Aurora History

Previous Aurora Leadership Institutes

10th Aurora Leadership Institute: 15 to 20 February 2007, Thredbo Alpine Village, NSW.

9th Aurora Leadership Institute: 16 to 21 February 2006, Thredbo Alpine Village, NSW.

8th Aurora Leadership Institute: 16 to 21 February 2005, Thredbo Alpine Village, NSW.

7th Aurora Leadership Institute: 8 to 13 February 2004, Thredbo Alpine Village, NSW.

6th Aurora Leadership Institute: 7 to 12 February 2003, Rydge's Lakeside Hotel in central Canberra, ACT. Here's a photo of the participants.

Aurora Recall, 2003: Waiheke Island, Auckland, NZ 2003.

The 5th Aurora Leadership Institute 2002 was the first presented by the Aurora Foundation Ltd. Some people said then that Aurora 2002 was the best ever, building on the strengths of earlier Institutes. However, these comments are typical of every Institute. Decide for yourself: Becky Schreiber and John Shannon saw Aurora 2002 like this.

1st to 4th Institutes, 1995 to 2001, presented biennially by aima Training and Consultancy Services Ltd, in Thredbo, NSW.

The Aurora Foundation gratefully acknowledges the sponsorship of its Principal Sponsor, EBSCO Information Services, and its Sponsors, the National Library of Australia, and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).

Background and History

Ten Aurora Leadership Institutes have been held in Australia, seven at Thredbo, NSW, and one in Canberra (2003) when Thredbo was closed because of bushfires. Instigated by Warren Horton and Brenda McConchie, Aurora Institutes were modelled on the Snowbird Leadership Institutes in the USA, with some adjustments to suit Australian and New Zealand circumstances. They are the principal opportunity for those in the Australian and New Zealand library profession, and others from associated information industries, to explore leadership concepts and their own potential. The Institute's mission is to assist future leaders to recognise and develop their leadership abilities. The Aurora Foundation seeks to position leaders as dynamic and effective voices in our sophisticated information environment.

The first Aurora Institute was held in 1995, and is documented in a special issue of the Australian Library Journal (vol 45, no 1, February 1996). Four Institutes, presented biennially by aima Training and Consultancy Services Ltd, were held from 1995 to 2001. Following the establishment of the Aurora Foundation and the outstanding success of the 2002 Institute, the Institutes are held annually.

It is a cardinal principle underpinning the Institutes that participants come from both the Australian and New Zealand information communities. Mentors, senior library professionals in Australia or New Zealand participating on a voluntary basis, are a key part of the Institutes. They work closely with the participants, sharing their experiences, successes and failures. The Foundation is deeply indebted to the willingness of these mentors to give their time and insights to the Institutes.

Becky Schreiber and John Shannon of Schreiber Shannon Associates of the USA have led all Aurora and Snowbird Institutes.

More than 350 participants and mentors have been involved with the Aurora Leadership Institutes, and some have also been involved with Snowbird in the US. The first Aurora Recall Meeting was held on Waiheke Island in New Zealand in February 2003.

Read testimonials from previous Aurorans and papers about the Aurora Institutes.
See who the Aurora participants and mentors are.