March event: Innovations in the Library and beyond...

Hi all,

Heather here. I am a newer member of the ALIA Sydney group and am working as a coordinator of events. I work at Waverley Library as the Manager, Library Operations. I didn’t feel I had enough to do in this job, so I applied to join the ALIA Sydney Group. Not really, I joined up because as a relatively new manager, I am really interested in professional development and keeping my teams up to speed and passionate about what they do. I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to get creative, hone my event management skills, and join a network of similarly passionate professionals.

I’m working on my first event as we speak and we’re at the stage of starting to promote it, which I will take this opportunity to do now:

ALIA Sydney Presents: 20x20: Innovations in the library and beyond…
Our relationships with information are changing, as are the way we use information repositories such as libraries and museums. Come alongto hear an inspiring selection of speakers  tell us about the innovative projects they have worked on to present information and services in new and creative ways.
Our cutting edge list of guest speakers will be presenting in the innovative 20x20 presentation format, and include:

Jemima McDonald from UTS

Michael Gonzales from UWS

Karina Libbey from the Festivalists (responsible for the Jurassic Lounge at the Australian Museum)

Estee Wah from the Power House Museum

Hugh Nichols from City of Sydney Libraries

Maureen Kattau and Fiona Burton from Macquarie University

Shaun O’Dwyer and Kylie Bailin from UNSW

Details
Date: Thursday 29^th March
Time: 6pm (for a 6:30pm start) – 8:30pm
Venue: Waverley Library

32-48 Denison St

Bondi Junction

View Larger Map Getting there:

A short walk from Bondi Junction station (on Eastern Suburbs line), head towards the City along Oxford St and turn left on to Denison St

Parking is available beneath the library via Ebley St, free for the first 1.5 hours.

Cost: $10 for members, $13.50 for non members
RSVP: please register your attendance by RSVPing to aliasydneygroup@gmail.com

It seems like we have timed this event well, considering our promotions are to begin at the same time that the State Librarian, Dr Alex Byrne, appears on page two of the SMH discussing the changing nature of Libraries. The article says

“In navigating the complex new world of information overload, people don't just read books any more. They interact with information, and with each other to make sense of it.”

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/silence-is-not-so-golden-in-the-modern-library-20120305-1ueed.html#ixzz1oHot1r3e

I see this at Waverley Library as I note the shift from our study rooms being places where you can make a bit of noise and the much bigger public study room being used for quiet study, to the opposite, with customers booking the study rooms to get away from the din. We also do an HSC ‘Late shift lock in’ each year where students studying for the HSC stay back after closing to do an intense study session, with speakers and study guides. From many accounts on our feedback survey, the noise is amazing! The students are not necessarily complaining though, they are saying that they found the night an exciting and fun way to learn together.

I’ve also been in the position of having to explain to some customers that total silence is not something we ‘enforce’ (which was the customer’s words) and recommended instead the quieter times during the day that the customer might come in, for example definitely not on a story time morning!

I’m very excited to be on board at such a time of transformation and innovation and look forward to the challenge of bringing the customers with old school ideas about the library and librarians along for the ride!

Heather