January-June 2003

Six-monthly report to the ALIA Board of Directors

ALIA Information Science (SA) provides a forum for presenting and demonstrating the application of emergent technologies to library and information agencies and the people who work in them through conducting innovative programs, providing demonstrations by practitioners and promoting discussion and debate.

The ALIA Information Science (SA) committee consists of Stephen Barnett (convenor); Fiona Thomson (treasurer); Stephen Leahy (secretary);
and Christine Cother, Jenny Quilliam, Bronte Cerny, Eleanor Whelan, Jeannine Hooper, Margareta Nicholas, Myles Kenihan, Nel Fredericks, Robyn Ellard and Sarah Hayman as general committee members. Monthly committee meetings were held during this period in order to facilitate our activities.

ALIA Information Science held two events in this period - our biennial feedback session on the Online Conference, and a full day seminar on the topic of virtual reference.

Feedback Frenzy in February was a very popular evening event. More than 50 members and their friends attended to be informed, entertained and even shocked at reports from librarians who attended the Online Conference. Nine Adelaide librarians were coaxed into telling us about their conference experiences and those present heard it all - the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

Following up on one of the themes of the Online Conference, in May in collaboration with ALIA Academic, Research and Collection Management group, the ALIA Reference and Information Services (SA) group and the TAFE Learn Network, we presented a full day seminar on Virtual Reference. More than 90 participants gathered to learn about some applications of virtual reference software. Speakers included an international guest, and a live satellite transmission from Brisbane. This was another example of the successful collaboration between ALIA groups in Adelaide.

ALIA Information Science SA also maintained our InfoSci SA e-list to promote upcoming events to our members and other interested parties.

Stephen Leahy
Secretary
ALIA Information Science (SA)

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