SLANZA National Executive News - November 2013

This weekend the National Executive met in Wellington for the last meeting of the year. All regions were represented and much discussion and work took place.

Highlights of this year have been the success of our “Connected Librarians” online PD, which was developed by Miriam Tuohy from the Central region.  Feedback has been incredibly positive and we will provide more opportunities in the future.  We also acknowledge the achievement of the committee presenting the “Winds of Change” conference in July, feedback from the conference has been extremely positive

We have started hearing about Modern Library Learning Environments (MLLE) and the opportunities this will provide. Christchurch schools are already becoming familiar with the term, and other areas may be soon as well.  Information relating to library staff involvement in this initiative will follow on our blog soon.

We welcomed representatives of National Library Geraldine Howell, Elizabeth Jones and Paula Eskett for an update of services and a conversation about areas of common interest. This was a hugely positive meeting which we hope will lead to further conversations about ways we can combine our resources and work together

We thank all of you who have offered help in our “Pool of Talent”, a special thanks to the proofreading team for Collected for their expertise.  We would like to acknowledge all those who work for SLANZA.

Study grant recipients for 2014 are will be announced by the end of the week.

The NE would like to know what expectations the members have of SLANZA as an organisation.  We hope that all regions will take time at an event in the near future and brainstorm the question “What do you think SLANZA should do for members next year?”

Preparation for the next conference at St Andrews College, Christchurch in 2015 is well underway.  Great news that accommodation will be available onsite in the NEW dormitories and the committee are impressed with the quality of the facilities.

The National Executive is re-establishing key relationships with other organisations with similar goals, making sure the voice of the school library is heard in decisions relating to our industry.  We are keen to explore the relationships between school and public libraries and other educational organisations.

This term’s issue of Collected “Out with the old, in with the new” is taking shape and the deadline for contributions is Friday 15 November.  The reader contribution question is up on the website, so consider your answer and let us know the one thing you are going to do next year that you didn’t do this year.

http://www.slanza.org.nz/collected-reader-contributions.html

Next year’s AGM is being planned in Dunedin in the July School holidays to coincide with the planned Otago region’s “Weekend School”.  This event was hugely successful when it was held in 2012.  Dates will be announced closer to the time.

While that was the last face to face meeting for the year, we are still busy taking our message out there.  If you have any suggestions, questions or offers of help please contact your region’s representative in the first instance.

Lisa Salter
SLANZA Communications Leader