Happy Australia Day!
It’s sizzling hot here in Orange, the perfect weather in which to celebrate our National Day. The young people across the road are gearing up for a party this evening and the flag with its distinctive southern cross is proudly on display. Me? I’ll be enjoying something crisp, white and cold on the back deck far away from the revelry.
Time too to check the Australia Day honours to see which of our colleagues, friends and supporters have been acknowledged. Libraries are so intrinsically linked to their communities that there are always people we want to say well done to, even though their citation may not use the word ‘library’. On first glance congratulations to Dr Peter Goldsworthy, author and Chairman of the Libraries Board of South Australia and to ‘red Wiggle’ Murray Cook who happens to be the patron of my own library’s early childhood reading program. When the ALIA office opens tomorrow I know we’ll be notified of other links.
For many Australians the 26 January signals the end of the summer holiday season. Tomorrow marks the return to school for millions of students across the country. All this was in evidence yesterday when I battled my way through a frantic sea of parents and children in the staionery section of a local department store. University and college students will be hot on their heels, returning to study in the coming weeks. My thoughts go out to our library colleagues in the education sector gearing up for a new year.
The return to school affects us all regardless of the sector we’re in as life across the nation returns to normal and staffing levels regain some balance. These days I usually work through January and treasure this time when life isn’t as pressured; when there arn’t as many conference calls to take and when the staff take time out to have a paddle-pop together on the grass mid afternoon rather than coffee on the run. I guess that will all change come tomorrow.
Happy Australia Day.
Jan
Jan Richards, ALIA President
librarydayinthelife