ACT Branch

proACTive

ALIA ACT 1999 Branch president's report

'Your ACT Branch is determined to make 1999 an active and stimulating year for all its members. Our highest priority is service to our members, and with this in mind we are planning to:

• publish a 12-month branch calendar of events on our website (http://archive.alia.org.au/branches/act/)
• actively support the activities of sections and SIGs
• develop an exciting series of discussions on national and professional development issues, to be held in conjunction with alternate branch meetings - Jennefer Nicholson, acting executive director ALIA, and the continuing professional development specialist at ALIA national office will kick this off at the 14 April Branch meeting
• run a stimulating ACT Branch annual dinner and Harold White Oration
• develop a lunch group for retired and non-waged ALIA members
• provide other activities, such as brown bag lunches
• develop a Continuing Professional Development program for ACT members.

I am delighted, 12 months after this, to report that we achieved all the above and more. But what makes an ALIA branch successful? Firstly, the exceptionally dedicated and enthusiastic committee: Dorothy Harris as past president, Jan Gordon as vice-president, Sally-Anne Leigh as secretary, George Miller as minutes secretary, Julie Philips as treasurer, Tony Ralli as general councillor, Libby Coates as Australian Library Week co-ordinator, Teresa Giuca as training and development officer, Kerry Webb as ALIA 2000 liaison, Peter Judge as proACTive editor, and all the Divisional, Special Interest and ASLA representatives.

Secondly, the program: issues discussed at meetings during the year included copyright, GST, library futures and the major changes occurring to ALIA.

Not only did ALIA ACT Branch have an active year, we welcomed a new library to the ACT, at the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Australian Library Week in the ACT!!
The Library Week Oration was given by Warren Horton, a very appropriate choice as he stepped down after so long as Australia's National librarian. The Oration was held on Thursday, 13 May, in the Parliament House Theatrette.

The week started with a bang with the library technicians 20th Anniversary Dinner on Saturday 15 May - actually, the 20th anniversary of the course accreditation, because library technician training commenced at the Canberra TAFE in mid-semester 1978, signalling the development of a new stream of library staff. The Horton Report (Public libraries in Australia: report of the Committee of Inquiry into Public Libraries) had in 1976 called for an expansion of the training for library technicians. At that stage only Whitehorse Technical College in Melbourne had offered formal courses for library technicians. With the arrival of more demands for staff with skills in library operations and service, the technician role included electronic information management, as well as acquisition, cataloguing and reference services.

On Tuesday the Retired Librarians Group - PEARLS: Previously Employed Australian (Retired) Librarians) - met for coffee in Civic. It was a great success and looks ready to become a really vibrant part of the ACT ALIA network. Many retired members who were not able to attend plan to participate in future events. Congratulations to Libby Coates for organising this activity and to Jean Geue and Margaret Aston who will be co-ordinating the group. On a high note, take a look at the display in Civic ACT Government shopfront windows celebrating Australian Library Week - thanks to Libby Coates, Victoria Redfern and Simon Best. Also on Tuesday, the UCRLS meeting at lunchtime was a great success - over 25 came and enjoyed the talk by Nancy Lane on applying for grants successfully!

Thursday saw the Great Australian Library Week debate - is the Book Y2K OK and the presentation of the award of Fellow to Dr Maxine Rochester. Maxine taught many librarians at the Canberra College of Advanced Education (now the University of Canberra) and then at Charles Sturt University, where she became assistant professor. She was an inspirational teacher and I, like many colleagues, chose the units she taught because of her enthusiasm, knowledge and great teaching skills. Maxine has been very active in the profession, an ACT Branch councillor and president. I was particularly pleased to be able to present Maxine with her award, together with Jennefer Nicholson, acting executive director of ALIA, because of the influence she had on me as a library student.

The Great Debate was a very entertaining experience. The ACT Minister for Urban Services, Brendan Smyth, moderated the debate (though he actually joined in with some excellent words on the future of libraries, books and a certain young woman who enticed him first into libraries). For the ALIA team - who defended the statement 'The book is Y2K OK' - our opener was Frank Thompson, ex publisher, University of Queensland Press, Rigby and director at AGPS, followed by Dr Michael Holland, senior research scientist, CRC for Vertebrate Pest Control and then me. The ACT LIS team included Ian McCallum, Libraries Alive!, Beverly Forner, ACT Library and Information Service, and Dr Warwick Cathro.

Digital library seminar
November proved another very busy month for ALIA ACT Branch. The Digital Library conference was a great success with over 100 people attending. The transition to a digital library is complex and confusing. Our clients are increasing seeking access to everything from their computer in electronic form and have sometimes been swept away by the hype of the internet and publishers. To provide an increasing range of electronic resources to our clients takes a significant commitment to evaluate resources and develop new partnerships to access these resources. The conference provided the opportunity to see a wide range of products, review consortia, licensing and real life implementation issues. The papers and overheads will be published on the web shortly.

Mid-winter dinner
Almost 60 attended the dinner, which again saw awards to students from the University of Canberra for the success and provided an opportunity for students and librarians and library technicians to meet.

Jan Fullerton congratulated
Another significant event was a reception held to congratulate Jan Fullerton on her appointment as director-general. After a long and illustrious career in the National Library, Jan was eminently qualified to be our first female director-general.

Finally, but not least, Teresa Giuca deserves a round of applause for taking on with gusto and flair the training and development officer. She has revitalised the mentoring programs and all members are encouraged to participate and read more at http://archive.alia.org.au/branches/act/mentoring/

Roxanne Missingham
ALIA ACT Branch past president