Volume 33 Nº 2 - May 1997
International scene
Margaret Butterwoth
Planning ahead
10 - 13 April, Bologna, Italy.
Bologna Children's Book Fair
6 - 11 July, Vancouver, Canada.
Combined IASL-ATLC Conference
Bridging the Gap
The conference has six sub-themes:
- Thinking Skills: The Bridge Between Data and Knowledge
- From Today to Tomorrow: Bridging the Future
- Cultural Understanding: Bridging Diverse Cultures
- Cultural Expression: Creating Bridges of Meaning
- Access to Information: Narrowing the Gap
- Mass Media: Spanning the Globe
With over 50 program slots and as many or more presenters there is guaranteed to be much to appeal to all conference-goers. Delegates can't help but go back home with increased knowledge, enhanced skills, and a whole new attitude about what they do and why they do it!
The venue for the Opening Ceremonies is the impressive Sty-Wet-Tan (Great Hall) of the First Nations Longhouse. It features four houseposts and two supporting roof beams carved by noted Northwest Coast artists and possesses a suitably formal air for this special occasion!
+ Lynne Lighthall, 4093 West 14th Avenue, Vancouver, Canada V6R 2X3.
http://www.rhi.hi.is/~anne/conf_van.html
Helping Internationally
Would you travel to another country to help a colleague? Or would you, if you needed help, ask a colleague from anywhere in the world to give you a hand? Making the expertise of library professionals from around the world available at no cost is the essence of a program that Ted Monkhouse of Canada is attempting to set up this year and on which he will present a position paper in July at the IASL Conference in Vancouver.
Eight years ago at the IASL Conference in Kuala Lumpur it was suggested that the IASL embark on a program to assist the training of school librarians, mainly in developing countries, by drawing on a bank of professionals in an IASL Talent Bank.
So often, small things get put off. The day-to-day work in our libraries soon becomes overwhelming. There are those projects we'd like to tackle but there just isn't the time or expertise available locally. Perhaps this program will be the answer! No job, no matter how small, would be questioned. It may be working with you on "administrivia" in your library. Or, it could be helping to set up a new library or rebuilding after a fire. Then again, it could be presenting professional development sessions for you and your fellow school librarians or teachers.
Some "young at heart" retired school librarians or retired library educators would just love to help because they have the time. During school vacation periods, some teacher-librarians would just as soon travel to a Third World country for their vacation as go off to a beach. Not every volunteer can readily afford it, but some would save up their money to go and help. Some, on superannuation, might just be able to afford a trip to help a colleague for a few weeks. The point is, many of us are willing to donate our time, energy, expertise and money to help a colleague!
This can be an exciting and rewarding program for both the volunteers and the hosts (individuals, education organisations or school library associations) seeking assistance.
+Ted Monkhouse, 18 Gladstone Ave, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1E 1L6.
