Collected magazine no 13 - The professional development issue - OUT NOW!

The latest   issue of  2014  ( #13)  is now on  the virtual shelf  and  the theme is  Professional Development .  This issue has some wonderful articles on professional development on both a large, and a more personal scale. See what your peers are doing and sharing in this issue.

 

We have   book reviews from fellow school librarians who know what works in their schools.

We are fortunate to have the support of our Business members and their contributions will keep you abreast of the latest commercial offerings.

Check out what is happening in your region and have a look at what is being offered in others. Members are encouraged to attend events in other regions or to support their local committee in bringing good ideas to their own area.

Please feel free to share the magazine, we would appreciate if you could print one out and share in your staffroom or forward to your teaching team.

Thank you for all the quality contributions and assistance in editing.  Final appreciation goes to the regular  team of proof readers.

Greig Daniels
Editor
SLANZA Collected Magazine

 

News from SLANZA National Executive - September 2014

Region representatives met virtually for the first time this weekend on Google Hangouts.  This involved members having access to suitable technology and broadband.  Most found it better than expected but some members had difficulty with their devices or internet connection causing intermittent sound or video disruption.  This did not stop us from getting through the agenda while working from home.  The success of this trial means in future we will replace one face to face meeting each year saving money and wear and tear on NE members.

Our discussion about communication to members was significant as this was our current communication leader Lisa Salter’s last meeting.  Cathy Kennedy, member for Aoraki has volunteered to fill this position and we are confident in her ability to engage with our members.  

Greig Daniels took over as editor of Collected magazine at the last meeting and his first issue will be out very soon.  In a discussion around what our members get with their membership money it was decided to investigate sharing the magazine with members only in the first instance, with public access after a period of time.  More news about this idea will be sent to members once investigated fully.

 

The NE is pleased with our progress in developing external partnerships with other library focus organisations.  For the first time ever SLANZA members have been offered LIANZA member rates to their 2014 conference in Auckland.  At this stage staff from 25 school libraries have registered to attend. We are currently working on updating our Memorandum of Understanding with LIANZA and we have been offered space at their conference stand.  We are working with the Association of Public Library Managers (APLM), currently focused on a Summer Reading initiative.  We have accepted an invitation to join APLM in a national Digital Literacy working party.

 

Karen Clarke presented a financial report and to date we are working to budget. While we have goals of raising membership to increase funds, most regions report that it is difficult to get information about library staffing in schools.  There is also a general feeling that there are less school library staff overall as schools are changing the way they staff their libraries, particularly in the primary sector.

 

SLANZA is committed to repeating our successful reading survey this year and hope to gather and present the information earlier in Term 4 this year.  It will be good to see this year’s lists of most popular books, authors and series in New Zealand schools.  It may feed into your buying plan for next year or make it in your school newsletter as advice for Christmas gift purchases.

 

Cathy Kennedy reported that the 2015 conference committee is well into the planning of next September’s event.   The committee had a brain storming session to balance the different types of speakers and workshops, so that there is something for everyone, at every level of library staff.  We are all looking forward to another successful SLANZA conference.

 

The virtual meeting was a success and feedback will give us the opportunity to improve on the concept over time.  I for one really enjoyed it, it saved me a weekend away from home, the stress of travel and while I was engaged in the meeting I also got my ironing done.

 

Lisa Salter

Communications Leader (outgoing)

News from National Executive September 2014

From Lisa Salter-

After four years of representing Te Tai Tokerau, I recently attended my last SLANZA National Executive (NE) meeting.  I have mixed feelings.  My life changed course last year when I joined the public library sector and while I still have school libraries in my heart, my head needs to be focused on learning in a new environment.  

Julia Smith from Kerikeri High School has accepted the opportunity to represent the region on NE. She is more than capable of taking this responsibility on. This can be ratified at the AGM in Term 1 next year when the region will also be looking for a new chair and secretary.  Please consider these positions as they are not onerous and the connections, collaboration and experience are well worth the pride in organising a valuable event for members.

I am grateful that my family have been supportive of my volunteer work and managed well when I was working or traveling for NE.  I learned a lot during my tenure and have made many professional and enjoyable connections with other librarians. The professional development offered has helped me in my career and given me confidence and a big picture understanding of what school libraries and libraries in general can offer. 

I have a sense of relief but will miss my co-workers on NE.  We have had many laughs and many achievements to be proud of.  My next challenge is representing the region on The Association of Public Library Managers board and I have joined the Digital Literacy Working Party.  I am confident that I will be able to contribute to these groups with the experience I have gained on NE.

Thanks for the memories, the support and the opportunities. If someone suggests you attend a meeting or join a committee do consider it.  SLANZA will only thrive if members value and contribute to the organisation at the local and national level.  All the best for the future, I'll be cheering you on.  

Lisa Salter

Outgoing Te Tai Tokerau NE Rep, Communications Leader and Collected Editor

For news from the recent NE meeting see our blog.

2015 SLANZA Conference - St Andrew's College, Christchurch, 28-30 September 2014

  

Put this conference date in your diary…

Spring 2015 will bring the next national SLANZA conference to Christchurch and planning is already well underway for this three day event.

 

The theme of the conference is From the Ground Up – Growing Libraries for the Future.  Never before have libraries been in such a time of change and re-evaluation of services.  Everyone in the library and information industry is on a journey and we are all at different stages of our travels – sometimes the stage we are at even depends on any given day or hour as we are all forever learning, building or growing our skills and knowledge.  It is the aim of the 2015 conference planning committee to ensure there is something for everyone at conference to help you continue to grow – no matter where you are on your learning journey.  Every single person who contributes to the school library community is valuable and we want a conference that caters for and reflects how libraries are built figuratively and literally ‘from the ground up’! We will bring everything from practical, hands-on workshops to ideas to help you grow and change your library for future focused learning.  Early in 2015 the conference website will go live and we will add workshops and information on keynote speakers as these are secured or confirmed.

 

Conference 2015 will be held at St Andrew’s College in Christchurch.  St Andrew’s College is a Year 1-13 co-educational school situated in the north of Christchurch on Papanui Road.  Accommodation will be available on site in the new boarding houses at very reasonable rates or you can choose hotel and motel accommodation just minutes away.  You will be able to enjoy the river bank in springtime which runs through the College grounds and a wee touch of Scotland in Christchurch.

 

It is too far out from conference as yet to give a confirmed registration fee but we are endeavouring to keep the costs as close as possible to the 2013 conference in Wellington.  The early bird, member registration for that conference was $375 with the conference dinner additional at $80.  We will also offer author breakfasts and these were a cost of $30 in Wellington.   Start talking to your school Principal now so you can budget for this essential professional development opportunity.

 

If you have ideas for workshops you would like to facilitate, workshops you would love to participate in or would like additional information, please contact the conference planning committee at library@stac.school.nz.  You can also take a look at the short video that was presented at the end of conference 2013: Join us in Christchurch 2015. 

http://animoto.com/play/BoLZNXOcw60Y8G5cmrdYtw

Hope to see you there!

 

Your Aoraki Conference Planning Committee

 

 

 

Empowering school support staff in the school library

It was an enjoyable and informative morning for school support staff / library teams at the workshop last Friday in the lovely library at Kaikohe East School - thanks Elaine, Lorene and Chicky for your hospitality.

Congratulations to our two newest presenters on the block – Liz Christensen from Ohaeawai School and Jenny Puckey from Kaitaia Primary School, and thanks to their schools for giving them the time to share their expertise and enthusiasm with others.  

 
Karlene and Amy at morning tea time, with Colleen from Dargaville catching up with  Lisa Salter on the right.

National Library session 

The focus was on making the most of the school library and making the most of limited time in the library, and an opportunity to think about the library in new and interesting ways.  I shared the resource from Core Ed, based on David Thornburg's article, talking about learning spaces as campfires, watering holes, caves, mountain tops and sandpits - how do / could our libraries create those sorts of spaces and activities?

We also talked about the National Library Services to Schools website http://schools.natlib.govt.nz and spent a bit of time identifiying priorities for the rest of this term / next term for the library. I touched on ways we can extend our personal learning networks, strengthen collaborations in the school and be strategic about those limited hours in the library to make the most impact on student learning outcomes.

 
 Liz (in black) talking to Jo at morning tea time. Kathryn and Delwyn in the background.

Here are some brief notes I took from Liz’s session :

• library wonderwall – place to ask questions and create curiosity
  Wonderopolis http://wonderopolis.org/ is a useful site for interesting questions for children
• withdrawn picture book pages turned into bunting
• series bins with labels – laminated, stuck on with Velcro dots
• reading dogs in the library
• pop up tent
• language / signage around the library
• photos of children reading
• forest – bird song CD from National Library
• student library monitors – in pairs, day a week, photos, party
• hours in the library
• overdues / lost books – working them off
• parents helping with book covering
• rug
• buying books
• library lessons with the visiting classes
• displays
• reading posters
• children’s faces everywhere
• owls – library skills
• Carrot search
• Book talking – guidelines for children
• Story reading every visit
• Book care
• Pick a just right book guides
• Books about school activities
• Special books – pop-ups etc
• Plastic bags for book care
• Swap a book – Duffy
• Book display – children holding book cover
• Games and puzzles
• Dewey signs
• School inquiry model
• Big displays, eg space, rainbow fish, Maui, plant a seed – read
• Arthur’s Emporium – fabric "picnic table cloth" doesn't fray $2 a metre
• Holiday reading – promoting summer reading, sharing reading at the start of the new year – reading role models

Jenny, presenting, with "Wally" avidly listening (It was Kaikohe East book character dress up day!)

 and here some brief notes from Jenny’s session :

Tour of library – photos

• Quotes from children
• Soft toys
• Helpful guides for choosing books
• Guides for how books are shelved
• Book week activities
• Work room organisation - labelled bins for each stage of the process

 New books – processing, Z39.50, barcodes, spine labels, covering, dust jackets

Highly recommend Book Protection Products

• Useful website, also print catalogue
• Very quick and reliable service 
• Good range of products, labels etc
• AND they sponsor SLANZA – deserve our support

Quick way to take off GST from price of book : multiply the price by 20 and then divide by 23 – that will give you the price less GST.

Covering – well worth it – cost of covering a paper back fiction book is about 27 cents per book worth of Duraseal… plus gutter tape, labels, and time, but still well worth it.

School stamps – inside front and back cover of book – also puts on cataloguing page with date of purchase for handy reference, and if picture books have “This book belongs to…” Jenny puts the school stamp there too - otherwise children do!

Jenny also described how she had has a lot of fun with children doing a version of Reading Bingo – based on the resource from Random House but creating her own headings to make it easier for the children.  They write the name and title of the book for each category on the back of the “bingo chart”.

http://www.retreatbyrandomhouse.ca/2014/01/reading-bingo-challenge-2014/

 

Kind regards, Jeannie 

Colleen and Lisa, Zoe and Leeanne, Ora, Joy and Waana