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TechNique: June 2004ALIA Queensland Library Technicians GroupIpswich Library's TourSharon Uthmann, QUT On Saturday 27 March 2004, at 9:00am, the ALIA Queensland Library Technicians Group converged on Ipswich for a tour of three libraries: Ipswich Library and Information Service; Ipswich Hospital Library; and University of Queensland Ipswich Campus Library. Ipswich Library and Information ServiceSusan Lee (Co-ordinator of Reference Services) and Sue Cicolini (Reference Librarian) led the tour of the Ipswich Library and Information Service. There are four branch libraries within the Ipswich Library and Information Service: Ipswich, Redbank Plains, Redbank Plaza, and the Mobile Library. A total of 65 permanent staff, made up of a mixture of full time, part time and casuals, assist in the running of the library service. The Ipswich branch is open 7 days a week and the other branches 5 and a half.
Entrance to Ipswich Library and Information Service Sue gave us a tour of the Library website. Having been a member of the Ipswich Library since I can remember, and a regular user of the website, I was pleasantly surprised to note a few things I had yet to discover about the website. Sue emphasised that the Library is trying to push the 'virtual library' and provide remote access for the users. The Ipswich Library users HORIZON Library System, and have been adventurous in providing a number of initiative services. These services include the Sessions on various topics such as Pilates. The sessions include a guest speaker, and the Library markets itself by producing a number of handouts that give article citations and call numbers for areas that relate back to the topic covered. These can all be accessed via the Library. Another project in process is the Outreach Program in which the Library visit's local schools and gives a session on how to use the catalogue and databases etc. This is arranged via the school and the school librarian. Ultimately, this has increased school age use of the library. A very yummy morning tea was provided, after this very informative and fun session which kick started the day!!
ALIA Qld Library Technicians on the stairs outside Ipswich Library and Information Service with Susan Lee - top left corner Ipswich Hospital LibraryAfter a brisk walk up the hill, we converged on the Ipswich Hospital Library, in which Lyn Bogaart (Library Technician) gave an excellent tour and talk about what services are provided by the Library. The Library is staffed by 2 members at 0.5 each.
Beautiful cupboard of old journals and books inside Ipswich Hospital Library The Ipswich Hospital Library has recently implemented VOYAGER Library System. There are 19 other Qld Health libraries on the Library System, so that resource sharing is enabled. Clients that use the Ipswich Hospital Library include resident doctors and nurses, as well as students who may be doing pracs at the Hospital. University of Qld Ipswich Campus LibraryAfter a long and entertaining lunch at Brothers Leagues Club, the group headed over to UQ Ipswich Campus to meet with Library Manager, Sue Hutley for a presentation and tour.
Entrance to UQ Ipswich Campus Library The UQ Ipswich Campus has been operational for the last five years. It is located on the former Challinor Center grounds and occupies some of the old buildings. Follow this link for a photographic record of the development of the Library building - yet to be named: http://www.library.uq.edu.au/ipswich/photogallery/resource_photos.html During the presentation about the UQ Libraries, Sue mentioned how there now seems to be 'e-everything,' or the 'googleisation' of everything due to the rapid increase in use of the internet and electronic resources. She feels that Libraries have moved on from being gatekeepers and protectors, to being places, collections and experiences. Thirteen branch libraries make up UQ Libraries, and all of the colour schemes and signage have been standardised to ensure that students have a feeling of familarisation upon entering each different library. The carpet patterns and colours, at UQ Ipswich Library even act as a directing force. These patterns lead users to different areas within the library, including an integrated information desk. 'Study spaces' are emphasised by creating different areas within the Library. These are separated down the middle by a very catching garden and flowing stream. This creates a very relaxed atmosphere conducive for study.
ALIA Qld Library Technicians with Sue Hutley inside UQ Ipswich Campus Library) On behalf of the ALIA Qld Library Technicians Group, I would like to thank all those that participated in presenting their libraries to us, and also to those involved in arranging such a fantastic tour!! Rivers of Opportunity III - Wagga Wagga 2004Kim Gosling, Australian Catholic University On 1-2 May, 35 delegates attended the 3rd Rivers of Opportunities workshop, held in Wagga Wagga, NSW. This turned out to be yet another information packed, fun filled weekend. Quite a number of delegates arrived on Friday night for a casual dinner at the Victoria Hotel, a great chance to catch up with old friends and renew friendships from previous workshops or the Brisbane conference. Our friends from Raeco partied until the end, with a few who refused to go to bed. Saturday morning dawned, way too early for some, and the morning session started with a presentation by Tricia Murray, RMIT on the topic of Occupational health and safety. Tricia's presentation was informative and interesting, including a few stories of occupational hazards encountered in the workplace at RMIT. This was followed by a presentation by Jennifer Dyer, Birrong Girls High School, who filled us in on a day in the life of a Library Officer. With 850 students and only two staff, I am sure this is a very busy day indeed, and the help of well-trained library monitors would be invaluable. Library Technician extraordinaire from BlueScope Steel, Rob Thompson followed, minus the kilt. Rob entertained all with his story of his progression from Office worker to Library Technician with the company formally known as BHP, now BlueScope steel, through amalgamations and closing of libraries. The morning was finished with a presentation by Wendy Palmer, Macquarie University who gave a visual presentation of the changes in audiovisual equipment through the years, from the old film projectors to the DVD, and everything in between. Wendy ended the presentation with a hands on demonstration of how to clean the heads on a video recorder. After lunch, delegates headed off to Charles Sturt University for an afternoon in the library. Alice Ferguson gave us an overview of services offered by the CSU library especially focusing on services for their distance students. A tour of the library was then conducted and the session finished with a short presentation by Roy Sanders, co-ordinator of the Bachelor of Arts - Library and Information Science course offered by Charles Sturt University. Before leaving many made the short trek across to the winery to taste the award winning wine and cheese produced by the University - many left with purchased products under the arm. Saturday night was the annual dinner; more proof that library Technician definitely know how to party, as if confirmation was necessary. Once the DJ played danceable music, most got up for some much needed exercise. Entertainment was also provided by the Raeco team, Trevor and his sidekicks performed an obviously well rehearsed song to the tune of Run Rabbit Run. Very entertaining. Breakfast came way too quickly for some, who had partied late into the night. However a entertaining story time session courtesy of Victor Davidson, shook the cobwebs off, and woke those still half asleep. Barbara Rozmus from the National Library gave a presentation on the comprehensive Multicultural Documentary Heritage project, which is now coming to a close. The aim of the project was to provide skills in collection management and preservation to culturally and linguistically diverse groups within the community. This, in turn, would provide these groups with the knowledge to preserve their unpublished heritage. Trevor McCann then took the stage with an informative and entertaining presentation on the latest products on offer from Raeco. The morning finished with a presentation by the neXt conference team for Sydney 2005. Looking forward to it! Some delegates then moved onto the Wagga Wagga Public library for a tour and afternoon tea, while others left to start the trek home. Congratulations to Libby Brackenridge and Claire Bristow for a great weekend. The venue was great, presentations informative and entertaining, and the company fantastic! Another successful River of Opportunity Workshop. Well done. So where are we going in 2006? 
National Library Technician's Day24 May 2004 Activities were held around the country on 24 May to celebrate National Library Technicians Day. This special day is supported by ALIA, and is an annual event during Australian Library Week celebrations. The ALIA Library Technician Sections took advantage of the event to plan activities promoting ALIA, the profession, their role in libraries, and to celebrate their many achievements. Read what each Group got up to on the day. Victorian ALIA Library TechniciansBarbara Johnson, Moreland City Libraries National Library Technicians Day was a terrific day for technicians all over the country. The Victorian Group made the most of the day, beginning with a hearty breakfast at Saluti's in Melbourne. Following on from this, three committee members (Kerrie Kelly, Margaret Roberts and Tania Barry) visited Library Technician students at Victoria University, talking about what it was like to be a Library Technician working at the cutting edge of the information industry. In the evening a group of us met for a particularly delicious meal at the Limerick Arms Hotel in South Melbourne. Never ones to miss an opportunity to network and gossip, the conversation centred around neXt [http://conferences.alia.org.au/libtec2005/] the Sydney 2005 Conference, 'The Block', our particular jobs, and our pay! It was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with friends old and new, and to bask in the glory of being a Library Technician for a day. Congratulations to Clare Bristow and Libby Brackenridge for organising the great event and to all the Victorian Committee Members for doing such good PR work.
Kerrie Kelly, Tania Barry and Margaret Roberts at Victoria University after talking about ALIA, networking and CPD. Annual Library Technicians Dinner (North West Tasmania)Adrian Loone An evening of entertainment, education and frivolity was held recently at the Ulverstone Veteran Car Clubrooms to mark the 2004 ALIA Library Technicians Day as part of the Australian Library and Information Week festivities. The 40 library professionals attending the dinner hailed from various local, school and public libraries and included a selection of both past and present TAFE students who had either completed or are working towards the completion of their Library and Information Services diplomas and certificates. The dinner was successfully organised by a team of eight TAFE students currently enrolled in the Library Technician course at the Devonport campus. The evening got off to a pleasant start at 7:00pm with the arrival of the first guests who were greeted by the welcoming party armed with name tags, sincere smiles and various puzzles which were to be undertaken by the guests as the night progressed. A vast quantity of nibbles and drinks were on hand to placate the hungry masses as they engaged in light chatter, caught up with past library acquaintances and made a few new ones in the process. Many commented on the fact that they had to hone their map reading skills in order to locate the Veteran Car Clubrooms which are conveniently located in the middle of nowhere. Thank goodness for the map on the back of the invitations! The Veteran Car Clubrooms were handsomely decked out with red, white and blue balloons, library posters and taking pride of place a T-Model Ford kindly loaned for the evening by a member of the Car Club.
By 7:30pm all of the guests were seated at their respective tables and I officially welcomed them to the event in my capacity as Master of Ceremonies for the evening. I pleaded with all assembled to be on their best behaviour and cheekily suggested that the first prize for the successful completion of the puzzles would be the T-Model Ford. The three course buffet style meal offered by the members of the Veteran Car Club had something for everybody and there certainly weren't any excuses for leaving the dinner hungry. During the entrée the guests were entertained by Gerry Foster a local saxophonist who played light jazz tunes to the point where one could easily be mistaken into believing that they were being wined and dined first class on the QE2. Upon the completion of the entrée Gerry took the floor for a solo spot playing two technically demanding classical pieces which were both well received by all in attendance. By this stage of the evening many of the guests were nicely relaxed and the puzzles were all well under way with each table battling it out for trivial supremacy. The puzzles included a quiz on ten Dewey numbers (who present was to know that 678.4 was actually the properties of rubber?), a name the book and film quiz (this proved to be extremely hard with only a handful guessing that the correct answer was 2001: A Space Odyssey), a cryptic quiz where '7D in a W' really meant seven-days in a week and a 'guess the baby' photo quiz featuring photos of six local TAFE staff well ensconced in their pre-library days when dribbling was more important than Dewey! The guest speaker for the evening was Peter Richardson who is employed by the State Library of Tasmania as the Project Manager for Tasmanian Electronic Information Services. Peter has a strong interest in Tasmanian and local history, and has been involved in many pioneering projects aimed at making Tasmania's heritage more accessible, especially online. His many accomplishments include the formation of the Deloraine Online Access Centre in 1997, the online eHeritage project and the publication of two collected works of his popular 'On The Tide' series, a collection of articles about the history of the Tamar region published in The Examiner newspaper. Peter's speech about the future direction of libraries and the growing availability of online resources had all enthralled and proved to be a very thought provoking subject that suited the theme of this year's Library and Information Week perfectly. The chosen theme for 2004 'Down and Loaded: The Right Information at the Right Time' naturally refers to the availability of online resources and not to the common misconception amongst several of those in attendance of coming down to the dinner and getting loaded! After Peter's enlightening speech Glenyce Surtees on behalf of TAFE Tasmania presented Certificates II, III and IV in Library and Information Services to 14 lucky recipients (many of whom were in attendance at the dinner). Glenyce then presented the 'Tech of the Future' award which is a special presentation made to the most promising and consistent student currently enrolled in the Library and Information Services course. Unfortunately the recipient Sonya Millar was unable to be in attendance at the dinner but the award, a $50 book voucher, was collected on her behalf by Margaret Beesley of the Burnie library. The moment had finally arrived for the height of the evening's entertainment which the organising committee affectionately christened 'The End Processing Game'. The rules were simple. Each of the six tables would form a team and in a 'beat the clock' relay conspire to end-process a very flimsy colouring-in book whilst carrying an extremely heavy and cumbersome volume of the Library of Congress Subject Headings, a paper cup half-filled with imaginary cold coffee and a Tim-Tam wedged firmly between the teeth of each poor team member currently occupying the floor. Each book had to be bar-coded, hinge taped, tattle taped, stamped twice with two different stamps, mended, spine-labelled with a call number and Durasealed. The organising team provided all of the necessary end processing equipment including some very blunt scissors courtesy of a local Primary School classroom. Needless to say chaos reined, some extremely funny moment ensued and most importantly much fun was had by all participants. Numerous small chocolates bars were dished out to the competitors who finished first and to the team who took the greatest care with their book preparation.
The evening was quickly drawing to a close but there was still one final clandestine award presentation to be made which caused the recipient great surprise. The services of Peter Richardson were called on once more to present the first coastal recipient of the Advanced Diploma of Library and Information Systems with their certificate. Needless to say Kerrie Blythe was quite overcome by this presentation but the response from those gathered made it the evening's most defining and memorable moment. As this award presentation was certainly a hard act to follow, I proceeded to bring the evening to a close with the announcement of the quiz answers (who would have ever thought that Dewey could be so much fun?) and the presentation of three $15.00 book vouchers to the respective winners of the quizzes and the recipient of the lucky name tag prize. By now it was 11:00pm and many were shocked to discover just how late it was. Time certainly flies when you're having fun! The organising team for the 2004 dinner were: Kim Brain, Tanya Harvey, Anne Kiely, Robyn McLaren, Kristy Shackleton, Sue Turner and Linda Webb with myself Adrian Loone acting as team leader and chairperson. Special thanks to Glenyce Surtees for her executive role and continued advice, support and assistance. Congratulation to you all on a job well done! South Australia Library TechniciansFairlie Sampson, Convenor The Bombay Bicycle ClubIs it a new secret society? Is it a new bike-riding group? Have the SALTs discovered a new activity? No! and yes! It's the dining area of the Ovingham Hotel, Torrens Road, Adelaide, where SALT, some partners and industry people, gathered to celebrate a fabulous Technicians' Day. New Technicians came and it was great to see them and be able to put faces to names. Old friends were there also and gave all a chance to catch up on the gossip and news of the Library world. The venue was decorated in days of the Raj and the menu also reflected this. Soups, Curries, Prawns and Barramundi followed by yummy desserts of Profiteroles, Eton Mess and other tasty delights were some of the culinary delicacies offered. It was an enjoyable night, and may be repeated at Christmas time. Thanks to Marion Fielke for organising the event. Unfortunately she could not attend, as a special family holiday in Queensland beckoned her. Thanks to our Honourable Treasurer Amanda Colbert for handling the money and finalising other money details. Our next function is the Annual General Meeting, July 19th 2004 at the Royal Hotel, Kent Town. ALIA Library Technicians (ACT)Beth Clary, Convenor National Library Technicians Day in Canberra was celebrated with an early breakfast at the Brindabella Restaurant, Crowne Plaza. About 25 folks gathered on the cold and wet morning (one of the few showery days this year) before going off to work. We had a morning of no speeches, just networking and catching up. Marie Murphy from ALIA attended and we also had two recent Library Studies graduates from the Canberra Institute of Technology. One of our techs (and we won't mention names, will we Margaret?) went as far as dressing in her dark suit and with her short hair style and hint of red colouring took off the ALIA poster girl in 'Down and loaded'. The breakfast has become an annual tradition in Canberra - we see people we don't normally see at any other time during the year and it also gives an opportunity for the regulars to bring new workmates. ALIA Queensland Library TechniciansJennifer Parker, Convenor and Sharon Uthmann, QUT
On Tuesday evening the ALIA Qld Library Technicians converged on Skyline Restaurant, Southbank Institute of TAFE, to be wined and dined. It was an enjoyable evening for all as we were entertained by Leo, a Griffith University Conservatorium of Music student, and his soothing guitar tunes. Nicole Franks (QUT Librarian, Caboolture Community Campus) gave an insight into her role in a joint-use library comprising QUT, Brisbane North TAFE and Caboolture Shire Council. Anna Drew (Library Technician, University of Queensland Cybrary) was awarded Queensland Library Supplies Qld Library Technician of the Year (Recent Graduate) Award!! Lucky door prizes were presented by Marion Nicholson, One Umbrella and Merv Murray, RAECO. Special thanks to the ALIA Qld Library Technician Committee for their role in organising the night, and to Jennifer Parker for hosting us - well done!
ALIA WA Library TechniciansJudy Allan, Convenor National Library Technicians' Day breakfast is a popular occasion in Perth and 2004 proved to be no exception with 30 attendees, including two members of the School of Computer and Information Science at Edith Cowan University, one of whom will be well known to most of you - Judy Clayden. Judy is always most supportive of library technician events and attends whenever she can. As well as a lot of familiar faces, there were some new ones at the breakfast, proving that networking and social events are good drawcards. Finding venues for the breakfast is not an easy task, trying to balance ease of access for those who use public transport and those who travel by car, while keeping in mind cost, menu choices and atmosphere. We try different areas, in and around the CBD, and this year we tried Rifici's in Maylands - good value with a great range of dishes. The wall heaters had a little difficulty in keeping out the morning chill [it was during an unusually-early-in-the-season cold spell] until the day warmed up a little, but the staff were friendly and the atmosphere good. A definite plus was being able to pay as we ordered and not having to remember what to pay for at the end of the meal! The only thing wrong with breakfast events is having to go to work afterwards! A few lucky souls took the day off and were able to have a second [or third] cup of coffee and a longer chat, but for most library technicians, Library and Information Week means extra work, and it was back in the car or on to the train to join the tail end of the morning rush. ALIA National Library TechniciansRebecca Evans, Convenor Rebecca put together a paper covering a brief history of the library technicians, as well as important milestones. Celebrating 25 Years A Brief History of the Library Technicians
Important milestones1970
1975
1976
1978
1979
1980-1981
1982-1983
1985-1989
1991
1993-1997
1997-1998
2000-2003
Library technician of the year award
Library Technician of the Year Award Recipients
Dunn and Wilson scholarship
Dunn and Wilson Scholarship Recipients
National library technician day
Other servicesTechNique
employLT
Introducing Fran Monaghan: Library student
Favourite occupation: Learning new things Rory the Cat
Good advice from Astrology for Cats on getting on with Rory: DO
Buy a joke book DON'T
Go by first impressions aliaNEWGRAD and Charles Sturt Student Gathering
Thursday May 20 2004, European Bier Café, Melbourne Rain was gently falling (well it was Melbourne) as aliaNEWGRAD's and Charles Sturt students gathered for an informal get together on Thursday night. Alison O'Connor, National Convenor of the Group, and Damien Lodge, lecturer, School of Library and Information Science at Charles Sturt University, welcomed students from all over Victoria for drinks and dinner at the European Bier Café in Melbourne. Topics of conversation ranged widely, appropriately enough for a group of information specialists, and ran the gamut from how to make a million dollars really quickly to where to find the best cricket books in Melbourne. Surprisingly enough football didn't figure strongly as a topic, but there was some speculation about the Royal Wedding over the last weekend in Copenhagen, which someone tried to divert with an interesting comment about Helvetica font and the chances of getting a PhD proposal accepted on said topic. The consensus on that seemed to be: not much! Many thanks to Damien and Alison for hosting the evening. It was a great example of networking in action
Photo credits
top row second row from top Lyn Newlands (Family Court), Tania Barry (Wyndham Library Service), Ruth Barton (Cohuna Library Service ), Whitney Featherstone (Hobsons Bay Libraries), Tony Brooks (City Library) and Jenelle Cleary (Parliamentary Library) wide view of Cat Doran and John, colleagues from group work RMIT 2003 bottom row Ray Kingston (Whitney's partner and Alison's cousin!) Whitney Featherstone (Hobsons Bay libraries), Keith Maclean, Ian Rossiter (Allens Arthur Robinson), Cat Doran,(EcoCycle Victoria) Keith Maclean and Fran Monaghan CSU Melbourne Students End of Semester Get Together
Saturday 3 July, Blue Train Café, Southbank, Melbourne 
Heading into town Saturday night for the CSU students and friends end of semester gathering the first question was where to park. Without giving away any secrets my chosen spot just happened to be near a theatre, where I was able to gather my thoughts and my camera after the tricky business of reversing into a parking spot. I had an audience for this complicated maneuvere and am glad to say I scored a few laughs. Nearly didn't make it to Blue Train, there were auditions on at the theatre (in full view mind you) and I was strongly tempted to linger. The twilight was gorgeous as you can see from the photo, and I did in fact see a fiddler sitting on the wall, dressed in a nice tweed suit, as I walked by the Arts Centre. I made a donation and was rewarded with a 'thank you little girl' which made me think for a minute. Blue Train was buzzing, I had a milkshake in the lounge while waiting for everyone to show up. Some nice world type music was playing and I checked out some of the brochures lying around the lounge. Interesting courses from CAE, among other things, definitely to put on the 'to do' list. I was under strict instructions to only take flattering photos, which made me a little self conscious at first, but I got over it by demonstrating the theory of camera angles and why long shots are generally a bad idea in a café with harsh overhead lighting. Am I boring you? (Yes. ed) People drifted in and we passed the time waiting for a table making jokes about the residential school and how we would do it differently next time. Catching the train vs driving, finding out how the phones worked in the residential flats before coming, finding out the opening hours of the milk bar and the cost of a cab into town (for the nights when another evening spent lingering over dinner in the food hall just didn't seem to be making the most of things). The best tip seemed to be taking good walking shoes. CSU aren't kidding about that hill into the university grounds! Study tips and worries were shared: 'How will we cope next semester?' 'Have we overestimated the time commitment?' 'What about when we get sick or family needs more time than expected?' 'Is dropping one subject maybe the best option? and even 'I have never written a report before!' Most students seemed to be doing INF115 (Computers in Libraries) and INF301 (Contemporary Library Management) next semester. The question was raised over what non-library major some students planned to undertake, with history, vocational education, marketing and human resource management being bandied about. The most common study tip seemed to be plans to start early, but we all know what is said about best laid plans... Debriefing completed, everyone moved on to PJ O'Briens for some more music and chat. A relaxing and helpful end of semester get together, we should do it more often. And we might.
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