ALIA Far North Coast Group

Newsletter

November 2000

Notice of next meeting

Time & date: 5:30 for 6:00pm Thursday 16 November 2000
Place: Winsome hotel Bridge St South Lismore [Contact details were included]
RSVP: 10 November 2000 Michael Wheeler, Sec [Contact details were included]

This is the last meeting for the year and will be a casual social evening (dinner optional and from the menu). Please encourage as many people as possible to come - we are hoping to have more relaxed, less formal meetings - open to all.

Call for nominations

From 2001, the FNC Group hopes to meet on a more informal basis. Any Exec positions will be mainly for ALIA admin purposes - to provide a contact name for each of the positions.

There will be a short AGM at this November meeting - please don't stay away because of this - several people have nominated for positions on the Executive. No one will be nominated for any Exec positions unless they have indicated that they want them!!

If you would like to stand for a position on the Executive, please advise Secretary, Michael Wheeler by 10 Nov [Contact details were included] Hope to see you there!

Last newsletter

This is the final Newsletter from me as I will not be standing as Newsletter editor next year. If anyone is interested in this position for 2001, please let the Secretary, Michael Wheeler, know before the next meeting. [Contact details were included]

If the position is not filled, the printed Newsletter will be replaced by the ALIANSWFNC List as the chief means of communication between members. Any items of interest, chitchat, notices, ALIA information etc may be sent to the List. Thanks for your contributions and for the privilege of being Editor for the last two years. Warmest regards, Lainey

ALIANSWFNC E-list & 'Listmates'

The ALIANSWFNC List has been set up as a way for the FNC Regional ALIA Group and its members to communicate with each other. Any member who does not have access to email can be matched up with a 'listmate' who undertakes to forward any information from the list to them.

If you would like to be matched up with a 'listmate', or would like to be a contact 'listmate' for someone without email facilities, please contact Janet Fletcher, List Administrator, at Southern Cross University Library. [Contact details were included]

The List becomes active and interesting when more people join and contribute messages, so please encourage anyone who is interested to subscribe to the list - members & non-members. Janet is standing by, waiting for your call!

[Details were included on how to subscribe to the ALIANSWFNC list / send email to list / unsubscribe from the list]

ALIA news: message from ALIA president Mairead Browne

'One of the best aspects of being president of ALIA is the opportunity to travel across the country and meet with a wide range of individual librarians and library technicians. I have just recently returned from visits to Perth, Melbourne, Alice Springs, Darwin, Townsville, and Cairns where I spoke with members (and maybe a few potential converts?) about the new ALIA.

'Now, this was not a hard task - there is so much to tell about the new directions of the Association. Members were keen to hear more about the National Policy Congress (NPC) and how well the first Congress worked as a vehicle to feed advice to the Board of Directors. There was enthusiasm expressed for the flexibility, which will allow groups to self-nominate and seek funds for specific short or longer term-activities. We talked also about the idea of 'local presence' and ways this might work (without sending ALIA broke!). Members were especially interested in the modus operandi of the new Board where the focus of the Board is on development of strategic agendas to build directly on one or more of the Objects of the Association.

'In our discussions there was reflection on the general situation being faced by associations of all kinds worldwide. People have less time these days to devote to voluntary or professional activities outside work. And with that, there is more need to see the direct benefits for efforts put into participation.

'I came away from these conversations for with a definite sense there is a high level of support among the membership-at-large for the new ALIA. The drive for radical change in the structure - which came through at the NPC - was also evident in the level of support for a service-oriented and flexible ALIA.

'The Board of Directors is working hard with ALIA National Office to turn these ideas into a reality for members. We have much work to do to change the way the Association operates and to rekindle enthusiasm for participation. It will take some time to turn things around and the Board will need to develop some smart strategies and ensure that we keep in step with the members' wishes.

'We look forward to your continued support during this process. We will do our best in pursuing the renewal process and delivering the kind of Association of which we can be proud to be members.'