Latest National Executive news

SLANZA National Executive met online in the evening on 14th September to analyse and discuss the AGM as well as other matters. This is a brief summary for members.

AGM

The Annual General Meeting was held online over 24 hours  from 9:00am on Wednesday 7 September. We had 130 members participate. Thank you to all those who responded, we easily met our quorum.

Minutes from the 2015 AGM - read and accepted

AGM Reports tabled - read and accepted

Proposed constitutional change for ratification - accepted, constitution update to be lodged

“If in a non-conference year there is not an event that will guarantee a quorum for the National Executive AGM then the AGM can be run via an online forum”

Appointment of auditor Chris Saxton - accepted

Matters arising from 2015 AGM minutes, reports, and general business:

·         4 members - concern over SLANZA and LIANZA conferences being held in the same year

o    Response -  SLANZA has maintained our conference every two years, for example, 2009 Christchurch, 2011 Auckland, 2013 Wellington, 2015 Christchurch. Members at the 2015 AGM voiced emphatically to continue conferences every two years and NE response was to ask Auckland if they would be prepared to run with the 2017 conference. As the change to same-year was not initiated by SLANZA, we believe concerns are misdirected.

·         1 member - saddened by declining membership across country, did membership drive two years ago make a difference, what can be done?

o    Response - the membership drives were undertaken at different times in different ways by most regions with no significant impact. Some regions have utilised their Community Post pre-paid envelopes this year to promote events and distribute the SLANZA brochure detailing the role and benefit of joining SLANZA. We do know that membership numbers fluctuate, rising a little in conference years. With NE planning to provide further benefits for our members in future we hope to see member numbers rise again.

·         1 member - are you still considering a survey of school library staff and conditions?

o    Response - a trial phone survey for non-SLANZA schools has been initiated, this will be followed with another survey which is still in development - together these surveys will help build a comprehensive picture of the situations facing school libraries around the country.

·         1 member - concern under government’s global budget proposal school libraries may become luxuries schools can’t afford, or communities of learning where ten schools share one library

o    Response - NE too, have concerns about the possible effects of changes to school budgets on provision of school libraries and adequate school library staffing. We urge all members to advocate for better funding for schools in general and school libraries in particular. Take every opportunity to promote your role and the services you provide, share evidence of your practices and how you benefit your school community - become indispensable.

·         1 member - how are funds from 2015 Christchurch conference being used?

o    Response - the bulk of the income from the previous conference, $20,000, has been redirected to the 2017 conference in Auckland as seeding money. Specific decisions about the use of any of SLANZA's income are made by NE after consideration of the best use of funds to meet SLANZA's goals and objectives, and the needs of our members.

Study Grants

SLANZA offers study grants each year, to those working in school library teams. We believe that continuing professional development is vital - it helps you increase the knowledge and skills you need to deliver a valued service to your school community, and it can open you up to new and exciting possibilities in the field of librarianship. If you are thinking about undertaking Library and Information Studies next year, you may be eligible to apply for assistance. The closing date for submitting study grant applications is this Thursday, 22 September.  

Google+ Community Professional Development

The discussion topic currently running is Transforming Your Library based on the ideas of  Rachel van Riel. Do join the conversations, the more contributions the greater we all benefit from the shared experiences and knowledge. This discussion topic started last week and will finish at the end of Week 2 of next term, however you may watch the videos and post comments anytime, including catching up over the holidays.

Conference 2017

The conference website is the place to go to keep up to date. Rachel van Riel has been confirmed as a key note speaker and the call for abstracts has gone out to all members. Consider presenting a session, 15, 30 or 60 minutes long, a great way to step up and contribute. Remember that your audience are librarians, just like you, and we admire and respect those who are willing to share their knowledge. Make sure you add this valuable professional development opportunity into your budget planning for next year.

SLANZA National Executive will continue to work on your behalf and ensure that the voice of school libraries from all over the country are heard.

Julia Smith

Communications