Conference: Wednesday - Day One

(Des, from Darwin Medical Library and me!)

So we fronted up at the Grand Hyatt ready for a day of learning. Below are my notes (and thoughts if I had them written!)

We had the welcome by Gail Schmidt (Convenor), the Welcome to Country by the indigenous community. They had wonderful dances and an awesome didgeridoo player! Then the Welcome to Melbourne by Judy Maddigan, a Parliamentarian (and one time Librarian). She was really funny. Great energy, great quotes - perfect! Then lastly a Welcome by ALIA President Roxanne Missingham. She did an overview of objectives etc. As always Roxanne is wonderful to listen to.

Keynote: Future Directions for libraries, Anne Beaumont (SLV)

She discussed blogs (like Inside a Dog Blog who bring teenagers and books together), Ask Now! Virtual library services, Digitisation projects like Picture Australia, Google Images, Coming to libraries via other means (like the internet) and having things like Libraries Australia through World Cat. Wireless internet, wifi, and getting in people who access things like wifi who wouldn't normally enter libraries (ie. businessmen). Being where the user is - Facebook, 2nd Life. That there are lots of different initiatives out there like the SLQ The Garage where car manuals have been digitised! So try and experiment, its all part of the learning process. We are constantly running to keep up with expectations of our users but things change (live with it). Remember core values of libraries will stay the same though!

Concurrent: Obtaining Library Qualifications via workplace certification, Carolyn Werner

This was good in that it made me think that many libraries could do that within their workplaces. Sometimes people just need a little push! The trainer visited every few months. Supervisors had to do written references/progress reports. It isn't at the Diploma level yet but sometimes people need that push to get started and they may feel compelled to finish it themselves. Good possibilities - not pie in the sky stuff!

Concurrent: Don't judge a book by its cover - Lismore's Living Library Project, Louise Somerville

Naturally I had read about this so it was more just an overview of the program. Its a great idea though and great publicity. They have it as a monthly event now and one "book" is featured per month in the local paper. They have 60 "books" which are all volunteers. They have also been given funding to help spread the project across the country by doing "information" packs or something. Interesting.

Concurrent: Books behind bars II, Kevin Dudeney

Typical Kevin talk - very interesting and funny. Discussed that the most popular books had "hard language" in them, also a Sydney based writer Robert ? was popular as he was a crim (or maybe just writes about it in the local setting). They prefer male authors (thrillers). $5 shelf fillers - due to high attrition rate. Sex - but no romance! Thin paper books (bible etc) get used as Tally Ho papers! They get lots of donations (public libraries, book drives etc.) - they had 9,000 in 18mths.

There are 48 libraries across 33 centres. They get typical magazines (National Geographic, Motorcycle/Car mags). LOTE books and LOTE newspapers. They censor as in no "naked" photography books, no martial arts etc. They use there own classification scheme. They are running Cert. III in LIS. Ten long term inmates are doing it but they use CDROM's not the internet. If they don't return a book there could be a reduction of privileges. Really interesting - very different special library!

Keynote: The Connected Library, Suzette Boyd

Boy was she funny! Great talk. I mean some of things were irrelevant to most libraries as Scotch College has heaps of money, where as most libraries are struggling but anyway she was great. She talked about having FUN! Being efficient, flexible, professional, people focused, service centered, share ideas, under promise - over deliver, helpful, knowledgeable, person of action. Do quizzes, have staff displays "Getting to know your library staff", " A few of my favourite things" etc.

Keynote: Interior Design for Libraries, Kevin Hennah

OK, so he is a salesman who redesigns libraries but boy does he speak well! Signage very important! Use ends of isle to display books (Slatwall), Go around the pillars - incorporate them. Think from the customer's perspective. Instead of Information or Reference what about ASK! Or Your Library instead of just Library?

Workshop: Internet access and participation for people with a disability, panel

OK, I didn't take notes on this one as I chaired the session (My first Chair!) It was really interesting though (pity the crowd wasn't very big) but anyway it was about a research project undertaken by Vicnet. So we heard about the project then representatives from Yooralla, Scope and Vision Australia spoke about ways we can help. As I said my library is different than a public library but I still took a few points away like keeping language simple, ways to get help etc. It was a really great session if its an area that interests you.

So all in all the first day was brilliant. Really good speakers. So Kim and I headed back to our hotel, got changed then headed out to China Town for dinner with a few other interstate delegates. Got back to the hotel exhausted, jumped into bed then continued to chat for hours, and hours, and hours!