On Thursday May 29th we had our second Ballarat Library Dinner at Lekkers. It was a good night and as you can see we all got to wear pearls! It was great to chat to those in the region who work in different libraries. We also heard from the Acting CEO of the public library about their new Swift Consortium which was also interesting.
Oh this was a sad book. It is the story about Sabine who at age 12 was abducted and held captive and raped for 80 days. She was only found because the nasty man abducted another girl. I was so amazed by the determination of Sabine and how she has become such a strong young woman. Just amazing - I forgot I was reading about real life events!
I just finished reading this for my bookgroup. WOW! What a story. It was awfully sad, a little obscure etc. but a riveting read. It follows the life of Ellen who is living by herself and trying to figure out what happened 25 years ago. The story eventually unfolds that her mother had postnatal depression and suicided her husband, and 3 of Ellen's siblings. One other sibling survived from the suicide attempt on his life whilst Ellen was completely left out and forgotten about (she was outside playing with her dog). So it follows Ellen trying to accept what has happened and rebuilding her life 25 years on. I really liked it - not sure why but I was drawn to it. No one else in bookgroup liked it though!
I love a bit of true crime. I picked this one up on mooch and read it within 2 days! It’s about a murder in Sydney a few years ago that included the “Bra Boys” a name I had only heard about and included an international world renowned surfer. Just one of those great reads that really suckers you in. I was a bit dubious about some of the things said but hey – it’s true crime – you can’t dispute it!
I was also pleased that this was the next book for the group as I have had this book in my shelves for years. It was a nice little book and a quick read too which was good as time was short. It’s about a teenage boy who lives with his mum and grandfather. It centred around him becoming a man and understanding what life’s about and what really matters to us.
On my extra day in February (the 29th) I headed to the State Library of Victoria for a workshop organised by ALIA Vic and a group of former Aurorians. The workshop was intended to be an experiential introduction to a range of perspectives of leadership.
So did I get much out of it? Yes and no! For me the most beneficial part was listening to a panel of experienced industry leaders. Notes from the leaders:
Craig Anderson
Your skills come from within
Ethics continually bought into practice
Patti Manolis
All experiences are fodder for learning
It’s ok not to know everything – keep learning
Develop confidence
Feel the fear and do it anyway
Leaders say sorry – we are all grown ups – take responsibility!
Janette Wright
Continually learn
To be a leader you need followers
And…you have to have been a follower to be a leader
Mentoring – get one
Mistakes is essential for learning
Ask lots of questions
Listen first then express your viewpoint
Network and build a social support system – ask for help when needed
It’s ok to be vulnerable
Cultivate originality and creativity
So it was a good day – interesting. The bonus was that I then sort of overcame one of my fears by speaking in public. At the very end of the day I gave a spiel about NLS4. I was very nervous but it was a small step for me on my way to becoming a leader.
