proACTive

Number 223: May 2002

Me? A librarian?
Want to be inspired! Become a librarian! Make a difference @ your library.

Every librarian's story is different. Visit website http://www.becomealibrarian.com/librarian.html to read how some of New Jersey's library professionals arrived at their chosen profession and how they feel about their careers. Some of the stories are not only really funny but also show the many different types of jobs available to trained librarians.

For example Pamela Pricen, now Associate Professor and director, library services, wrote about the accidental start to her career: 'I hastily checked the box next to library science because, out of my 3 options, library classes were the only ones that met in the afternoon and were taught by a professor who did not have a mandatory attendance requirement.'

ACT Libraries change lives competition
In a joint initiative, ACTive ALIA and ACT Library and Information Services announce a competition for the best story on the theme of Libraries change lives: how library and information services make a difference.

Three prizes will be awarded. There are three categories: primary, high school/college and adult, with a $150.00 book voucher as the prize for each category.

Stories should be 500 words or less and can be submitted at any ACT public library or posted to the address below, by 16 May 2002. Entries should include name and contact details. Please state the category being entered on the back of the envelope.

Winners will be announced during Library and Information Week, 20-26 May. Postal entries to: Libraries change lives Competition, ACT Library and Information Services, 25 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, ACT 2603.

Please publicise the competition to your users. This competition will be of interest to users of all ages.

Helen Roberts

ACTive ALIA e-list
ACTive ALIA is a group for communication among library professionals of all sectors in the ACT and surrounding regions (including Cooma and the Far South Coast).

An e-list: aliaACTive: has been established so that members of ACTive ALIA can quickly exchange news, distribute information about activities, and share meeting notices and minutes.

The list will supplement proACTive as a communication channel, as it is intended especially for those occasions when notice of an event is so short that it is not possible to include information in proACTive or inCite.

Want to join the list? Look for it at: http://www.alia.org.au/alianet/e-lists/, and follow the instructions to join.

You can obtain further information from Sherrey Quinn, at sherrey.quinn@alianet.alia.org.au, or 02 6257 9177.

Sherrey Quinn

Seminar on electronic resources: acquisition and access
ALIA Riverina asked ACTive ALIA if we would present the seminar on 'Electronic Resources: acquisition and access' (that ACTive ALIA and Kinetica conducted in June last year) to their group. Electronic resources are the hot topic in libraries: they pose challenges in selection, acquisition, cataloguing and support as a service for our users. The updated seminar was held in Wagga at Charles Sturt University Wagga Campus Library on 12 April.

Jan Gordon (ADFA) spoke on 'Decision making, how to choose electronic resources', Helen Roberts (ANU Law Library) on 'Dealing with vendors', Roxanne Missingham (NLA) on 'Consortia, the mysteries revealed' and 'Resource discovery: catalogues vs. html (database and static) access', Nerida Hart (FACS) on 'Marketing to your customers'. In addition Jan Gordon gave Margaret Cazabon's (Parliamentary Library) PowerPoint presentation 'Keeping your access alive' (web link checking), as Margaret was unable to come to Wagga.

Congratulations to Chris Griffiths, convenor ALIA Riverina, who so ably organised the room, catering etc. After the seminar all the participants had a social function for about an hour with drinks and nibbles including very pleasant Charles Sturt University cheeses. It was very stimulating to meet such an interesting range of librarians with such diverse library experience.

Speakers in the seminar were interviewed and photographed for the Wagga Weekend Advertiser. Roxanne was also interviewed for the local radio. Speakers were also each presented with a presentation box containing one bottle of red and one bottle of white Charles Sturt University wine. Roxanne Missingham concluded the function with a witty speech called 'A walk on the wild side: librarians in the twenty first century'. Roxanne is away from Canberra at present but will provide the main points from her speech in the June proACTive.

Jan Gordon

ALIA and LIASA
Before the introduction of the new group structure, the eight branch Continuing Professional Development (CPD) officers used to meet by teleconference at least once a year. This provided an opportunity to share information, ideas about possible activities, relationships, particularly in the area of CPD, with sister associations, etc.

Under the new structure, with very many groups organising CPD such teleconferences are no longer feasible. For this reason I am forwarding the following information about ALIA and the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) to you for information.

During her visit to South Africa in 2001 Mairéad Browne met with Glenda Thomas, executive director of the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA). Glenda was keen to explore the idea of working more closely with ALIA, especially in the area of CPD in which she believed ALIA could make a significant contribution to LIASA.

As a part of developing a collaborative relationship between ALIA and LIASA, Alan Bundy and Jennefer Nicholson are currently in Johannesburg at LIASA's invitation attending a regional conference of library associations (SCESCAL). Jennefer is presenting a workshop for directors/managers of library associations on the management of library associations and Alan is to give a paper on 'Information Literacy: a global issue'. The importance of ALIA's role in the profession is enhanced by involvement in activities such as these.

Marie Murphy
Manager, policy, projects and research, ALIA National Office

ALIA 2002 Issues Forum: the story so far
Since it began in early March, 134 comments have been sent to the Issues Forum. Almost two thirds of the postings relate to the successful Pay Equity Case in NSW. They cover implications for public perception of librarians, and the value of our specialist contributions. Ill-informed comment by certain lunch-time legends stung us into surfacing with core values. Role models, stereotypes and recent advertisements were dealt with in depth, and often with hilarity. You had to have been there.

The other issues reflect the breadth of our concerns: what it means to work in the library sector. Some are internal (benefits of ALIA membership, support for Kinetica and the NBD, employment and career opportunities), some are external (service enhancements through library partnerships, technology needs for country libraries), some are strategic (outcomes of the February Peak Bodies Forum, digital copyright twists and turns, open source information and software), and some are tactical (what to do about e-books, and what to do when the auditor comes).

All of the comments reflect the enthusiasm and sense of commitment to each other which characterise our tribe. We might chuckle about the outsider's view, but from the inside we know that our role in the provision of information is both acknowledged and privileged.

In a few weeks a very different conference will be upon us. What else would you like to contribute to the information agenda?

Ian McCallum

PEARLS
PEARLS (Previously Employed Australian Retired Librarians) met again on 8 April. It was a small but select gathering that sat on the terrace at Backbenches enjoying the sun of early autumn. Among other things, we discussed our recent experiences of computing and the web. Someone asked if there was such a thing as a book of jokes or cartoons about the internet, similar to The Mobile Phone Cartoon Book by Roland Fiddy (1998). Nobody knew: any suggestions?

Next meeting on Monday 17 June. Contact: Jon Prance, ph 02 6255 1857, prance@c031.aone.net.au.

Jon Prance

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