Save the Date! ALIASyd event on November 29

Where did 2014 go?

We have one more ALIA Sydney event coming up for this year, a chance for us all to meet up in a fun and relaxed environment, before the silly season gets well under way.

Please mark your calendars for Saturday November 29th and we'll let you know more details soon!

UnMeash3 Unconference Wrap-up

Rob and Connie opening UnMeash3

Unconferences are all about sharing ideas and experiences. What you know, what you’ve seen and heard, what you want to know, what you’ve tried, what worked and what didn’t work. With all participants contributing their experience and expertise, new knowledge and proven tricks of the trade, asking questions and giving advice it all adds up to a day of cooperation and learning. The UnMeash unconference (held earlier this year on Saturday 5 July) is a great example of information professionals from Sydney (and beyond) doing it for themselves, and the results are always interesting.

This unconference is in its sixth year, the third year under the UnMeash moniker, and the second year at the very generous UNSW Library. The day starts with everyone suggesting topics for discussion, and then voting their preferences from the whole list, to determine the morning sessions. If popular sessions conflict, then they might be run twice. If the session you have chosen to attend doesn’t grab you, then you are encouraged to leave it to join another discussion.

First up were sessions on Useful Online Utilities, New Technology, and Innovative Information Services. Everyone divides into groups which move to the area for each discussion, then dive right in. While it’s often difficult to decide on a session, by using the hashtag #UnMeash3 or following @unmeash3 each group can get some idea of what other groups discussed and share their own information. The afternoon sessions included Digital Resources for Kids, Gaming to Promote Libraries, and the Repurposed Library. The sessions I attended provided me with plenty of ideas, information, and resources to note down and explore later. 

Not every session is a huge success. Sometimes the weight of numbers generated by interest in a single session means that other discussions might not get going. Sometimes the topic of greatest interest to you doesn’t get any votes at the start of the day and isn’t included. Occasionally a session may be dominated by participants who have little experience and loads of questions, and end up a little unsatisfying. My experience has been that no time is wasted, and the unanswered questions prompt me to search out answers later, through other avenues. 

Plus, there’s always plenty of time at UnMeash for informal chatting over morning tea, afternoon tea, and lunch at The White House. This is the time for finding out where people work, what they are doing that’s interesting, what they are planning for their career, their news and views. These connections are also an important part of the event.

With thanks to the ALIA NSW Library Techs, ALIA Sydney, and ALIA NSW New Grads who joined forces to organise the event, under the very capable leadership of Rob and Connie, I look forward to UnMeash4 in 2015.

-Lauren Castan

Art & About: Hallowed Ground

Hallowed Ground is back for it's fourth year and this year's panel will be discussing what the librarian of the future will look like. The City of Sydney Libraries and ALIA Sydney have put together a great panel to chat about those important people who inhabit our libraries. 

This years' panel includes: Sue McKerracher (Managing Director of ALIA), Roxanne Missingham (University Librarian at ANU), Michel Carney (Librarian at NSW State Library) and Dr Mary Carroll (Associate Course Director in the School of Information Studies, CSU).

Places are limited so book now so you don't miss out! 
When: Thursday, 9 October 2014 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM (AEDT)
Where: Customs House Library, 31 Alfred St Circular Quay Sydney

SLNSW tour- ALIA Sydney event Saturday 21 June

ALIA Sydney is delighted to present an exclusive behind the scenes Tour of the State Library of New South Wales.

The State Library of NSW is the oldest library in Australia and also a world-leading library and centre of digital excellence. The Library’s extraordinary collections document the heritage of Australia and Oceania and are one of the State’s most valuable assets. By building, preserving and delivering its collections, including today’s born digital materials, the Library enables Australians to interrogate our past and imagine our future.

Join us on this rare opportunity to take a behind the scenes look  of such a prestigious Library.

Where: State Library of NSW, Macquarie Street, Sydney

When: Saturday 21 June 2014, 10am for a 10:30 start - Meeting in the Foyer near the Library Shop.

Cost: $5 members or $7 non-members (not including lunch)

Lunch will be at a nearby pub/café following the tour.

Register your interest by emailing:  aliasydneygroup@gmail.com.

Get in quick as spaces are running out fast!

-Gabby

Should library and information professionals be researchers?

Short answer: yes.

Slightly longer answer: yes, because research will help us learn more to do our jobs better, and improve our services, by basing decisions on evidence. I work in an academic library, and am constantly advising and assisting students to back up their ideas with evidence - so I feel like I should put my money where my mouth is. And as a bonus, conducting research gives me a very useful insight into the needs of the researchers I support as part of my 'day job'.

Doing research also helps demonstrate our value as a profession to the wider community, as Jonathan Eldredge explains in his article about revitalising the profession through Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (EBLIP):

"The EBLIP process enables library and information practitioners to enhance their professional status by displaying a value in serving users and larger society, expertise in the subjects related to decisions made, and critical appraisal of the best evidence available for making these transparent decisions. EBLIP thereby offers our profession an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate our expertise and value to society." (Eldredge 2014)

Why is it so hard?

Short answer: time.

Slightly longer answer: finding the time is a key problem according to Jane Secker. Research is often not seen (or supported) as a 'core' part of our jobs, so it can become just 'one more thing' for busy library and information professionals to do.

How can I get started?

Short answer: if you're in Sydney, go to the ALIA LARK group meetup this Thursday 1 May, to kickstart your library research project.
Slightly longer answer: Jane Secker and Emma Coonan have provided some tips for doing research and fitting it in with the 'day job', as outlined on Emma's blog:

1. Find your thinking space (hint: this may involve coffee/fresh air). Where’s yours?
2. Modify your attitude to time – your research may well become your hobby! When’s your best thinking time?
3. Build a partnership: working with someone else is highly motivating, boosts your confidence, and means you can divide up the work. Who could you buddy up with?
4. Look out for funding opportunities: keep an eye on networks, JISCmail lists, and other resources and contacts. Where might you start looking?
5. Find your niche. What do you do that no-one else is doing? What do you love about your research field?
6. Develop your online identity, for greater recognition and to take part in a wider conversation. What platform(s) will you use to do this?
7. Present your ideas early: share and develop your existing resources, slides or ideas. You can present your work through so many different channels: blogs, Twitter, Slideshare, Mendeley, JORUM … What platform(s) will you use to do this?
8. Think about whether you want ‘academic’ publication in addition to the channels you’re already using to publish your ideas (see point 7). If you do: listen to your students’ questions and conversations about how to present their work and where to publish. Learning from them not only helps us offer better support, it will also make us better researchers.

So, what are you waiting for?

Now is a particularly good time for Australian-based LIS people to get started on those research ideas we've been thinking about, with ALIA Information Online's call for proposals now open. What better opportunity to answer a question about our practice and share it with others in the profession?

What do you think about librarians also being researchers? Please share your comments below.

-Amy Croft
ALIA Sydney Co-Convenor

Meet up at Dimitris!

Hello everyone!

ALIA Sydney is planning a meet up at Dimitris on Tuesday 6 May. (324 Crown Street, Surry Hills). It would be great if you could come. The event will kick off around 6:00pm.

Our meet ups are a great way to spent an evening meeting information professional folks - plus there's going to be great pizza and great alcohol! (There might even be some library themed desserts! yum!)

Spaces are limited - so please RSVP to aliasydneygroup@gmail.com. If you have any dietary restrictions don't forget to include them too.

We hope to see you there!



-Caitlin Williams
Social Media Officer, ALIA Sydney

Tech Snapshot - Wrap up

On Tuesday the 8th of April, ALIA Sydney held its Tech snapshot event. It was a fabulous evening all round, there was great food, drinks and even better company!

Insight into the world of technology is somewhat daunting but Alan Chan, IT specialist from FireEye made it interesting and applicable.
He gave us insight into the real world threats facing those on a global scale and everyday people, like us. Here are some practical yet simple ways to prevent that sinking feeling when you realise that you have just be duped:

• Have software security installed on your PC.
• Update software and applications
• Windows are constantly being targeted because they hold the largest market share - you can schedule updates to run automatically.
• Use a strong password 
• Google common passwords - do not use those;
• Furthermore do not have a strong password then write it down on a post-it note and stick it under your keyboard, its like using those fake rocks with a hidden key for your front door - not very secure!
• Back-up data
• There are many ways to do this now, particularly for Libraries where a lot of sensitive information is held, we need to assess risk and the value of the information to determine how much needs to be invested whether it is to use external hard drives or the cloud, a back-up should always be done.
• Stranger danger applies in the virtual world too;
• be careful of emails from strangers or emails with strange subject lines
• many phishing emails look legitimate but banks and other similar organisations will not ask you to send usernames, passwords or account details via email.
• Do not announce travel plans on social media!

Our very own Vesna Cosic took us through her process of going from 'Card Catalogue to IT'. She is bravely pursuing further studies in Information Technology after realising that technology is not going anywhere and the only way to handle it is to embrace it.

Last but certainly not least Marilyn Taylor has and is moving 'Leichhardt Digital Direction'. They have established 2 parallel collections (digital and non-digital) and take a forward approach with E-book vendors. Marilyn advises talking directly with vendors to see if e-books can be bought, rather than just taking a contract.

Thank you to all that attended! We here at ALIA Sydney hope you had a good evening.

NSW New Grads meet and greet

Coat of Arms Pizza & Beef & Bock Pot Pie by The Australian Heritage Hotel

The first NSW New Grad event is a casual meet and greet to be held on Tuesday 25 March at The Australian Heritage Hotel, 100 Cumberland St, The Rocks. Please join us from 6pm, grab a drink and a pizza and settle in for a chat. Great opportunity to meet your fellow library lovers!

Contact jessicamarysanford@gmail.com for more information.

Realistic Resolutions

By the start of February most of us have already given up on going to the gym every day, eating better, drinking less... but with the start of the Lunar Year, what better time to get real about making resolutions.

We here at ALIA Sydney are challenging you to make just one achievable resolution right now:

Eat chocolate.

What - why?

Um, why not?

But seriously. Because this is the first step in taking charge of your career.

How?

We're glad you asked.

All you need to do is eat chocolate WITH US.

This year, ALIA Sydney want to plan our events around what YOU need for YOUR career!

So, we'll be at the Metcentre's Max Brenner on Wednesday 5 March from 6.30pm waiting to talk with you (and possibly eating all the chocolate).

This is not just a chance to eat chocolate (and tell us what we can do to make our events awesomer for you), but to meet other fabulous chocolate-loving library people.

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