BACK TO BASICS : Strengthing the ABS: Annual Reports, Budgets & Stocktake

The big three in libraries were explained to 40 members of the Auckland Branch at St Mary’s College on August 29th.

Kaaren Hirst (St. Mary’s College reminded us of the 5 W’s of reporting and the importance of reflecting on our library’s highs and lows, and informing others in various media via the annual report. Pamela Lilley (Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate) shared budgeting advice, including statistics which surprised us about the number of books and the amount of budget a school might expect in Australia: A school of 1400 should have 19,869 resources and $74,738 to spend!  From the assessment of the collection to what to include in the request and accountability, this was a practical and timely session.

Helpful hints from Trish Webster’s (Rangitoto College) stocktaking experience in a large secondary school will ensure our imminent stocktakes are completed more smoothly. User groups were established for each of the library software platforms so that we can continue to support each other, especially at stock take time. Details hand outs were distributed thanks to the three speakers.

SLANZAK looks forward to meeting the professional development needs of Auckland school library staff. Topic suggestions are always welcome. We look forward to seeing more members at the annual Christmas function with guest author speaker on 21st November!  Please look out for more details on the event.

21st November 2012! Save the date!