ALIA Online Feb 16th 2017
ALIA Online - Thursday Feb 16th
2017
I was lucky to be invited to attend one of the days at the ALIA conference this year. It was a lovely day and a far cry from the conferences in my pervious career!
Session one
Jane King from ATO-Organisational
changePoints that stood out
o
2010- Generation A- Born with technology in
their hands
o
Fewer jobs and less trades in their future
o
Reinvent the client and staff experience
o
Need to establish relationships with others in
the system –banks, software developers (Library- community services, book
sellers, book publishers, education providers, software developers...)
o
Customers not tax payers (Library - borrowers)
o
“Culture will eat strategy for breakfast every
morning”
o
Transformational leaders-
o
build strengths rather than look for weaknesses
o
take action
o
change when needed
o
Effecting culture change requires
transformation.
o
ATO has an APP!
Two trades displays
that stood out for me
Queensland University
of Technology
VR – Google cardboardhttps://vr.google.com/cardboard/buy lenses http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/201397969695?gclid=CISCnMO7pdICFRKVvQodqX0Atw
or make your own... http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Lens-For-Google-Cardboard-VR/Get the appshttp://www.androidauthority.com/best-google-cardboard-vr-apps-622766/and off you goMagic Tats.Apply the tattoo and using the app on your phone make your
Tat come to lifehttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.omobile.magictatts&hl=enhttps://jasabyn.com.au/shop/kids/magic-tattoos-app-alive-fantasy/QuiverPrint out the colouring sheet, colour it in and then using
the app, watch your picture come to life.http://www.quivervision.com/
Session one
Jane King from ATO-Organisational changePoints that stood out
o 2010- Generation A- Born with technology in their hands
o Fewer jobs and less trades in their future
o Reinvent the client and staff experience
o Need to establish relationships with others in the system –banks, software developers (Library- community services, book sellers, book publishers, education providers, software developers...)
o Customers not tax payers (Library - borrowers)
o “Culture will eat strategy for breakfast every morning”
o Transformational leaders-
o build strengths rather than look for weaknesses
o take action
o change when needed
o Effecting culture change requires transformation.
o ATO has an APP!
Two trades displays that stood out for me
Queensland University of Technology
VR – Google cardboardhttps://vr.google.com/cardboard/buy lenses http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/201397969695?gclid=CISCnMO7pdICFRKVvQodqX0Atw
or make your own... http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Lens-For-Google-Cardboard-VR/Get the appshttp://www.androidauthority.com/best-google-cardboard-vr-apps-622766/and off you goMagic Tats.Apply the tattoo and using the app on your phone make your Tat come to lifehttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.omobile.magictatts&hl=enhttps://jasabyn.com.au/shop/kids/magic-tattoos-app-alive-fantasy/QuiverPrint out the colouring sheet, colour it in and then using the app, watch your picture come to life.http://www.quivervision.com/
Kanopy
Movie
streaming (See Angela, she got lots of Info about this service)
o
Unique collections of films, more than 26,000 –
including award-winning documentaries, training films and theatrical releases –
on every topic imaginable. documentaries, art house, and indie films.
o
Libraries only pay for films patrons actually
watch, cost-per-play for public libraries.
Session two
Makerspaces in libraries – Steaming with potential
Definition
o
Sharing knowledge
o
Making together
o
Learning simultaneously
-All based on the needs of the community
STEAM=Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths –
incorporates design elements.
Critical thinking and problem solving
Supporting and enabling new methods of learning
Ideas
o
Light based Makers included illuminated origami
flowers, sewable light circuits, Virtual reality with Google cardboard, light
painting using mobile apps
o
Lego robotics program with demonstrations,
trophies given for those who completed the course (3D printed trophies!)
o
Kits-water pianos, Makey Makey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makey_Makey http://www.makeymakey.com/
, Raspberry Pi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi
, http://raspberry.piaustralia.com.au/
o
Create and encourage unique thinking
o
Creates producers not consumers
o
Creates social levelling
o
Increased community ownership
Outcomes
o
Program development
o
Attendees
o
New spaces
o
Staff development
o
Innovative an forward thinking
o
Pride in workplace
Skill sets of Makerspace presenters
o
Open to ongoing exploration-where you can take
the technology
o
LEGO robotics- staff readily took this on
o
Coding
o
Resistance
o
Demo to council
o
PD for staff-time to play-develop ownership
o
Practicality of expensive equipment and how it
is used.
Session three
Turning dead space into Think space at Sydney Uni
Megan O’Brien
Monthly maker group-Internet of things
Share projects-experts and beginners
Google ambassadors
Create an atmosphere for the think space
o
Music to define the space
o
Booking system to share equipment
o
Four hour job limit
New equipment-leads to issues in training-need time to
develop expertise and knowledge-templates for training were developed – quick and
easy!
Facebook group – 260 followers in 6 months.
Session four
Create, Play, Learn – Setting up a small makerspace in the
library.
Cost-$31,500.00 Most was used for architect and cabinetry.
Purchases
o
Record and cassette converter
o
Slide converter
o
Stop motion
o
Ipads
o
Paper cutter
o
x-box
o
PS4
o
Makey makey,
o
Littlebits http://littlebits.cc/how-it-works
o
3D photo printer
Staff
o
Multimedia officer-part time
o
I.T. officer- full time
Marketing
o
design logo (crowd funded?)
o
website
o
FB
o
Newsletter
o
Posters
o
Expo in Library week
o
Youth and family service
Numbers
o
Still need more!
Lunch-This was pretty
amazing, let me tell you!
Denmark library DOKK1
Take some time to look at their projects.
I’m moving to
Denmark!
One activity they have which would be fun for youth and
older players...cardboard knights-create a suit of cardboard armour and a
cardboard sword and off you go.
Ingrid M
Switch 2016 - Two Highlights
As I was typing up the notes I’d hurriedly scrawled down during
the presentations that Chris N, Amy R and I (Steph B) had attended at the
recent Switch 2016 NSW Public Libraries Conference in Ulladulla, I noticed a
few words appearing again and again – knowledge, experience, diversity,
challenge, innovation, accessibility, information, inspiration and (rather
interestingly) justice. Some of these words we’d perhaps expect to hear from
library workers when discussing new technologies, events and projects they’ve
been involved with, but when used by people like the extraordinary Deng Adut,
Jennifer Byrne, Matt Finch, Gill Hicks, Richard Morecroft and Caroline
Overington to describe the importance of libraries to their work and, indeed,
their very lives, it makes an impact on an audience. A big impact.
As Chris and Amy have both already written in their blog posts, we
were incredibly lucky to have attended the Switch Conference (despite the
rather abysmal service encountered at the motel!) and to have had the
opportunity to hear firsthand from such a varied and informed group of speakers
on how public libraries enrich, stimulate and even transform the lives of
members of our communities.
I’ll be writing another blog post shortly with a brief update on a
handful of the presentations, but for now I wanted to write about two of the
speakers who were nothing short of inspirational – Deng Adut and Caroline
Overington. During both of their presentations these outstanding speakers
highlighted the intrinsic value of libraries which goes beyond quantifiable key
performance indicators such as number of books borrowed, attendance numbers and
computer bookings, etc.
Deng Adut - The Transformative Power of Education
If you haven’t yet heard of Deng Adut, you will. Deng was born in
the small village of Malek in South Sudan to a local fisherman and his wife.
This modest background coupled with a Christian upbringing meant that Deng’s
educational opportunities were always going to be limited. But when, at just
six years of age, Deng was taken from his family and forced into the army to
fight as a child soldier, he lost everything – his family, his freedom and a
childhood he can never reclaim.
Miraculously, Deng not only survived unspeakable wartime horrors, but
after many years separated from his older brother, John (each thought the
other was dead), the two were reunited and together managed to make their way to
Australia as refugees. During his presentation at Switch, Deng enjoyed retelling
stories of several cultural misunderstandings he encountered when he first
reached Australia. These included the time he put a can of Coca Cola into a microwave to
heat it up (you can guess the result); the occasion he almost cooked himself when
using an electric blanket for the first time; and his shock at being told on
arrival in Australia that he and John were to be taken to a place called
Blacktown!
Deng could not read or write when he came to this country, but
he did have a wealth of life knowledge gained through brutal wartime experiences
and a determination to succeed. Deng started his formal education at Blacktown
Tafe and not only learnt to read, but fell in love with books. The library
became his second home. Deng felt like he’d been given a “new beginning” and was
“hungry for learning and education”. After Tafe, Deng enrolled to study for his
Bachelor of Law at Western Sydney on the advice of his brother, John, who told
him he’d make a great lawyer as he was “always fighting" and a "free thinker”.
Deng found the law degree very difficult but knew that the only way to learn is
to “fully commit.” For four years Deng slept in his car at the university, not
because he was homeless, but because he wanted to be at the library from the
second it opened in the morning until the moment it closed at night. John also completed
degrees at Western Sydney University. Tragically he was killed in 2014 after
returning to Sudan.
Deng, now a successful lawyer with his own law firm in Sydney’s
western suburbs, works to “achieve justice”, which he feels is the “highest
achievement possible” and one which is “only possible with education.” Deng
wants to be the “most visible Australian” and aims to visit every school in NSW
by 2018 to tell his story and to stress to Australian schoolchildren the
importance of education and the value of including and respecting people from diverse backgrounds because, as he said at Switch, “this is what being
Australian is and it’s what I learnt in libraries.”
Last month Deng Adut was named NSW Australian of the Year and is
now shortlisted for Australian of the Year. After hearing him speak it’s
difficult to imagine a more worthy nominee.
Deng Adut's new book, written with Ben McKelvey, is Songs of a War Boy.
Caroline Overington - Spreading The Word... About Women's History
Caroline Overington was the final speaker of the Switch Conference
– a big ask in anyone’s book - especially after two full days packed with
impressive, thought-provoking and animated presentations. But for me, Switch
2016 saved the best till last.
Caroline Overington is an awarding winning Australian journalist
and the author of eleven books including Last Woman Hanged, a “forensic history of a 19th Century criminal
trial”, which won the Davitt Award for True Crime Writing in 2015. It was the enterprise of writing this book and the questions which arose from her research which
Caroline focused on in her fascinating and (for me) timely presentation.
One of my favourite quotes about the process of historical
research was written by Australian historian, Stuart Macintyre, in his 2003
book, The History Wars…
‘The historian goes to the archives with a hypothesis… But you
never find precisely what you’re looking for, or if you do it bodes ill for the
project. The sharpest excitement comes when you open a file and are confronted
by some unexpected evidence…. Historians reach new conclusions because they ask
new questions.’
And so I was absolutely delighted to hear Caroline speak so
enthusiastically about how she had utilised the primary resources available at
the Mitchell Library and NSW State Records to go beyond merely uncovering the
story of the criminal case of Louisa Collins, the last woman hanged at
Darlinghurst Prison in 1889, and to question and analyse why it was that this
woman had been tried not once, but a record four times before being found
guilty and sent to the gallows. And of course one question always leads to
another. How could they hang this woman? What was the context of the time and
place of these events? Like all women of her day, Louisa had no power to vote
or make the law (much like a child today), and yet when put on trial before an
all-male judge and jury she was treated as an adult and faced the repercussions
of their verdict, a verdict which compelled many women at the time to come out
in protest. “This was a story about justice,” explained Caroline at Switch, “and who gets it.”
There’s that word again. Justice.
Some of you may know that last month I conducted a presentation at
Cronulla Library on researching convict ancestry. In preparation for the talk I spent quite some hours at the Mitchell Library trawling through historical
records and so it's probably no surprise that Caroline’s presentation resonated
so much with me. Fundamental to researching her book, Last Woman Hanged, was that the necessary historical records not
only exist, but that librarians and archivists have collected, catalogued, preserved
and made these documents accessible so that future generations of historians and researchers, like Caroline, can uncover these stories for themselves. As Caroline herself
said at Switch, “Librarians are the guardians of our nation’s history – including women’s
stories”.
These were two exceptional speakers and it was such an amazing experience to hear both Deng Adut and Caroline Overington share their stories and articulate so beautifully the role that libraries have played - and continue to play - in their lives.
I promise my next blog on Switch will be much shorter!
Steph B.
SWITCH 2016 part 2
In November Chris Newett, Stephanie Bailey and myself were
lucky enough to attend the annual Switch Conference. It was a great opportunity
to focus on what’s happening in libraries and to be reminded of the importance
of public libraries in the community. I left the conference feeling inspired
and motivated and would highly recommend it to others. It was a hugely
enjoyable and worthwhile experience. Here are some highlights.
Men reading to
children, does it matter? Elizabeth
Duursma
Elizabeth Duursma has spent 15 years researching the
importance of reading to children and in particular the importance of men
reading to children.
In general wide and intense reading to children is the best
way for them to learn infrequently used words; it supports a creative and
effective environment and is a way to transmit cultural knowledge. When adults
read to children they use more complex language when discussing stories read,
creating an even bigger benefit to the child.
Readers are not born, but created and reading to children
from an early age is particularly beneficial to the under 5’s. The style of
reading impacts language and literacy development and this is where men and
women differ in their approach.
Paternal book reading has a stronger impact than maternal
book reading. When reading to children Elizabeth’s studies showed that men
talked with the children a great deal more, this was both in terms of immediate
talk (directly related to book and story) and non-immediate talk (talk not
related directly to book or story) Fathers engaged their children more than
their mothers, used a wider variety of words, focused more on book handling and
used more diverse strategies to engage their children. Where mothers are more likely to read the
book and focus solely on immediate talk, reducing the impact of the reading
session. Elizabeth felt this was because mothers had a clear social construct
for reading to their children, while men don’t have that construct so make
reading a broader experience.
Both men and women reading to children is important, it does
not have to be the father to have the benefits of male reading, but needs to be
an important man in the child’s life. Men reading to children creates a unique
and important contribution to a child’s development and it is hugely important
that children see men engaged in literacy activities. This is a significant
impact on literacy and cognitive development that should not be
overlooked.
Jennifer Byrne
Not surprisingly Jennifer Byrne was a passionate advocate
for public libraries. She introduced herself and said what a huge pleasure and
great honour for her to be there amongst the “servants of the book”. She
proudly held up not one, but two public library cards and told us how much she
loved and cherished her weekly visits to the public library, as well as her
great love for the returns trolley. She has been visiting the public library
since she was a small child and has a photo of her as a baby in the pram at her
public library. The library lifts her heart and although she visits the “grand
libraries” for her research, it is the public library she loves the best. She
likened the public library to being reunited with old friends and said it was
them that gave her the idea for her tv show “ The Book Club’’.
Jennifer’s focus on the “Book club” is the audience and this
came from her experience in commercial television. She wanted to make a connection with the
audience rather than focusing on authority and expertise. No-one expected it to
be a huge success but her aim at the beginning was longevity and she is proud
and has a great sense of satisfaction that the show has become part of the
landscape of television. It is approved to go to air next year which will be
its 11th year.
She has four rules for the Book Club
1.
Consistency of the panel.
2.
One surprise guest, no publishers allowed.
3.
Honour the principle of Book Clubs and focus on
fiction.
4.
Use all genres
Jennifer always picks the titles for Book Club, she finds
this may be a flaw in the program and that she sometimes has too much to say.
Jennifer felt that book stores are encroaching on libraries
space, setting up book clubs, holding author talks and story-times and reaching
out to the community. Although she loves book stores she love libraries better
and advised us to hold our ground.
She noted the dramatic changes that are happening with
e-books, Amazon and book shops and urged us to never doubt our value. Physical
books are the least important thing we hold, more importantly we hold the
communities hopes, dreams, expectations and education.
7 does go into 1. Mirla Edmundson- General Manager Auckland
Public Libraries
Mirla Edmunson is the General Manager of Auckland Libraries.
Auckland is super diverse, growing at 45000 people per year and has 21
different tribal groups that need to be considered when developing services.
Auckland Libraries merged from 7 different councils five
years ago, creating a library service with 55 branches that loan 44 000 books
per day and have 20 000 visits to their website per day.
Mirla found the first years of amalgamation soul destroying
and had to change her management style completely. She previously managed by
“wandering around”, was a big picture person and not interested in
processes. In the merged Library service
she manages 1100 staff and had to focus completely on processes for the merge
to be successful.
From day one of the merge they had a borrow anywhere, return
anywhere, reserve anything policy which although was hugely problematic, was a
huge win for them and seen very favourably with council. This was made easier
because most of the seven library systems were using the same LMS.
All seven library systems felt they had unique cultures and
it was hard work and took “intentional leadership” to engage and include all
staff to work towards one united service.
Their key focus points are
*Library, anywhere, anytime
*Every child a reader, every child a library member
*Engaging spaces at the heart of the community
*Programs and services that inspire
Aucklands unique stories celebrated
Mirla has found that as a library service they need to move
from being collection focused to community focused, creating sustainable,
customer driven collections. They have also worked very hard to strike the
right balance between digital v’s physical collections.
Now that the amalgamation has settled down Mirla noted that
amalgamation can make you inward looking and you can take your eye off key
indicators. She is now faced with reducing staff and delivering savings without
cutting or reducing services. With 67% of her budget going to staffing it is
the only place she can find savings.
With only a 2.5% rate increase it is extremely hard to
create new community libraries that are modern, relevant, accessible and
appealing. With this is mind they are looking at developing a new service model
that focuses on “radically local” where not all programs are offered throughout
library service but are targeted to areas that can benefit most.
The library service made a promise to Auckland to
*Nuture Maori
*Have more digital
*Enable new knowledge
*More expert and easier help
*Meet council face to face
*Have more Auckland stories everywhere
*Lift literacy where it matters
After the amalgamation process there was a realisation that
libraries can’t be all things to all people, there was a definite culture of
“if they are doing it we want to too” and they realised this is not practical
or beneficial across such a large library service. To be fit for the future
there needed to be a focus on right people, right place and right time. They
needed to focus on the customers in the local board areas.
Their change management process was undermined by the media
causing huge anxiety to staff. Mirla has learnt that with change leadership you
have to show empathy, which creates empathy in others, change your mindset and
choose how you respond to change and to have humility and humour.
You need to lose your ego and align with the customer in the
change process. “Co-design”is the new thing, we need to focus on what’s best
for the community and realize different areas need a different focus.
SWITCH 2016
SWITCH 2016 – 22 – 24
November 2016
Amy, Steph B and I were very lucky to attend this conference
and we will be reporting on some of the wonderful presentations.
LEARNING STEM FROM
FUN –Jenny Campbell Narrabri Library
Jenny informed us that being a small library there was a
need to partner and collaborate with schools and organisations in the area.
They have a very good partnership with Randwick Library, their sister city
library, local scientists, Sydney Children’s Museum, schools, OOsh and Rotary. Randwick
Library helped with the programming and the Toddler Science program. The
library also used local people’s talent and staff talent to run the programs.
The school holiday programming included Engineering and Technology based programs
with Robotics and Coding Clubs planned for future holidays.
AUSTRALIA’S FIRST 3D
TACTILE STORYBOOK – Joanne Smith Lake Macquarie Library
Joanne spoke about how they used digital technology to make a
3D tactile story book. This storybook is very useful for the visually impaired helping
with literacy and to connect to technology.
An UpBox printer and Tinkercad was used. The 3D printer was introduced to the community.
BRAIN TRAINING –
Christine Birkett Gunnedah Shire Library
Christine talked about this program which was in partnership
with Community Care. This program helps to stimulate brain health which assists
older people to participate in society. This program has a maximum of 10 people for one
hour sessions and includes memory games
like Concentration, word association, logic, creativity, quizzes and origami.
The social aspect and social inclusion is of enormous benefit to participants. Friendships
are formed and the participants mentor and encourage one another. The
challenges are – staffing, sourcing activities, finding presenting time, making it
visually interesting, photocopying costs. Off-shoot programs from it have been
Zen Tangles and Junior Brain games.
STEM and our role in
the development of scientific literacy – Gabrielle Wyllie Ryde Library
The Project – to create a creative interactive space for the
community in the discovery of science. Based on the Curiosity Shop it features
a cabinet with drawers, light boxes, inter-active ipads and interesting
seating. Resources are rotated monthly and examples include dinosaur fossils,
volcanoes, sea life, rocks and crystals. The library installed Digital
Microscopes, touchscreens and incorporated science kits with magnets, simple
machines and insects. New programs include Kids Club, Science Blast, Little
Bang, Scratch, Coding and simple machines workshops.
DEAR ZOO PROGRAM –
Michelle Stuart Goulburn Mulwaree Library
Aim - to sponsor an animal from Taronga Zoo and run programs
throughout the year based on the selected animal. The children voted to select
the animal and the winner was a Sumatran Tiger. The library used promotional
kits, book displays and decorated the library with anything relating to the
tiger. They had an Animal Party and there was a Taronga
Zoo Family pass to win.
LEIGH HOBBS – Author
and Illustrator of Horrible Harriet and Mr Chicken books
Leigh was very funny saying that he doesn’t even like making
children’s books. His passion is architecture and he incorporates this in most
of his books. Leigh feels “Children have a right to create free from the
pressure of assessment” He was very entertaining.
READING AMBASSADORS
– Gail Dunn Wollondilly Library
This program is in partnership with the library and local
schools. One boy and one girl from year 5 or year 6 are chosen to be a Reading
Ambassador and represent the school and to be an advocate for the local library.
Details are on the library website with a photo of each ambassador and
information about the program. The children have special T-Shirts to wear at
school assembly where they talk about the roles and responsibilities of being
a reading ambassador as well as promoting the library.
There is an end of year presentation for the children with the mayor
presenting them with a certificate. It is a very successful program.
Chris
Chris
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