7th ALIA Top End Symposium - Call for Abstracts

7th ALIA Top End Symposium

Darwin, Northern Territory

7th and 8th October 2011

Call for Abstracts

ALIA Top End invites abstracts of proposed presentations/papers for the symposium to be held in Darwin from midday Friday 7 October to midday Saturday 8 October 2011.

CoNnecTing to the Information Future

Connections play an important role in the library environment. Whether we’re connecting with our users, connecting with our colleagues, or connecting users with information, its part of what we do and it’s changing all the time. Our challenge arises in how we create connections, what mechanisms (eg. programs, tools, technologies) we use to connect, and how to maintain and build on our connections.

The 7th ALIA Top End symposium aims to highlight the role libraries play in this connectivity.
Abstracts are invited from all library sectors and the following topic areas are indicative but not exhaustive:

Connecting with clients:

• Using new tools and technologies to connect with users
• Connecting with users in remote locations
• Programs that encourage community participation and engagement
• Promotional or marketing campaigns to connect with different user groups

Connecting with colleagues:

• Sharing information and experiences online or offline
• Connecting and networking with professional colleagues to stay current and progressive
• Sharing collections and metadata across institutions

Connecting with information

• Implementing new discovery or search tools
• Using metadata to connect users to information
• Investigating and experimenting with new technologies for information access and discovery

You are invited to submit an abstract that outlines what you are doing well.

Abstracts

An abstract of your paper / presentation is due by 18th July 2011, and should consist of no more than 300 words. Abstracts should be electronically submitted to: michelle.turner@cdu.edu.au or sally.cummings@cdu.edu.au

Please note that receiving an abstract does not guarantee acceptance of the paper.

Abstracts will be expected to meet the following criteria:

• Relevance to the audience and theme
• Clarity, coherence and organisation of writing
• Originality and innovation of the work

All presenters are required to submit their presentations prior to the symposium. Papers are preferred, but not essential. The papers and/or presentations will be made available on the ALIA Top End group website after the symposium.

Submission deadline for abstract or proposal: Monday 18th July 2011

Notification of acceptance: Thursday 4th August 2011

Full presentation and/or full paper due: Monday 19th September 2011

If you have any enquiries about submitting abstracts please contact michelle.turner@cdu.edu.au or sally.cummings@cdu.edu.au

For further information on writing an abstract visit: http://www.alia.org.au/groups/topend/abstract.html

2011 ALIA NT Recognition Award

Congratulations and well done to A'Mhara Russell from the Department of Health Library for winning the 2011 ALIA NT Recognition Award!

A big thanks to Raeco for sponsoring the cash prize and small trophy for last year's winner, Darwin City Council Libraries to retain; and again to Northern Territory News for sponsoring the beautiful perpetual trophy first presented last year.

Well done to all the other nominees for the great work they are doing, and to the nominators in giving them the recognition for it. Brief details of each nomination are as below:

1. Winner. A'Mhara Russell, from the Dept of Health Library. The nomination was made by Ruby Lindberg and Alex Kersemakers. Since May 2009 A'Mhara has been responsible for developing reference services using new technologies such as LibGuides, a library blog, and associated Web 2.0 applications such as RSS feeds, collaborative calendars and social bookmarking. Her excellent skills have motivated her to provide Web 2.0 peer training to library staff. This has included blogging tips, mash ups, social networking and social bookmarking. A’Mhara also used her initiative to investigate other new technology that could be used to market the services of the library, in particular the use of Google maps, QR codes and mobile platforms.

2. Alice Rae and Barbara Hickey, Darwin City Council Libraries (DCCL), for the Live Music at the Library Program. The nomination was made by Karen Conway, Library Manager. Alice and Barbara developed a program to host a weekly lunchtime music session at Casuarina Library. The program was developed to enhance the atmosphere of the Library and to date has been very successful. So much so that in 2010, a similar music session was started at the City Library as well. The program has been widely accepted in the community and has been featured both on local ABC Radio and Southern Cross TV.

3. Emma Darby and Lynette Loone, DCCL, for the Prisoner Employment Program. The nomination was made by Karen Conway, Manager of DCCL. Emma and Lyn collaborated with the NT Correctional Service, in selecting suitable prisoners to be placed in a supportive workplace, where they could gain valuable skills in improving their employment and reintegration prospects. Three prisoners worked at Casuarina and City libraries over the last ten months under the supervision of the two managers. The prisoners have been quickly accepted as part of library teams and their contribution and enthusiasm has been highly valued.

4. Liaison Librarian Team for the Charles Darwin University (CDU) Casuarina Campus, Semester 1 2011, Orientation Program. The nomination was made by Lyndall Carey from CDU Library. As part of the Orientation Program for new students this year, the Liaison Librarians organised a Treasure Hunt to help students get to know the Library. To take part, students had to follow a series of clues, collecting words along the way to make up a secret phrase to enable them to enter the prize draw. QR codes were used to deliver Library orientation activities to CDU internal and external clients. Over 200 students entered the competition and feedback indicated it was a fun and informative activity. The orientation program culminated in a paper being presenting at The Third International m-libraries Conference held recently in Brisbane.Members of the team include: JoAnne Witt, Michelle Turner, Sally Cummings, Bernadette Royal and Julie Cartwright.

5.Northern Territory Library (NTL) "Exhibition Team", for the 2011 Exhibition, The Track: 1000 Miles to War. The nomination was made by Diana Richards, Assistant Director, NTL. The Exhibition was overseen and planned by Lynette Aitchison, Manager, Heritage Services, and took 12 months to design. Lynette managed a team of staff to research, design and install the Exhibition. The Museum of Central Australia asked if it could then travel to Alice Springs to go on show from April - October 2011 and from Alice the exhibition is to move to Tennant Creek and Katherine. This is the first travelling exhibition organised by the Northern Territory Library and this nomination recognises the challenges and skills required by Lynette Aitchison and her team to implement this initiative. Team members included: Lynette Aitchison, Brian Flanagan, Josephine McGill, Alan Davis, Marlene Meyers, Margret Curry, John Richards; Heather Bryce; Michelle Smith, Diana Richards, Gaynor Lovett, Heather Tangey, Melissa Royle and Jane Kearney.

Our congratulations to you all. Keep up the fantastic work that you are all doing!

Jayshree

Jayshree Mamtora AALIA (CP)
ALIA NT Manager