ALIA Board Blog

I just thought I’d provide a quick update as where we are with planning for an ALIA 2010 event. We’re aiming to hold a 2 day event in

Consequently our timelines are short and by necessity they need to be tight. Due to the shortness of our timelines this won’t be your regular biennial ALIA conference, in fact it’s the event you have when you’re not having a biennial conference. Many of you will have realised we sought member input into the shape of the event via a wiki. We have taken on board a number of the suggestions as to the overall shape of the event however the content of the event will be driven by members.

Very soon we’ll be calling for expressions of interest from groups and advisory committees to hold simultaneous half, 1 or 2 day events over 2 and 3 September. The structure and content of each event will up to the organising group. So if your group wants to try something different now is your opportunity

Now before you get too excited you need to be mindful of a few of things. Firstly, by necessity ALIA is the overarching body responsible, underwriting, and coordinating the event. Consequently, all groups participating in the event will need to closely liaise with the organising committee and agree to comply with the appropriate items of the ALIA Conference Manual. Secondly, we are restricted to five simultaneous streams due to venue limitations. Thirdly, we probably will need standard times for breaks.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me or Jane Hardy from ALIA HQ. The deadline for expressions of interest will be short so now is the time to get your group’s creative juices going.

Graham Black

ALIA Vice President & 2010 Event Convenor

By now most of you will have learned of the decision by the IFLA Governing Board to change the location of IFLA2010 from Brisbane to Goteborg in Sweden. As you can imagine this was a difficult decision which was not taken lightly.  It has come about because world economic circumstances have changed very markedly from when Australia was named as the host country back in 2007. All of us have been affected in some way by the global economic crisis and this is another of the ramifications of the world economic downturn. Because the greater number of attendees come from Europe an North America, the National Committee and the IFLA Governing Board were keenly aware that shrinking professional development budgets would likely have an impact on the Congress. So while fundraising at a local level was progressing well, the projected shortfall was determined to be an unacceptable burden to IFLA.

ALIA believes the long term continuity of the international association is paramount and therefore supports the IFLA Governing Board’s decision.  

Many of you have sent messages expressing your frustration at this direction and while we empathise with your response and share your disappointment we believe it to be the sensible, financially responsible thing to do. An IFLA Congress is an incredibly complex event with a budget of $AU6-7 million - as an outsider I didn’t realise how complex until I joined the National Committee mid way through last year.

True to the Australian spirit of “lets’ move on” the lists and emails are alive “where do we go from here?” “can we now have a biennial?” and innovative ideas for professional development and networking. As we have only lived with IFLA’s decision for less than 48 hours we still have a great deal to work through and I would urge you to be patient. The National Committee will meet again by teleconference next week to discuss future options and the ALIA Board has earmarked this as a priority item. In the interim let’s stay focused and resist the temptation to organise a plethora of unrelated events.

I would like to thank you for your support, reassuring words and understanding. Let’s turn this into a positive.

Jan Richards

ALIA President

After each Board meeting, we issue take home messages, the the last meeting, on 13 March, was no exception. There were 11 messages.

1 It is clear that online voting has been a hit with members, so we naturally congratulated ourselves on that. The ultimate proof will be when the poll is declared on 16 April, of course.

2 Sue Hutley and I met with Victorian public librarians and others at the State Library of Victoria on 20th February 2009 to dfiscuss how best we could provide support for bushfire-affected areas. The outcome was the appointment of Jane Grace, currently at Yarra Plenty Regional Library Service, as Acting ALIA Disaster Recovery Support Manager.

3 Planning for the 2009 ALIA Public Libraries Summit has been moving along, but it became clear that the timing was not favourable to the event because too many other things were happening at that time - the budget preparations, the Queensland state election, and more. So the Summit will be held in July 2009, on a date still to be confirmed with
Senator Ursula Stephens. Submissions close at the end of March.

4 We continue to work with public library organisations, and Jan Richards (Vice President) and Sue Hutley recently met withPublic Libraries Australia representatives to further the memorandum of understanding betweenthe two organisations.

5 The Library Technician Course Recognition visits are progressing as the ALIA team winds its way around the country. Our thanks go to Gillian Hallam, Dianne Walton-Sonda and the many local library technician educators who have taken part in the panels. By October we hope to have completed the task of visiting and talking to all library technician courses around Australia.

6 ALIA works closely with ASLA (Australian School Library Association). and the revised ALIA-ASLA Joint Policy Statements were approved. Our thanks to the ALIA-ASLA Policy Advisory Group (which coordinates our joint activities) and and others who contributed to reviewing these key policy documents.

7 The Board continues to focus on the results of the 2008 Member Survey results. We held a full day planning session on 12 March, and the main focus of this was the results of the member survey. We aim to translate these into member-focused programs, and in this course of action we are led by the Membership and Awards Standing Committee, chaired by Board member Katy Watson.

8 The Global Financial Crisis has impacted substantially on ALIA financials. Budgets were again reviewed at the Board meetings on 12-13 March, and will be monitored closely by the Board.

9 The ALIA Board established two new Advisory Committees: the ALIA TAFE Libraries Advisory Committee and ALIA Special Libraries Advisory Committee. The two new committees form part of a strategy to build a structure within ALIA which will provide effective representation to the varied library sectors.

10 In 2009 the National Advisory Congress will be held again in decentralised style. The theme for the NAC consultation with members will focus on Lobbying and Advocacy - an outcome of the member survey, which ranked this third amongst member priorities. We want to find out what you want us to do, and what you mean by lobbying adn advocacy.

11 The Board considered the informal resolution made at theDreaming08 Biennial Conference last September relating to Indigenous heritage issues and decided to consult further with peak bodes suchas the Collections Council, ATSILIRN and NSLA in order to advance indigenous issues in libraries and other cultural institutions. The 2008 conference focus in its presentations on indigenous issues was the largest such focus within ALIUA, and it is important to continue the momentum.

It was a busy meeting for the Board. If you have any ideas to make the next one (May 19-20) even busier, send me your thoughts and ideas.

I know that the thoughts of each, and every one of us, is with the people of Victoria whose lives have been so tragically affected by the devastating bushfires of the last week. I also know that libraries across the country acting are collection points for local relief efforts and throwing their weight behind fundraising campaigns. 

 In particular the library “community” has been anxious about our colleagues in the region and what we can do to assist.   Below is a message we have received from John Murrell and Christine McKenzie to keep us informed. I know that you will join me in sending, through them, our strongest messages of support to every member of the library community, their families, friends and neighbours. I would also encourage you, and your staff, to contribute to the Red Cross appeal and to be ready to assist in other ways when we have a clearer picture of what is required. 

Kind regards 

ALIA Vice President

“The horrific bushfires across Victoria over the weekend have devastated the lives of many ictorians.  Every Victorian community has been impacted in some way by these tragic events.  What’s happened to public libraries? The Mitchell, Yarra Plenty, Murrindindi, West Gippsland, Eastern Regional,La Trobe City, Upper Murray, High Country, Wellington, Wimmera and Goldfields libraries are all serving bushfire affected communities.  Many people have expressed particular concern about the Murrindindi Library Service. Our most recent information is that the libraries in Kinglake, Yea and Alexandra are still standing.  The devastated township of Marysville was served by a mobile library.At this stage it appears that there has been no loss of library buildings across the State and that no Victorian public library staff have lost their lives. Sadly a number have lost their homes and many have lost stock. The majority of services continue to operate, although some mobile library services have been curtailed until it is safe to venture into the area. Several libraries are helping with the provision of relief services in their areas. Public libraries across the State stand ready to support their local communities during the recovery process in whatever way is most helpful to individual communities. Local Government Victoria is working with affected councils on a range of resourcing, service and infrastructure issues, including libraries.  There have been many helpful suggestions for ways that libraries can assist in community recovery, once the immediate issues of loss of life and property have been addressed.  We will be taking these up at the appropriate time.  If you wish to help the most effective way is to donate to the Red Cross Appeal. Details are at http://www.redcross.org.au/howyoucanhelp_donationopt.htm

“John Murrell
President
Public Libraries Victoria Network(formally VICLINK) and  

The ALIA Board last met on 4 December, and will meet again on Sunday 18 January for a planning session, just ahead of Information Online 2009. What did we get up to then, and what’s next?

The main take home messages from the December meeting were

• The member survey has been completed. We were all delighted to be able to take home over 600 pages of results to look at over Christmas.
• The Board discussed the 2009 budget, and a presentation was made by the Association’s investment advisor, from ANZ. Despite the global economic climate, ALIA investments have fared reasonably well.
• Amendments to By-law 4 were agreed, in time to facilitate our first online voting, in 2009.
• The ALIA Public Libraries Summit 2009 was a major topic - plans are going well, and a particularly valuable preparation was the Public Library Associations meeting in November.
• ALIA is developing a publishing action plan, and progress on that was reported; recommendations will be presented at the March Board meeting.

At the planning session soon, the key input will be the member survey, which provides a huge amount of input to the Board on what our members think their association should be doing. There’s always room for more input, of course.

It was great to see so many enthusiastic, committed and articulate new librarians last week, at the New Librarians Symposium 4 in Melbourne. Nearly 300 of them.

NLS4 was upbeat and optimistic, and the major take-home message was that it is a great time for libraries and people who work in them. Especially if we are prepared to learn, adapt and change. New librarians are at the cenre of this.

People talk about the crisis in libraries because of the ageing of the workforce. I always say “It’s not actually a crisis for everyone, for some it is a marvellous opportunity.” An ageing profession is an opportunity for the young. I don’t believe in generational stereotyping - we are all in this together, and everyone has to learn, adapt and change - but the reality is that 34.5% of us won’t be around in ten years time (one of the speakers said), but most of the NLS attendees will.

It is a great time for libraries because the information environment has changed for the better. And, far from having been obsolesced, said Mark Pesce, a keynote speaker, there are new roles for people with library and information skills. “life coaches for the digital lifestyle”, he suggested, as long as we “get out of the libraries and into the streets.”
It is a great time because so many of the things libraries have dreamed of are now actually possible, and the conference had a strong element of new technology and new possibilities. It also had two total enthusiasts from Tilburg, Erik Boekesteijn and Jaap van de Geer, who turned their camera on the audience, the real subjects of their presentation.

It is a great time, but there are dangers too. Mark Pesce said that librarians need to take ownership of the censorship issue, and he’s right - it is central to what libraries do. Open to all is what a library is, and must be, and for that reason  copyright is an important issue for us too. On the issues of access to information we are very credible: we have a trusted brand, admired values, and widespread respect.

It is a great time, Dr Sherman Young said, even for the book, which retains its importance for us all, although perhaps not necessarily in its physical form - not dead at all, he suggested, but perhaps sleeping, like Arthur and his knights, ready when we need them.

The conference was a tribute to a very enthusiastic and effective committee, led by Tania Barry, to support from ALIA national office, in particular Kamara Schlegel and Sue Hutley, and to sponsors and supporters. But of course it primarily owed its success to very articulate new librarians, well-chosen keynote speakers, and enthusiastic and committed new (and newish) librarians and library techs.

Dear ALIA colleagues

I would like to thank you for the wonderful experience I have had over
the past years as ALIA President, as Vice President and Board member
before that.  Australian libraries and library staff make a wonderful
contribution to the nation and ALIA provides a wonderful role in
leadership and action on many important issues including advocacy,
education and copyright. I do hope to see many of you at the ALIA
biennial conference in Alice Springs. A special thanks to Derek
Whitehead, members of the Board and ALIA National Office staff for the
support they have provided over the past year.

Regards

Roxanne Missingham

Hi ALIA members, just a reminder to get your vote in for the 2008 ALIA Board of Directors elections. Closing date for votes is 5pm Wednesday 9th April.

This year while many received Australia Day awards for contribution to literature, we were very fortunate to have two associated with libraries recognised:

Dr Dianne Mary REILLY DRURY: For service as a contributor to the research, recording and preservation of historic records relating to Charles La Trobe, to promoting relations between France and Australia, and to librarianship.

Mrs Kay Evelyn POUSTIE:    For service to the library and information services sector, and to the community through the Zonta International movement and aged welfare.

Congratulations to both recipients - from all ALIA members.

Regards Roxanne Missingham

Dear ALIA Colleagues

 On behalf of the board I would like to wish you the very best for 2008.  In December the Board focused on planning for 2008, taking into account all the feedback received through the national consultation process of National Advisory Congress regional and final meetings. I would like to thank all who participated in the consultative process. It was a very valuable means of identifying issues, particularly in the areas of education and the library workforce. The ALIA 2008 strategic plan will be available shortly on the web site.

One area of continuing focus is advocacy.  You may have seen news reports about the new ALP government’s plans for internet filtering. The ALIA Online Content and Regulation Advisory Committee and Executive Director continue to work on this issue.  We are also discussing advocacy for Australia’s public libraries and have written to the federal government about this issues seeking a meeting, to participate in a consultation process later this year.  With the Australian School Libraries Association we are approaching the government about the need for qualified teacher librarians and quality content to support the national school computers initiative.

 All in all it will be another very busy and challenging year for the association and - all members of the Board look forward to working with ALIA members to support the work of libraries and library staff across the nation.

regards

Roxanne Missingham