, which documents the present as well as recollections and histories. The generation and preservation of this information will be of a lasting benefit to the community.
http://www.wikinorthia.net.au/

Reference and Information Services Forum (NSW)
The NSW Reference and Information Services Group is pleased to announce the launch of a great new communication tool: RISG online forum This forum has been established with the aim of facilitating communication between Reference staff on the complete range of issues encountered in day to day work. Overtime the forum will provide a valuable repository of information. All posts are archived and can be searched.
http://www.nsw-risg.org/forum/

Why do we read? (NSW)
The photos found by visiting the link below came from a discussion session at breaks during Romancing your readers, a seminar for New South Wales public libraries which was organized by the New South Wales Readers Advisory Working Group, and held at the State Library of New South Wales 4 March 2008. Each of the participants at the seminar contributed an idea about “Why do we read?” See: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25073364@N03/sets/72157604276770043/

Expanding Horizons (QLD)
Expanding Horizons: creating a shared vision of tomorrow’s public libraries in Queensland. The major aim of the Expanding Horizons project is to develop a shared vision for the future of public libraries in Queensland. The project is a partnership between the State Library of Queensland (SLQ), the Queensland Public Libraries Association (QPLA) and the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ). In consultation with library personnel, local government representatives and industry partners the project aims to provide a big picture resource for Queensland public libraries. The vision will provide a succinct picture of the value and potential of Queensland public libraries and will complement Council’s local library plans. In addition it will provide support in articulating our contribution to social and cultural capital, as well as our role in providing economic and social benefits to the community. The vision will also provide us with a strategy to achieve these goals. Find out more at:
http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/info/publib/policy/horizons

Rural And Regional Taskforce (NSW)
On 25 June 2007 the NSW Premier, Morris Iemma, announced the establishment of the Rural and Regional Taskforce to examine and provide advice on key economic, environmental and social issues affecting rural and regional communities across NSW. Under its terms of reference, the Taskforce undertook its review in the rural areas of NSW outside the Hunter, Illawarra, Central Coast and Sydney. The report contains good information about public libraries. The report may be downloaded from:
http://www.peterdraper.com.au/RRTReportFINAL.pdf

Review of Public Library Funding Report (NSW)
A copy of the NSW Report of the Review of Public Library Funding can be obtained from: http://www.arts.nsw.gov.au/Portals/0/news/Report of the Review of Public Library Funding.pdf

Readers Week - September 2008 (NSW)
NSW Readers Advisory Working group is coordinating some event and promotional ideas for Readers Week during September 2008, which will fall during the September @ your library theme: read @ your library. The tentative date for Readers Week is Monday 1st September - Sunday 7th September and we propose that if you would like to concentrate your focus on one day during that week, you rename that day [insert the name of your local community]'s Readers Day. Readers Days and Readers Week are designed to get people talking about reading. You can use the week or day to raise awareness about reading in your community, get people back into reading or get your customers involved in reading-centred activities. For more information see:
http://readersadvisory.wetpaint.com/page/Readers Week - September

Web Resources

Journal Article Reviews
A great little website and resource! 100 word reviews of the latest articles from 100 top journals. Check it out at:
http://www.brijit.com/about/new

1 Billion Signatures to support Human Rights
This year (2008) is the 60th anniversary of the signing of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. See also: http://theelders.org/welcome/ Click the link below to add your support:
http://www.everyhumanhasrights.org/

Web 2.0 Tool
Doodle is a web 2.0 tool to create quick polls, useful if you're trying to schedule a meeting or a teleconference with a number of people or get people to make a choice (eg. where should we go for Friday night drinks?). Find out more by visiting:
http://www.doodle.ch/main.html

Shrink your URL
Are you sick of posting URLs in emails only to have it break when sent causing the recipient to have to cut and paste it back together? To solve your long URL problems check out this site:
http://tinyurl.com/

Celebrating Libraries and Librarians

Librarians are hiding something
Librarians hoard the wisdom of humanity. They are the keepers of all knowledge, the guardians at the temples of understanding, and devoted protectors of the sanctuary in the midst of uneducated anarchy. Plus, they are often aware of very cheap places to dine alone with books. Let us not mince words: librarians are hiding something. A group of Librarians is also known as a shoosh. Find out more from:
http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Librarian

2008 Library Info Tubey Awards
Check out the following web site for more information and the award winners:
http://www.infotubey.com/

National

Email Archive
Museum calls for email archive submissions Is there a particular email that you've held onto and read more than once? Perhaps one that's funny, or sad, or that marked a turning point in your life? The Powerhouse Museum and Windows Live Hotmail has launched an initiative to archive a snapshot of the country's emails to give future Australians a glimpse of life in 2008. Emails can be submitted in the following categories until May 16 2008: Life and laughter - funny forwards and tales of hilarity from everyday life. Touching tales - personal emails that touch the soul. Family - the first steps to the last, and all things in between. Love and romance - emails to make you go "oooh". Emails you regret sending - emails that make you go "aarggh". Embarrassing typos - it's amazing how easily meaning goes ashtray with a typo. Current affairs - news and its affect on us, whether it's locally or from abroad. Complaints - for those moments when only "putting it in writing" will do. To submit an email visit the Email Australia website:
http://emailaustralia.ninemsn.com.au/

Digital Future of Newspapers
The Australian Newspaper Plan is an ambitious, ongoing project designed to collect and preserve every newspaper published in Australia, guaranteeing public access to these important historical records. The Digital Future of Newspapers: Report on the Australian Newspaper Plan Survey, November 2007 is now available. This survey aimed to develop a picture of Australian public libraries' activities and attitudes towards: newspaper digitisation, the collection of electronic versions that are identical to hard copy newspapers; and the provision of access (both immediate and long-term) to digital newspapers. The survey report can be downloaded from: http://www.nla.gov.au/anplan/extras/documents/TheDigitalFutureofNewspapersPublicLibrariesSurvey.doc See also:
http://www.nla.gov.au/anplan/

National Library of Australia - Website Survey
The purpose of this survey is to help us understand the needs of library staff better so that we can improve the National Library of Australia's website. We would like to invite library staff who are users of our website to participate in our short online survey. Here is the link to the survey - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=pp61H6F0VQ9TzeoG9t4sbA_3d_3d We look forward to sharing the results with you. Regards and thank you in anticipation Michele ------------- Michele Huston Director Web Publishing Branch Information Technology Division National Library of Australia Ph 61 2 6262 1453 mhuston@nla.gov.au www.nla.gov.au <http://www.nla.gov.au>

Conferences

LIANZA Conference 2008: Poropitia Outside the Box - Auckland NZ
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - DEADLINE 2 May 2008 The 2008 LIANZA Conference committee now invites the submission of abstracts for this year's conference at SkyCity, Auckland, New Zealand on 2-5 November. "Outside the Box" and "Poropitia" both carry connotations of being "out there" - of services that are not constrained by the boundaries of how things have always been done. The conference is set to inspire the profession, influence decision-makers, and excite change. There is a wide choice of session types and formats, from oral presentations to interactive computer sessions, workshops, and panel discussions. Sessions will be 45 or 60 minutes long, enabling plenty of time for the presentation and audience involvement through questions and discussion. Intending presenters are urged to consider fresh approaches to sessions: use audio or visuals creatively ... include drama or storytelling. Papers will be published afterwards, so aim to use the presentation to bring your ideas alive. Topics could range from reporting on research and service innovation to pondering the social, political and legal environments within which library and information services operate. How can we collapse the walls of convention to create a future beyond the obvious? People, places, products, passion, play are all possible areas for you to explore. Queries? Contact: LIANZA 2008 Conference & Exhibition Managers The Conference Company Tel: 64 9 360 1240 Fax: 64 9 360 1242 Email: lianza@tcc.co.nz Check out the abstracts page on the official conference website for details of the submission process and selection criteria: http://www.lianza.org.nz/events/conference2008/abstracts.html

International

Automated Library Machines
Locals in Shenzhen, a booming city in southern China, no longer need to visit libraries in person. Instead, they can borrow and return books from a library automation system much like banks' ATMs. To find out more please visit:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/08/content_7942201.htm

Library of Congress - Portals to the World.
Each link opens a country page where more links pages under each topic are given.... These pages link you to the best web pages available for every and any country. Check out the portal at:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html

Urban Libraries Council
Welcome Stranger: Public Libraries Build the Global Village In March 2007, the Urban Libraries Council conducted a survey of its members, gathering data on the ways in which urban public libraries are involved with the transition of immigrants into American life. The findings of the survey, augmented with data collected in another 2003 member survey, are summarized in this report. They show that urban public libraries are in the forefront of the effort to make their cities stronger by welcoming and integrating new residents from all over the world. See the following website for more information:
http://www.urbanlibraries.org/publications/details.html

Professional Development

Disaster Planning - Is your organisation prepared?
CAVAL and ALIA, in conjunction with Blue Shield Australia, are proud to present DISASTER PLANNING FOR CULTURAL COLLECTIONS - a one day workshop presented by KIM MORRIS, AICCM Conservator of the Year 2006. Tue May 27, 2008 (Sandy Bay) Wed Jun 4, 2008 (Adelaide) Wed Jun 18, 2008 (Sydney) Tue Aug 12, 2008 (Melbourne) Wed Sep 17, 2008 (Perth) Wed Oct 1, 2008 (Brisbane) A course recommended for managers and staff responsible for cultural collections in libraries, museums, art galleries and archives that do not have a current Disaster Response Plan. The course presents a strategic approach to developing an effective Disaster Response Plan and sets the plan in the context of practical risk management. A broken water pipe can cause as much damage to a valuable cultural collection as a serious flood or cyclone. Is your organisation prepared? For more information and to register online, visit http://www.caval.edu.au/course-description.html?CID=168

Believe it or Not!

Wikipedia to be converted to a book in Germany
Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia written by volunteers, is to be published in Germany as a book for people who prefer turning pages to clicking links, publishing multinational Random House said Tuesday. Editors will distil 50,000 of the most popular entries in the German version of Wikipedia into the 1,000-page volume to go on sale in September. When begun, Wikipedia was perceived as making books redundant, with no future for printed encyclopaedias. Follow this link for more information: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/200653,wikipedia-to-be-converted-to-a-book-in-germany.html

News from ALIA

Library Stars: best of the best 2008
Library stars makes its return at the dreaming08 conference 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. It will be held on Tuesday 2 September 2008 at the Alice Springs Convention Centre. For more information go to: http://www.alia.org.au/governance/committees/public.libraries/inviting.submissions.html Sponsored by Peter Pal Library Supplies and S Central, suppliers of the Bibliotheca RFID solution, the program is designed to inspire and recognise public library practitioners. The keynote speaker is Inga Lunden, Director of the Stockholm Public Library. Stockholm has just announced the winner of the architectural competition for a new central library incorporating the famous Asplund building.

National Library Technicians Day
Tuesday 20 May 2008 Library technicians throughout the nation are holding events to celebrate National Library Technicians Day. Are you participating? Please add the details of you event to: http://www.alia.org.au/events/add/ For more information go to:
http://alia.org.au/advocacy/liw/tech.day.2008.html

Library and Information Week

Library and Information Week 19 - 25 May 2008
Libraries are for everyone! Libraries connect people to ideas. It's a vital part of our commitment to promoting the free flow of information and facilitating all Australians' access to recorded knowledge, information, and creative works. This year's LIW promotional materials include a colourful poster, bookmarks, balloons, book journals and re-usable red ALIA @ your library® shopping bags. Order your LIW merchandise now! Promotional merchandise can be ordered from ALIA. Download this form and send it by post, fax or email: http://alia.org.au/advocacy/liw/pdfs/LIW.order.form.FINAL.pdf

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