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Welcome to the September 2009 edition of aliaPUBNEWS.

aliaPUBNEWS is an initiative of the Australian Library and Information Association's Public Libraries Advisory Committee http://www.alia.org.au/governance/committees/public.libraries/

aliaPUBNEWS is a free monthly electronic bulletin for those concerned with supporting and promoting the further development of Australia's public library services. aliaPUBNEWS spans the policy and strategic issues and service developments having an impact on public libraries in Australia.
aliaPUBNEWS
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In this aliaPUBNEWS broadcast:


NEWS FROM ALIA STATE NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES WEB RESOURCES
NEWS FROM ALIA

aliaNEWS – September issue available now

ALIA produces a monthly e-newsletter called aliaNEWS. It is a regular newsletter distributed free to all members of ALIA and other interested individuals. It provides subscribers with news about ALIA, including events, membership issues, professional development opportunities, awards and grants, conference registration deadlines, publications, industry events, campaigns, and LIS activities generally.

Anyone interested in ALIA and the LIS sector is invited to subscribe to aliaNEWS.

To subscribe and to read back issues, go to: http://www.alia.org.au/alianet/e-lists/alianews/

ALIA and Adult Learning Australia: $500 public library grants

ALIA has been awarded a grant from Adult Learning Australia to provide 20 public libraries across the nation with $500 to facilitate the provision of information Literacy training to Adult community education providers. It is anticipated that each library will provide approximately 14 hours of training to local Adult Community Education Providers (ACE) in order to improve the ACE provider's information literacy, internet searching and web 2.0 skills and to increase their capacity to deliver the ACE 2008 Ministerial Declaration. Priority will be given to applications from public libraries identified as from disadvantaged locations in the Vinson Report Community adversity and resilience 2004 and the ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA).

Submit an application form to ALIA by 15 September 2009.

http://www.alia.org.au/publiclibraries

Rebuilding with Books - libraries supporting bushfire affected communities 24 – 31 October, 2009

At the end of August ALIA, the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) and Australian Publishers' Association (APA) launched Rebuilding with Books, an initiative to help families who lost their main home and its contents in the bushfires.

More than 4800 people face the prospect of rebuilding. The immediate need is for walls, a roof, furniture, fittings, but what about those other things that make a house a home - the pictures, the music, the games and toys, and, of course, the books? Our goal is to provide new books for families with empty bookshelves.

At the time of the disaster, offers of help flooded in from library staff across Australia. The ALIA Disaster Recovery project was set up and Yarra Plenty Regional Library led the initiative, distributing an emergency stock of second-hand books for children and families who had lost everything in the inferno.

Many libraries asked what they could contribute. At the time, there was little anyone outside the affected area could do, but now there is an opportunity to be part of a nationwide library campaign from 24-31 October.

http://www.alia.org.au/disasterrecovery/

Little book of public libraries – available now in full on website

There has been a fabulous response to The Little book of public libraries and we continue to fill orders. We still have a few print copies available for order. Place an order via the website.

Don’t forget that there is a list of ways your library and library-supporters might use the Little book to get the public library message out.

There is now an electronic copy of the Little book available to download from our website.

http://www.alia.org.au/publiclibraries/

Living Libraries Australia and ALIA

ALIA has recently joined in partnership with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the Lismore City Council to manage Living Libraries Australia. Living Libraries Australia is a national strategy for connecting and strengthening local communities through conversation. Members of the public are able to borrow a living person for a conversation rather than a book.

Living Libraries Australia promotes and support the establishment of Living Library projects to communities across Australia by providing:
  • A website of downloadable resources
  • Promotional strategies and materials, and
  • A national network for information exchange and support.
Tahnee Pearse has taken on the role of Living Libraries Project Officer and looks to further capitalise on the work that has been completed to date by the Lismore City Council. The ALIA Living Libraries Project Officer is tasked with the role of continuing project management work, including further developing the Living Libraries Network, fostering the sharing of information and spreading the word about Living Libraries.

Tahnee Pearse can be contacted via email at tahnee.pearse@alia.org.au

http://www.livinglibraries.org.au/

Summer Reading Club 2009/2010 – Read on the Wild Side!

Hear the call of nature with the Summer Reading Cub, READ on the WILD SIDE 2010 program! The Summer Reading Club will be run from 1 December 2009 – 12 February 2010. Swap and share planning ideas at the SRC wiki at http://www.alia.org.au/src/wiki/pmwiki.php

http://www.summerreadingclub.org.au/

Promotional merchandise available!

ALIA has some limited left over stock from the Library and Information Week and National Simultaneous Storytime 2009 campaigns. These items are ideal for giveaways and incentives. To view the list of merchandise still available click on the campaign website links below.

http://www.alia.org.au/advocacy/storytime/2009/merchandise.html
http://www.alia.org.au/advocacy/liw/merchandise.html

Your voice: National Advisory Congress

Ever wonder how ALIA sets its direction? Ever wish you had a say in it? ALIA is your association and you do get to have your say at the National Advisory Congress. Check out the NAC regional meeting dates for 2009. The 2009 NAC will focus Lobbying and Advocacy. Submissions on this theme are now available

http://www.alia.org.au/governance/nac/2009/

ALIA courses in LIS

The ALIA website has now been updated to show which courses are offered in flexible delivery mode. Go to the website below - the programs with the (*) asterix beside them are offered externally.

http://www.alia.org.au/education/qualifications/

Free registrations for PD opportunities

ALIA members have the chance to win free registration to professional development with the following companies:
PiCS workshops: PD opportunity FREE registration to a PiCS workshop. Apply now!
ARK workshops: Apply now for a Free ARK registration.
Lyrasis online: New! ALIA has negotiated five free registrations for Lyrasis online courses.

http://www.alia.org.au/education/pd/workshops/

STATE

The Holterman Digitisation blog

Join discussions about this exciting project to digitise 3,500 glass plate negatives documenting the 1870s gold rush era in New South Wales and Victoria.

http://blog.sl.nsw.gov.au/holtermann/

Search, locate, explore

Check out the South Australian Public Library Networks 24 hour library porthole.

http://tinyurl.com/24houronlinelibrary

NATIONAL

CBCA shortlist 2009

The Children’s Book Council of Australia shortlist has been announced.

http://cbca.org.au/shortlist.htm

Shut Out Report

The National Disability Strategy Consultation Report Shut out report: the experience of people with disabilities and their families in Australia prepared by the National People with Disabilities and Carer Council is now available in PDF.

http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/shutout

Newspaper Online 1803 – 1954

Have you checked out the National Library of Australia’s Historic Newspapers online yet?

http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home

INTERNATIONAL

New tiny barcodes

The ubiquitous barcodes found on product packaging provide information to the scanner at the checkout counter, but that's about all they do. Now, researchers at the Media Lab have come up with a new kind of very tiny barcode that could provide a variety of useful information to shoppers as they scan the shelves -- and could even lead to new devices for classroom presentations, business meetings, videogames or motion-capture systems.

The new system, called Bokode, is based on a new way of encoding visual information.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/barcodes-0724.html

10 ways to make a public library work

Public library principles are the foundation of the UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 1994. This manifesto is a universal framework, which expresses the general aims that public libraries should follow and the services that must be developed to provide universal access to global information.

Download the IFLA Public Libraries Sections 10 ways to make your public library work document at: http://tinyurl.com/nzqwa6

New Zealand’s oldest book prize

New Zealand’s oldest book prize, the Esther Glen Award, was presented at the LIANZA Children’s Book Awards ceremony in Wellington on Monday 10 August.

The Esther Glen Award was established in 1944 and is presented to the author whose work is considered a distinguished contribution to fiction for children. The prize was presented to Wellington writer Fleur Beale for her young adult novel Juno of Taris (Random House). The judges said Beale “excels in descriptions of life as a feisty teenage girl. Juno is a remarkable character, the reader delights in her triumphs and commiserates in her disappointments.”

Read about all the awards: http://www.lianza.org.nz/news/newsroom/news1249938425.html



A day in the life of a library

Whether you are a librarian or library worker of any kind, see what your colleagues are doing and how they spend their days. It’s a great way for students who are interested in the library profession to see what librarians really do. Check out the blog list by visiting:

http://librarydayinthelife.pbworks.com/

Pop culture coup

Talk about being aware of pop culture and public interest! Enoch Pratt Library, Baltimore, drew in people by showing Michael Jackson's televised memorial service on its big screens -- and got TV coverage itself for doing so.

Libraries are known for…

From this year's American Library Association Conference - Speaker Peter Persic (Los Angeles Public Library) noted the following:
  • Libraries are known for Information - this need is also filled by Google
  • Libraries are known for Reading - this need is also filled by Barnes & Noble
  • Libraries are known as Cultural Centres - this need is also filled by museums
  • Libraries are known as Community Centres - this need is also filled by Starbucks
However, he pointed out, the library "is uniquely positioned at the nexus of all four needs," he said, circling the intersection at the middle of the plus sign. So he encouraged listeners to "promote the nexus." Nice thought!

San Jose Library launches Text a Librarian service

The San Jose Public Library, launched their new Text a Librarian service. As far as they can tell, they are the first public library in California to offer text-messaging services independent of a consortium model. The library responds to the user through the interface of our choice (web browser, email, IM, or text messaging) and the answer shows up to the customer as a text message.

http://tinyurl.com/textalibrarian

Top 10 search terms among kids!

Here are the top 10 search terms among kids for the period from February to July 2009:
  1. YouTube
  2. Google
  3. Facebook
  4. Sex
  5. MySpace
  6. Porn
  7. Yahoo
  8. Michael Jackson
  9. Fred
  10. eBay
Other terms that made the top 100 included Eminem (49), the Jonas Brothers (47), iTunes (89), Playboy (also at 89), boobs (28), Wikipedia (14), Webkinz (16), games (17), and swine flu (93). Fred? He's a fictional character whose YouTube channel has become a hit among kids http://www.youtube.com/user/fred

http://tinyurl.com/searchtermsforkids

CONFERENCES

ALIA National Library and Information Technicians Conference – fantastic PD opportunity!

International speakers, local library tours and unique workshops are just some of the reasons why you should register for the conference to be held in Adelaide from 15-18 September 2009. Don’t miss out - this opportunity only comes around every two years!

http://conferences.alia.org.au/libtec2009/

6th ALIA Top End Symposium

The 6th ALIA Top End Symposium: Exploring Library Spaces for Learning and eLearning will be held from 2-3 October 2009 at Charles Darwin University, Education Theatrette. Registrations close Friday 18 September 2009.

The Symposium will be exploring a very topical issue that is transforming libraries all over the world - how to engage our clients in their life-long learning activities, whether this means redesigning our physical spaces into state-of-the-art teaching and learning areas, or integrating our electronic resources with the content of learning management systems, or using Web 2.0 tools for information literacy training or library staff development, or any of the scenarios in between.

Download the registration form: http://www.alia.org.au/groups/topend/ATES.registration.form.FINAL.pdf

PLA/QPLA Conference 11-14 October 2009

The conference will be held in Townsville, Queensland from 11-14 October 2009 with the theme being Change and Challenge.

Early bird registrations are closing soon. All QPLA and PLA members registering before this time will go into a draw for a free full conference registration!

http://www.pla.org.au/conferences.html

SWITCH: Public Libraries in a Changing Environment 23-24 November 2009

Please refer to the Public Libraries NSW Metropolitan Association's website for more information: http://www.plmnsw.org.au or http://tinyurl.com/plmnsw-conference

Public Libraries NSW Country Conference - Albury Entertainment Centre on 13-16 July 2010

The title of the conference is IMPACT, and the program aims to address a variety of current and emerging issues associated with contemporary library service provision. A lively social program will complement the speakers program to provide an informative, friendly and enjoyable conference experience for all delegates. This is the first joint country-metropolitan conference to be hosted by Public Libraries NSW–Country, and we expect a great deal of interest from both country and metropolitan delegates.

More information will be advised regarding this conference will be available soon.

LIANZA Conference - 12-14 October 2009

LIANZA Conference 2009: He Tangata He Tangata He Tangata 12-14 October 2009, Christchurch, New Zealand The program includes:
  • Tā Tipene O’Regan, Assistant Vice-Chancellor Māori, University of Canterbury, Chairman of Nga Pei O Te Maramatanga, the Centre for Māori Research Excellence, University of Auckland and Upoko of the Awarua Runanga of Ngāi Tahu.
  • Hana O’Regan, Dean of Te Puna Wānaka, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, formerly Manager, Māori Language Unit of Ngāi Tahu, member of the Māori Language Commission – Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.
  • Tim Spalding, founder and president of LibraryThing; and
  • Penny Carnaby, Chief Executive and National Librarian of the National Library of New Zealand
LIANZA are also pleased to announce the inclusion of Claudia Lux, President of IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations) 2007-2009, and Director General of the Foundation Central and Regional Library, Berlin as a keynote speaker.

For further information:

Website: http://www.lianza.org.nz/events/conference2009/speakers.html
Blog:  http://lianza2009.wordpress.com/
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/Lianzacon2009

WEB RESOURCES

Health guides

Health Guides are now available from the State Library of NSW website. They are designed for people who are interested in reading about medical problems that they may have, or be concerned about. Most of the resources are written in plain language and are easy to read.

Check out the health guides at: http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/navigators/health/index.html

Best practice wiki

Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki. This wiki was created to be a one-stop shop for great ideas and information for all types of librarians. All over the world, librarians are developing successful programs and doing innovative things with technology that no one outside of their library knows about. There are lots of great blogs out there sharing information about the profession, but there is no one place where all of this information is collected and organised.

http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

50 tips & tricks for researching with Bing

Microsoft’s own studies have found that the act of searching is nearly as habitual as brushing your teeth or tapping your leg. Those who thought the search engine war was over got a new chapter in the series when Bing launched earlier this year. Those who want to try, or have already used this new device, will enjoy the 50 tips and tricks.

http://becomingacomputertechnician.com/?page_id=54

Free indexing software

Mendeley - free research software that indexes, organises, creates bibliography, etc (like Endnote) A free download without registering is available on the right hand side of the web page under the ‘Sign Up to:” section.

https://www.mendeley.com/get-mendeley/

Social media map

Its main purpose is to act as a social media reference guide that applies an organised and categorised view to a rapidly expanding and, what is for many, confusing landscape of sites and applications. You can submit sites and download the map free of charge at:

http://ovrdrv.com/social-media-map/

Library funding guides

Effective fundraising campaigns are key to a library's success. EBSCO’s free funding guides provide insight into the various sources of funding, and include helpful web links that offer additional assistance. Tips and strategies for library fundraising campaigns are also provided.

Go to: http://tinyurl.com/customersuccessguides

FEEDBACK

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