Thursday, September 16, 2010

Last post!

Hello. As we now have an Ikaroa group on the new LIANZA website, we will no longer be posting here. Please see our new space here.

Thanks for watching and stay tuned on the new site.


Friday, August 27, 2010

Taranaki Children's Book Festival 31 August - 4th September 2010


A week of fun and activities at Taranaki District Libraries for all the family!

What's Happening:

Tuesday
31st Aug Writing Competition Awards and Launch @ Stratford Library, Prospero Place, Stratford
6pm - 7pm

Wednesday - Friday
1st - 3rd Sept Taranaki Book Trail - Authors & illustrators visit Taranaki primary and intermediate schools


Saturday
4th Sept Free Family Fun Day @ The TSB Hub in Hawera.
10am - 2pm Meet the authors, enjoy the entertainment, complete the trail booklet.
Author of "The Wonky Donkey" Craig Smith entertaining
Free illustration workshops

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

AGM coming up

IKAROA REGION LIANZA
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

5.30 PM WEDNESDAY 18TH AUGUST 2010
Palmerston North City Library

Guest speaker Ronald Milne

Nominations are being sought for Chair, Secretary and committee members.

Come and join us! Free drinks & nibbles - all welcome. Optional dinner afterwards at Thai Orchid from 7.45pm. Rsvp (for either/both events) by 13 August to Jane Brooker.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Kimbolton Library

It was a chilly night in the small village of Kimbolton, but warm inside this historic library (especially with lots of bodies in a small space!)

The building is one of the few remaining two room cottages in the area that are in their original format. We had an entertaining and interesting introduction to the history of the building and the library from Simon Johnson (Feilding Library).







The library was the focus of a "problem solving" project for a small group of primary school children in 2009 and several of the children were present to tell us about the project. They fundraised to renovate the library and grounds.


This group of children (and some dedicated parents and teachers) won the National Junior Award for Community Problem Solving. From there, they entered the International competition, and flew to Michigan to compete with school children from all around the world. They raised a total of $58000.00 to get there and enter. The highlight was that they won the International Award for Community Problem-solving and came home victorious.
Apparently the trophy had to fly home first class as it needed its own seat!
This is a fantastic achievement from a small community and school (the roll is 60) with a population of 1000 in Kimbolton.

The library visit was followed up by a lovely meal at Hansen's cafe in Kimbolton with a roaring open fire :-)

Thanks to Fiona Donald for the photos.

Heather

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Ikaroa Regional Councillor

Hi all
Hopefully you are all aware that I am your Regional Councillor for the 2010-12 period. I made the decision to stand for re-election as I feel like I still have work to do on Council, and I am still 100% committed to the role.

Although it turned out that I was unopposed, I did prepare a short statement in case of an election and I thought it might be handy for those of you that don't know me to see what I stand for. So, here it is ...

I have represented the Ikaroa Region on National Council for the previous two years and am seeking re-election to this role.

There are challenging times ahead for all sectors of our profession and it is my belief that now, more than ever, we need a Council which is experienced and knowledgeable. I believe that I bring that experience to the region and also to Council. Having worked in both public and academic libraries, and in rural and urban settings I have a good understanding of the issues faced by our profession from a variety of perspectives.

I have really enjoyed getting out around the Region over my current term, and feel privileged to have been your representative. I have a heartfelt passion for the good that libraries do in our communities and the value that we all, as professionals, bring to our organisations.

Please see my profile on the LIANZA website for more information about me.

http://lianza.org.nz/career/librarian-profiles/head-distance-library-service

I hope to get around the Region more this term, and look forward to catching up with you all. In the meantime please feel free to contact me anytime - email is probably your best bet :-)
h.m.lamond@massey.ac.nz or phone (06) 356 9099 ext 7486

You might also be interested in this document on the LIANZA website - the newly documented job profile for a Regional Councillor - so you know what it is I'm supposed to do :-)

Cheers
Heather Lamond



Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Visit Kimbolton Library!


Kimbolton Library visit – 27th May 2010

Join Ikaroa LIANZA for a visit to the historic Kimbolton Public Library.


Located in Edwards Street, the library operates from one of the oldest remaining buildings in Kimbolton, with the cottage gifted to the Kiwitea County Council Library Committee by Rev J F Mayo about 70 years ago. The Library was the focus of a problem-solving project for local school children in 2008. The group of eight Kimbolton school children won the prestigious title of being the best junior problem solvers in the world, having won the International Junior Community Problem Solving Challenge competition in the US for their work on the Library.

The Library will be open for us from 5.45pm for viewing and a presentation. Then, those that are keen can have a meal at Hansen’s Cafe in Kimbolton.

If you are interested in carpooling please let me know how many and where from and I’ll do my best to coordinate.

RSVP by Friday 21st May to h.m.lamond@massey.ac.nz.



Tuesday, April 27, 2010

LIANZA Council Elections

LIANZA Secretary, Alli Smith, is calling for nominations for the LIANZA Council for the 2010/11 year.

Nominations are being sought for the roles of President Elect, Ikaroa Councillor, Otago/Southland Councillor and Waikato/Bay of Plenty Councillor.

All nominations for the 2010/11 Council elections will close at 5pm on Thursday 20th May 2010.

Who can Nominate and Stand?

  • Any Personal Member of the Association or the Authorised representative of an Institutional Member may nominate any other Personal Member for election to a position as Officer on the National Council.

  • Any Personal Member of the Association or the Authorised representative of an Institutional Member in a particular Region may nominate any other Personal Member in that Region as Councillor for that Region on the National Council.

Who can vote?

The Officers of the LIANZA National Council are elected by Personal and Institutional Members of the Association.

Regional Councillors of the LIANZA National Council are elected by LIANZA Personal and Institutional Members within that Region.

Voting Papers

If an election for any position is held, voting papers will be sent to members for a poll.

More Information

For more information about the process and the rules for nominations go to the Code of Practice or the following sections of the Rules on the LIANZA website:

  • Officers of the Association

  • National Council of the Association

  • Powers of the National Council

For further information about Council elections please contact Alli Smith, Secretary, LIANZA (Ph: 04 473 -5834) alli@lianza.org.nz

Associated files can be found at the LIANZA website.

Local vacancy

Further to the above, our own Michael Parry will not be standing for chair this year at our AGM in August. We will, therefore, need nominations for Ikaroa chairperson. Are you up for it or is there someone you know who would be? Think on it!


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Fizz! Bang! Pop! - South Taranaki District Libraries


It all went off with a Bang in South Taranaki.

Kids who wanted to have fun in South Taranaki during the April school holidays headed for the South Taranaki District Libraries where ‘everything was going off with a bang!’

But with the theme Fizz! Bang! Pop! what else would you expect? New Zealand award -inning children’s author Des Hunt was in town encouraging the children to ‘Have fun with science- doing crazy experiments’. At his workshops the children made elephant toothpaste, test tube rainbows, created incredibly loud explosions with nail polish remover and film canisters and learnt how to melt steel effectively. All the experiments were designed to excite the children about science – and it worked! Also on board for the holidays was Bright Sparks educator, Andrew Hornblow. Children attending these electronic workshops enjoyed making circuit boards and LED lights to take home.


Other crazy experiments included making ginormous bubbles. First the children had to construct their bubble loop, and then make the mixture. All the activities were a lot of fun, the libraries bubbled with excitement throughout the two week holiday period and preparation for staff was minimal- which is always a bonus! This was a great way to link the science books in the library with hands on activities and hopefully leaves this generation with the feeling that libraries are a great place to be.


Funding was provided through local sponsorship and carries on the local theme of children having fun with science.

Pam Jones
District Children’s Librarian
South Taranaki

Friday, April 16, 2010

Revamped LIANZA website goes live

Here it is folks!
http://lianza.org.nz


As the site settles and we all get signed up, we will contemplate moving this blog to the LIANZA site, more like a one stop shop.
Meantime, happy playing!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

TIG Event @ Puke Ariki

Interested in the latest exhibition @ Puke Ariki??
Come along to hear all about it on Wednesday 28th April, 7.00pm.

Meet in Foyer, North Wing (beside I Site)

Come to view and hear about the latest exhibition at Puke Ariki that explores the
issues surrounding the Taranaki War.

Bring questions you may have about the Exhibition

Hosted by Jocelyn Millard

This event can be used for LIANZA professional registration revalidation –

• BOK 11 - Awareness of indigenous knowledge paradigms

It could also be of value for parts of –

• BOK 1 – Understand the relevance of the Treaty of Waitangi to libraries
• BOK 2 – Understand the role of libraries in the information lifecycle …

RSVP Christine Nana nanac@npdc.govt.nz
By Wednesday 21 April 2010

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Our very own mover and shaker!

Congratulations to Joann Ransom from Horowhenua! See the details here for becoming one of Library Journal's 2010 "Movers & Shakers" - first time a kiwi has been awarded this title ...

Friday, March 5, 2010

Farewell to Summer BBQ

Hello Everyone!

The Ikaroa Committee would like to extend a warm invitation to all, to our annual
Farewell to Summer BBQ.

This year we are pleased to announce that our Guest of Honour, is
LIANZA president, Barbara Garriock.

So please do join us for drinks and nibbles on Monday 29th March at the National Library in Palmerston North, from 5:30pm onwards.

Please rsvp to Jane Brooker, j.e.brooker@massey.ac.nz by 5pm Wednesday 24th March for catering purposes.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

LIANZA Awards - applications close 31st March

Details are on the LIANZA website. I’d really like to encourage you all to consider either putting yourself or someone else forward! Having applied for and received my Associateship last year, it IS worth it :-)

There is also a new award this year that will be of interest to those of you working with digital material or services –

AWARD OF MERIT DIGITAL SERVICES - Awarded to a personal member of the Association who has contributed in an outstanding manner to library and/or information services in the area of digital library service development in New Zealand.

Kind regards
Heather Lamond
Ikaroa Councillor

Monday, January 11, 2010

A Symposium on Mobile Libraries

In late January there will be a series of symposia on mobile technologies in libraries (m-libraries). More information can be found here:
Symposium m-Libraries: Planning and Implementation
[Pdf on Massey Library Site]

Each symposium will consist of a full day of activities. Presentations, showcases and workshops of m-learning in action with critical focus on library planning, implementation and delivery will be highlights of each symposium.

Massey University Library has agreed to host the Palmerston North seminar and will cover the full cost of Dr. Ally’s day in Palmerston North, so the only cost to registrants from other libraries is the $25 to cover lunch and morning and afternoon teas. If you have staff who would be interested in attending, we need registrations by the end of Monday 18th Jan.

Symposia Schedule:

  • January 20th: Hamilton: Wintec
  • January 21st: Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington
  • January 22nd: Palmerston North: Massey University
  • January 25th: Christchurch: University of Canterbury

For further information on registration contact Linda Andrew
Ph: (06) 356 9099 extn 2225, or email: L.M.Andrew@massey.ac.nz

Featuring International Speaker : Prof. Mohamed Ally

Dr. Mohamed Ally is Professor in Distance Education and Director of the Centre for Distance Education at Athabasca University, Canada and a recognised expert in the field of mobile technologies and mobile learning.

The international speaker at each location will be Dr. Mohamed Ally. Dr. Mohamed Ally is Professor in Distance Education and Director of the Centre for Distance Education at Athabasca University, Canada. His current areas of research include mobile learning, mobile libraries, e-learning, and the use of information and communication technology in training and education. Dr. Ally is Past-President of the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations (IFTDO) and is one of the Founding Directors of the International

Association of Mobile Learning. He is also on the board of the Canadian Society for Training and Development. Dr. Ally is currently serving on an international committee to set standards for Learner Information in Nomadicity and Mobile Learning. Dr. Ally chaired the Fifth World Conference on Mobile Learning and co-chaired the First International Conference on Mobile Libraries. He recently edited a book on mobile learning and co-edited a second book on the use of mobile technology in libraries. In addition, Dr. Ally serves on many journal boards and conference committees. He has presented keynote speeches, workshops, papers, and seminars in twenty countries.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Ikaroa Library Assistants' Day

The 2009 Ikaroa Library Assistants' Day held at National Library in Palmerston North was a day of fun and learning enjoyed by 23 participants from across the region. Participants reported going back to their libraries energised and motivated.

Librarians, library assistants and school librarians were welcomed by ou LIANZA President, Barbara Garriock by videoconference. This was the first videoconference for many of the participants. Barbara spoke warmly about the importance of Library Assistants in their organisations.

A "Speedbooking" session presented by School Library Adviser, Jan Watts got people chatting and sharing straight away. You can read more about Speedbooking on the Create Readers Blog
http://createreaders.natlib.govt.nz/2008/08/spice-up-your-book-club-with-speed.html . The speedbookers were amazed at how much they could find to talk about when the books had no words!

The energy and commitment of Kiri Thompson, Youth Librarian at the Palmerston North City Library inspired us all. Kiri's domain is The Basement, a youth zone housing novels, magazines, dvds and games, with comfortable casual seating, Sky TV and gaming consoles. Kiri and staff from the City Library have hosted youth events in The Basement (and wider Library) jointly with the City's Youth Council, and thinkgs like the Pulse Street Dance party have been hugely successful, with around 700 attendees at the last event.

During our Web 2.0 session we looked at the Memory Maker widget from Auckland Museum on the Digital New Zealand website and talked about the use of Twitter in libraries. Courtney Johnson's post on the LibraryTechNZ Blog gave us a good starting point for discussion http://librarytechnz.natlib.govt.nz/search/label/Courtney%20Johnston.

The introduction to Memory Maker in the morning meant that afer a quick bus ride to UCOL our participants were able to get straight in to making their own videos using the UCOL Library's lendable laptops kindly organised for us by Doreen Young and Dianne McConnell. This was an enjoyable and instructional activity with everyone being able to view each others' masterpieces once we returned to National Library http://remix.digitalnz.org/

Friday, November 13, 2009

Ikaroa email list - new address

Please note that if you wish to post to the Ikaroa email list - the address is now:
ikaroa@lists.massey.ac.nz

All current list members have been moved across to the new Ikaroa list.
If you have any queries please contact list administrator - Jane Brooker J.E.Brooker@massey.ac.nz

Friday, October 9, 2009

Library Assistants' Day

IKAROA REGION LIBRARY ASSISTANT'S DAY
18th November 2009
Ikaroa Region of LIANZA invites all Library Assistants from the region to a Library Assistant's Day on November 18th.
The registration fee of $50 for members of LIANZA, SLANZA and Te Ropu Whakahau and $60 for non-members includes morning and afternoon tea, lunch and bus travel from National Library to UCOL and back. Registrations are limited to 40 people.
The programme has been designed to provide a day for Library Assistants which provides learning opportunities which are fun and engaging. To register contact Wendy Macaskill.

PROGRAMME
Start 9.30 am at National Library of New Zealand, 1015 Tremaine Avenue, Palmerston North
Welcome - Video conference link with Barbara Garriock LIANZA President of LIANZA

Speed booking - you will get to know each other and discover a novel way to engage your patrons, pupils, children or grandchildren with books

Web 2.0 Go to Whoa with Courtney Johnson -Courtney will talk about what is working well and perhaps not so well with social media in the GLAM sector. Courtney Johnston is the Web Manager at the National Library of New Zealand, where she works with a small team of great people to create and run websites. She also oversees or runs herself the Library's social media presences, including three blogs, two Flickr accounts, and one Twitter stream. Here's where you can find her blog posts. http://librarytechnz.natlib.govt.nz/search/label/Courtney Johnston

Discover The Basement - inspired by and enthusiastic about youth with Kiri Thompson - Kiri is the Youth Librarian at the Palmerston North City Library. Kiri has a passion for engaging young people with libraries and will talk to us about some of the innovative activities associated with the "Basement" at PNCL.

Making memories- A "hands on" session at UCOL - have fun and be creative making a short video with DigitalNZs Memory Maker tool

Finish back at National Library by 4.00 pm

Friday, October 2, 2009

Presentation Skills Workshop

On Tuesday 29 September, the Ikaroa sponsored workshop on Presentation skills was held in the Training Room at Massey University, Turitea campus.

It was well attended by many librarians throughout the region. The highly engaging session was facilitated by John Howells from the Centre for Academic Development and eLearning at Massey University and covered such topics as:
• How to write an effective abstract
• How to present to an audience
• How to use visual aids
• How to handle questions

For myself i found the most useful part was the contributions and feedback from my fellow attendees and particularly from my group: Beth and Joann from Horowhenua Public Library and Pamela from National Library. (Hiya ladies! :-))

The Presenter:
• Humour: having a bit of humour can break the ice and allows you to form a rapport with your audience. But don’t overdo it.
• Be confident and knowledgeable on your topic. If posed a question you can't answer acknowledge that and say "yes, that's a good question. I'm not sure of the answer but i know someone who does. I'll introduce you after the presentation" or something to that effect.

• Personal presentation: Ensure you are properly attired! No knickers showing above your trousers please, or fiddling with your hair.

• Voice: Speak clearly and smoothly, neither too fast nor too slow and use modulation for interest. And watch those ‘ums’!

Content:
• Tell a story or a journey with your presentation, perhaps start with an anecdote. Make it personal. In our exercises I was interested in how the situation affected people especially the person talking.
• Provide a clear summary of your main points or ideas
at the end.
• Have a theme, preferably one that ties in with the conference, or a keyword that succinctly describes your presentation.

Other things to remember are:
Check out your venue first. For example if you have an interactive session planned the room may not be suitable.

Know your audience and be culturally sensitive and respectful.

And finally a tip on using visual aids, particularly powerpoints.
Don’t rely on them to do the presentation for you! Always have a Plan B if the technology fails. Others said that they went to a conference where the version of Microsoft Office was different and all the fancy animations were lost.


And remember:
“The only difference between the pros and a novice [presenter] is that the pros have trained the butterflies to fly in formation.”

If there are any other attendees out there, feel free to tell us what you learned at the session in a comment. We'd love to hear from you!

- Amanda Curnow

Friday, September 11, 2009

Richard Stallman free lecture

Horowhenua Library Trust and LIANZA Ikaroa Regional Committee
are delighted to announce that
Richard Stallman
has agreed to deliver a public lecture
in Levin on 7th October 2009, 4pm - 6pm.

at

Levin Salvation Army Complex.

More information here.

Richard Stallman is one of the keynote speakers at this year's LIANZA conference so this is an ideal opportunity to hear him speak for those who will not be attending the conference.

Upcoming events - November

Mark your diaries for two LIANZA events in November:

Conference Feedback
Tuesday, 3 November, 5.30pm at the Palmerston North City Library

Library Assistants' Day
Wednesday, 18 November - more details to come.