There's been a bit of a gap in my blog - caused by the ALIA conference in Alice Springs and then me picking up a nasty viral infection that laid me low. But hopefully all will return to normal again...
The ALIA (Australian Library and Information Association) conference is held every 2 years and this is only the second time that it has been held outside a capital city. Despite some doubts about whether there would be a good turnup, nearly 600 attended. Never having been to Alice Springs before, I was delighted by the wonderful landscape and the friendly locals. The conference had a strong emphasis on indigenous library services. A satellite event prior to the conference proper featured success stories from public libraries around Australia. It included indigenous storytelling by a librarian on Cape York, the local history publishing program at Launceston public library and Verbyl, a youth drop in centre and library in Yepoon.
We have just had the wrap up for our Taste of Web 2.0 online learning program, and 8 lucky (and hardworking) people are now the proud owners of an iPod. The program will stay up on our website, for people to continue to access.
Our two exchange librarians from the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County have arrived and are settling in. Kim and Mark started work yesterday, and are busy touring the region and getting orientated. They are also being inducted into an important bit of Melbourne culture, and will attend the Preliminary final on Friday night!
