Hello from Elaine

Really enjoyed going to conference. A big thank you to SLANZA northland for sponsering me. It was great to meet lots of like minded people and exchange ideas. Enjoyed the workshops especially Anita's on library displays, gave me lots of ideas to take back to share with my library teacher aide. Together we are creating a mural on native New Zealand animals in our library, to support our school Term three theme on our Country. I hope to get teachers and classes to contribute with visual and written language and art.

SLANZA Conference 2011 sessions online

A number of the presentations from the recent SLANZA conference session are now available online http://www.slanza.org.nz/conference2011.html
so check it out... from the keynotes with Joyce Valenza and Judy O'Connell to a variety of presentations.

One of the sessions I attended was with Miriam Tuohy on Bookapedia battles
http://www.slideshare.net/miriamtuohy/bookapedia-battles-8784559 which sounded like an amazing event at her school, generating lots of reading, writing, talking and laughing about books.

Library displays

Anita Vandenberghe from St Kentigern's College Library did a great session at the Conference from all accounts - Elaine S is going to do a post about the actual workshop, but just to say here is the link to Anita's webpage
http://www.creativelibrarydisplays.com/

Latest themes are the Rugby World Cup, Daffodil Day this Saturday 26th August, and FYI the whole of September is Self-Improvement Month !

You can find these dates (and heaps more) on the Calendar of Events http://www.creativelibrarydisplays.com/calendar-of-events/
just to get you start thinking about your next display.

I did a post a while back on Library Zest about displays and there are a few more links there http://libraryzest.blogspot.com/2009/10/library-displays.html

Anita is based in Auckland but has a place at Waipapa and often comes north - I'm thinking a SLANZA meeting with her in Northland would be good. Would you come ? Shall I organise it? Let me know what you think...

Dinner at The Fat Camel

Are you coming to the SLANZA meeting in Whangarei on Thursday 15 September to hear the wonderful Bob Docherty talk about the amazing children's and YA books he has read recently? If so, then think about joining us at The Fat Camel afterwards.

RSVP to Dee so that I can book a table.

Northland Membership

Have you considered joining SLANZA?
The School library Association works in a professional manner at a national level promoting school libraries and their staff. SLANZA's purpose is to:

• provide a national voice for all members of the school library team
• advocate for the critical role of school libraries in reading, teaching, and learning; and to provide support and networks for school library staff
• improve the professional standing, working conditions and qualifications for all staff involved with school libraries
• support professional development through conferences, network meetings, and regular newsletters
• develop links with associated national and international professional organisations

At this years’ conference in Auckland four Northland members received grants to pay their conference registration. Julia Smith from Kerikeri High School Library was recognised with a SLANZA Award of Merit for Literacy and Enjoyment of Reading and five members from the north presented workshops.

We try and offer one PD session every term. This year in Northland we have held five Book Processing workshops around the north, offered a Newspapers in Schools workshop and are organising and promoting Bob Dogherty’s visit from Christchurch to talk to about Teen Fiction (see previous post for details of these events).

Currently about one third of schools are members in the North. Membership may be paid for by your school because it is to their advantage to have professional staff whose knowledge is current and relevant to support teaching and learning at their school. To join please download the membership form from the website: http://www.slanza.org.nz

Please do not hesitate to contact me for any further information.

Lisa Salter
RLIANZA
Library Manager Ruawai College and Community Library
Te Tai Tokerau Representative to the National Executive
lsalter@ruawaicollege.school.nz

Storylines Story Tour, August 25th 2011

This years Storyline Story Tour is coming up to Kerikeri. I quickly jumped in and put my hand up for a writer to come and visit us and guess what excitement abounds at Excellere College, we are having Des Hunt, children's author, calling into Excellere on the way up to the Kerikeri Family day, on the afternoon of August 25th.

Des Hunt's writing emphasises the environment, flora and fauna of New Zealand, while giving a sense of adventure children enjoy.

At the moment I am reading "The Peco Incident", a must read.

The Peco Incident is about two cousins in the school holidays coming across dead sparrows. Cousin Nick has a suspicious mind and in no time they are in an adventure of suspense and drama when meeting two hippie tourists near The Peninsula Egg Farm (PECO), finding dead chickens hidden in the bushes, and a hole cut in the fence of the chicken farm.

Good reading everyone,

Angela

Angela's first ever blog post

I was lucky enough to be granted a registration award by the SLANZA Northland Committee of which I am truly grateful. I am happy to say I gleaned good information from all of the sessions I attended, and will be able to put it to good use over the coming months. Thank you very much SLANZA Northland.

I thought I would write my post on the Key Note speakers.

Opening address by John Carr, writer, cartoonist, performance poet and stand-up comedian. Well! what a way to start ! His presentation call "Cold ducks, Old ducks and the never-ending wave"had me in fits of laughter. He rapped and rapped, about Mango's Medi-tags and Colostomy bags. What a great way to start such a full on three and a half days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9clYEG5evAM

This should bring up the Mango Rap if you wish to reminisce.

Judy O'Connell, "Do you have the keys to tomorrow?" Well true to her title, e-learning lecturer in Library and Information Management in the Faculty of Education, Charles Sturt University, Judy is a mine of new information. I joined the Tweet community and follow her, well, every now and then,tweeting still hasn't become part of my daily routine, the sites she introduces to us are very "now". I have checked a few out and found them very useful.

Joyce Valenza, "The Wizard of Apps (seriously remixed)". I really enjoyed Joyce's enthusiasm, I would love to be able to visit her library, one day. I absolutely agree with her this is the best time to be a teacher-librarian. (My case just librarian). Keeping up with all the new opportunities that are presented today is an ongoing challenge, sifting through what is available and choosing what would be relevant for my little library.

Paul Little, "Future Imperfect". I could hardly hear what Paul was saying, unfortunately. He was speaking on the changing language of today.

Carol Hirshfeld, "Feel the Fear". A woman of my own heart! I really enjoyed hearing about her life and how that gave her the strength to be what she is today. A very successful lady who is currently the General Manager of Production for Maori Television.

Fleur Beale, "The Usefulness of Boundaries". Fleur is a teen writer, whose stories are made up from people and activities of her everyday life. Fleur is a very inspirational speaker, well received by everyone.

Please feel free to add to what I have written about these speakers.

Cheers, Angela

Good Advice for Teens Using Social Media

Are you concerned about how teenagers are using social media and what they are sharing publicly? As a parent of teenagers and a person in my school with influence on them I want to promote sensible use of all these new tools and environments.

I came across this letter to teenagers over the weekend and thought it was a sound and non-threatening way to get the message across. I have just blown up to A3 size and made a display promoting it. I will also ask teachers to post a copy in classroom, especially the computer room.

Have a look at the link below and feel free to share with everyone!

The Internet never forgets. Is that what you want for your future you?

http://socialmediatoday.com/brandsprout/330622/open-letter-teens-re-social-media

A belated post ...

A belated post from me - my excuse is that I have been relaxing in sunny Rarotonga and since then have had a sad case of total information overload.

I found the ideas at the conference very stimulating both from the keynotes and the workshops as well as from the other librarians. It was great to connect with librarians not seen since the last conference as well as spending some quality time with my Northland "flockmates". Special thanks to Angela for providing transport and to my roomie Julia.

There was so much of interest at the conference. A few highlights were hearing ideas about marketing, branding and advocacy of the library. Being at the forefront of the e-book revolution when Wheelers launched their eBook Library Lending Platform and learning about how much Maori information was available through the National Library portal. Still working through all the material I received ....

Looking forward to seeing Bob Docherty again - do make the effort to see him if possible he is so enthusiastic about the books promotes it makes you want to go home and read them all!

Bob's Books : "I want your kids to read!"

I did a post last month, but just a reminder about the SLANZA meetings in week 7 this term with Bob Docherty from Christchurch promoting new and interesting fiction for teens. Could be of particular interest to English teachers.

• Kerikeri High School Library, Hone Heke Rd, Kerikeri, Wednesday 14th September

• Whangarei Girls’ High School Library, Lupton Ave, Whangarei, Thursday 15th September. Many thanks to both the host schools.
  

• 3.45pm for afternoon tea, 4 - 5 pm for Bob

• Free meeting, all welcome, gold coin donation welcome as contribution to afternoon tea, and please RSVP to Jeannie.skinner@dia.govt.nz with numbers attending which meeting.

Bob's Books blog is at http://bobsbooksnz.wordpress.com/