January-December 2004 report

Committee

January to July
Kerrie Kelly (convenor), Bradley O'Brien (deputy convenor), Tricia Murray (secretary), Alison Kearney (treasurer), Tania Barry, Libby Brackenridge, Clare Bristow, Aranka Folino, Linda Jowsey (resigned from the committee in April), Linda Notley, Margaret Roberts

July to December
Kerrie Kelly (convenor), Bradley O'Brien (deputy convenor), Margaret Roberts (secretary), Tricia Murray (treasurer), Tania Barry (promotions officer), Libby Brackenridge and Clare Bristow (social event co-ordinators), Aranka Folino, Linda Notley, Karen Williamson (new member), Kim Gosling (new member)

Tafe and university representatives
Box Hill Institute Sara Clerici
Swinburne University of Technology Jim Mavromitis (from August)
University of Ballarat Birgitte Lamb
Victoria University Bradley O'Brien (also an elected committee member)

The committee met six times to plan events, and discuss topical library issues. The committee also held a planning workshop on the morning of Saturday 11 September. Many evening committee meetings are combined with a library tour, or guest speaker.

Purpose and goals of group (linked to ALIA objects)

To promote library technicians within ALIA and the wider information industry
To promote ALIA membership amongst library technicians and relevant/interested institutions
To provide support for library technicians and students throughout Victoria
To provide a variety of CPD events
To provide input into the library technicians' courses
To act as mentors for newly qualified library technicians, and those returning to the workforce after an absence
To act as a conduit for national issues, eg. the new national training package

Membership

Numbers have ranged from approx. 136 -148.

Activities

The topics and venues have been varied, and they were all very successful. Events have attracted library technicians, librarians, library students and other library staff.

Mornington Peninsula Library Hasting branch, 21 February
Seventeen delegates attended the visit. The session included a tour of the library and a presentation on social capital, libraries building communities. Once again we received great support from the staff from the Mornington Peninsula Library. Mary Wyte was our tour guide, and Cheryl Walker presented the session on social capital. Lunch followed at a nearby hotel.
This event fulfilled purpose and goal numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Victoria Police Academy Library visit, 2 March
Fifteen attended the combined committee meeting and tour. Cheryl Bertrand and Pauline Argyropoulos showed us through the academy and the library. The visit was organised by Carol Lomas-Fisher.
This event fulfilled purpose and goal numbers 2, 3, and 4.
Hot off the press : from publisher to library shelf, 19 March
Sixty-two delegates attended the day long event which followed the work in technical services. The session included information on publishing, acquisition processes, the work of library vendors, cataloguing and end processing. The day included a tour of the Raeco warehouse. The day was very popular with students. We had generous sponsorship from Raeco who provided the lunch, Melbourne University Bookshop who supplied two book vouchers for prizes, and Jill Barthomoleuz of Resource Options who baked a delicious cake for afternoon tea.
This event fulfilled purpose and goal numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4.
River of opportunities III, Wagga workshop, 1 - 2 May
The workshop was jointly organised by the NSW and Victorian ALIA library technician groups. Thirty-five delegates attended, and it was very successful. The programme covered a variety of topics and included a tour of the Wagga Wagga Library.
This event fulfilled purpose and goal numbers 2, 3, and 4.
National Library Technicians Day, 25 May - Victoria University visit
Tania Barry, Margaret Roberts and Kerrie Kelly participated in the celebrations at the university with approximately fifty library technician students and four teaching staff. Tania and Margaret spoke of their work in libraries, importance of CPD activities, and employment. Kerrie outlined the work of ALIA. The morning session concluded with a fun quiz based on our library knowledge. Tania Barry, Margaret Roberts and Kerrie Kelly were guests at lunch in the university's restaurant.
This event fulfilled purpose and goal numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6.
National Library Technicians Day 25 May - dinner
Sixteen people attended the celebratory dinner at South Melbourne hotel.
This event fulfilled purpose and goal numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Techs on tour, 3 July
Fifty delegates from around the state attended our seventh annual day of behind-the-scenes library tours. Due to limited space in the work areas, we restricted the number of delegates to fifty. Unfortunately we had to return a number of cheques and refuse applications because we reached the limit. Their names have been added to next year's mailing list for brochures.
Techs on tour was once again based at the State Library of Victoria. Delegates visited the Dome Reading Room, the Manuscripts Collection and the Information Resources Division (Acquisitions, Cataloguing and the Digitising Initiatives Team). Our pre-lunch speaker was Shane Carmody, director of collections and services and his topic was the history of the State Library of Victoria. Lunch was optional but most delegates joined us Café Zaleti's. In the afternoon, delegates had a choice of three sites to visit - the museum's Infozone, SBS Library and Swets.
The success of the day is primarily due to the volunteers who donate their Saturdays by acting as tour guides. Plus the great support from library managers.
This event fulfilled purpose and goal numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Annual general meal and meeting, 15 July
Fourteen people attended the meeting and we discussed future plans, and called for volunteers to the committee. Two new members volunteered.
This event fulfilled purpose and goal numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Job seekers forum, October
Unfortunately the forum was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. We plan to schedule the forum in 2005.
End of celebrations, 2 December
Fifteen people attended the end of year dinner at the pub at the Crown
This event fulfilled purpose and goal numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Technotes

We aim to publish our newsletter, Technotes quarterly. Unfortunately we had to combine one issue, and issues were published in January, April, and July/October. It continues to be a very successful tool for keeping members informed of the latest news, especially those in country areas. It is also a useful tool for promoting the group's activities and ALIA membership.
The newsletter fulfilled purpose and goal numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Communications

We have tried to ensure that our webpage was kept up to date, and that Incite was informed of our events. Details appeared in the events column.

Correspondence

Our informal network has continued between interstate ALIA library technician committees. Information on meetings, plans, workshops and general news has been exchanged.

Library and information studies moderation group

Representatives of the four Victorian library technician training institutions and Kerrie Kelly have met three times to discuss the course delivery and the new training package.
This activity fulfilled purpose and goal numbers 3,5 and 7.

ALIA National Library Technicians

The Clare Bristow represented the Victorian group on the national committee during the reporting period.
This event fulfilled purpose and goal number 7.

Kerrie Kelly, convenor

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