I hope you've all taken the opportunity to read the article School Libraries the Poor Relation published in the Sunday Star Times on Sept 11th.
This is a good follow up to last month's article in the PPTA News about school library budget concerns for New Zealand schools.
What can you do to keep the momentum going? Share this article with your school colleagues, principals, BOT's and encourage them to write in support of suitable and appropriate funding for school libraries and library staffing.
Write something yourself and send it to either the editor of the Sunday Star Times or Imogen Neale, the reporter who wrote the article at: imogen.neale@star-times.co.nz or write to the editor of the PPTA News with your feedback.
We want this conversation to continue. If you would like to do something, but you're unsure what you'd like to say, then maybe you would find the Advocacy Template letter a useful start.
SLANZA would love your feedback on this. You can leave your coment here or you can email either myself at library@jameshargest.school.nz or our president Fiona Mackie at Fiona.Mackie@stcuthberts.school.nz
There is no better time than now with the national elections looming. Let's make sure people outside of our own profession know just how passionate we are about libraries and learning.
Senga
Monday, September 12, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Collected to be in the EBSCO publishing database
Kia ora
We have good news about Collected magazine. We have been approached by EBSCO who were seeking to obtain an agreement to include our magazine in their database. It was very nice to be identified as an excellent fit for their databases,and we can take this as acknowledgement of the standards we have set, and the quality of writing from all of our contributors.
Fiona has just signed off the licensing agreement and the folk at EBSCO publishing are working through the preliminary steps for getting our content into the appropriate database. This is a process which may take several months, so we will keep you informed as updates come to hand.
So now you have even more reason to consider writing for the magazine, and we look forward to being inundated with offers the next time we put out a call! Well done to all who have contributed, assisted with editing and especially to Miriam for the work she does in making it look so digitally fine.
Donna Watt
SLANZA Communications Leader
We have good news about Collected magazine. We have been approached by EBSCO who were seeking to obtain an agreement to include our magazine in their database. It was very nice to be identified as an excellent fit for their databases,and we can take this as acknowledgement of the standards we have set, and the quality of writing from all of our contributors.
Fiona has just signed off the licensing agreement and the folk at EBSCO publishing are working through the preliminary steps for getting our content into the appropriate database. This is a process which may take several months, so we will keep you informed as updates come to hand.
So now you have even more reason to consider writing for the magazine, and we look forward to being inundated with offers the next time we put out a call! Well done to all who have contributed, assisted with editing and especially to Miriam for the work she does in making it look so digitally fine.
Donna Watt
SLANZA Communications Leader
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
The wonderfulness of the National Executive
At the recent SLANZA conference, we farewelled several members of the National Executive who have been working for you and the regions, as well as giving up their time to be on the Executive. I'd like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to Bridget Schaumann, Di Eastwood, Wendy Ballard, Kim Slack, Maree Pavletich, Cynthia Francombe, Sarah Fordyce and Joyce Richards, for all the work they've put in to the development of ways to communicate with and support you as members, as well as developing SLANZA as an organisation. Without their dedication and commitment, SLANZA would be poorer indeed.
I'd also like to say a huge thank you to our immediate Past President, Senga White. Senga has led the Executive for two years and represented SLANZA on a number of committees across the library sector, as well as managing a Y7-8 library and a Y9-13 library on two sites, and in her spare time persuading me to stand for President Elect! I'm very fortunate to still have Senga on the Executive and really appreciate her support, knowledge and experience, which continues to benefit all of us.
A very warm welcome to the new members on the Executive - Greig Daniels (Otago), Jude Cosson (Waikato/Bay of Plenty) and Bharathi Char (Auckland). I'm looking forward to working with everyone on the Executive as we look to the future of SLANZA and school librarianship in New Zealand. Joyce Valenza and Judy O'Connell gave all of us a very clear message at the recent conference - we cannot afford to be complacent about our role, services or environment, and I know the Executive is very mindful of that too.
The fabulous Donna Watt and Miriam Tuohy are working away at putting the next edition of Collected together, which will focus on conference and share lots of what went on and of course some very interesting photos... Midnight feasts in the hostel, lots of laughter and dancing at the dinner, catching up with friends and making new ones, celebrating achievements, being amazed and inspired by our keynotes and presenters - we had a great time!
Ka kite ano,
Fiona.
I'd also like to say a huge thank you to our immediate Past President, Senga White. Senga has led the Executive for two years and represented SLANZA on a number of committees across the library sector, as well as managing a Y7-8 library and a Y9-13 library on two sites, and in her spare time persuading me to stand for President Elect! I'm very fortunate to still have Senga on the Executive and really appreciate her support, knowledge and experience, which continues to benefit all of us.
A very warm welcome to the new members on the Executive - Greig Daniels (Otago), Jude Cosson (Waikato/Bay of Plenty) and Bharathi Char (Auckland). I'm looking forward to working with everyone on the Executive as we look to the future of SLANZA and school librarianship in New Zealand. Joyce Valenza and Judy O'Connell gave all of us a very clear message at the recent conference - we cannot afford to be complacent about our role, services or environment, and I know the Executive is very mindful of that too.
The fabulous Donna Watt and Miriam Tuohy are working away at putting the next edition of Collected together, which will focus on conference and share lots of what went on and of course some very interesting photos... Midnight feasts in the hostel, lots of laughter and dancing at the dinner, catching up with friends and making new ones, celebrating achievements, being amazed and inspired by our keynotes and presenters - we had a great time!
Ka kite ano,
Fiona.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Library Life Article on Multiliteracy and Transliteracy
Hi everyone
Hope you all did something you love to do during your term break and that you're happy to be back amongst all the bright, shiny faces today.
In case you missed it, I wanted to draw your attention to the article published in the latest LIANZA Library Life about Multiliteracy and Transliteracy by our own Donna Watt.
http://tinyurl.com/3zt4dq8
She is in a unique position of now working in the public sector with a wealth of experience in the schools sector and can see opportunities for collaboration between them. Definitely a way forward to consider.
Some of you were fortunate enough to attend at least one of her presentations at our fantastic SLANZA 11 Conference in Auckland in the first week of the school holidays. For those of you who couldn't join us and want to find out about them, plus heaps more besides, you can do this at: http://halfpintofwisdom.wordpress.com/
Our upcoming Collected magazine will be chock-full of some of the highlights from a truly memorable conference.
Cheers
Senga
Hope you all did something you love to do during your term break and that you're happy to be back amongst all the bright, shiny faces today.
In case you missed it, I wanted to draw your attention to the article published in the latest LIANZA Library Life about Multiliteracy and Transliteracy by our own Donna Watt.
http://tinyurl.com/3zt4dq8
She is in a unique position of now working in the public sector with a wealth of experience in the schools sector and can see opportunities for collaboration between them. Definitely a way forward to consider.
Some of you were fortunate enough to attend at least one of her presentations at our fantastic SLANZA 11 Conference in Auckland in the first week of the school holidays. For those of you who couldn't join us and want to find out about them, plus heaps more besides, you can do this at: http://halfpintofwisdom.wordpress.com/
Our upcoming Collected magazine will be chock-full of some of the highlights from a truly memorable conference.
Cheers
Senga
Thursday, June 23, 2011
How does the library profession help to grow the skills of a 21st century workforce?
I am following Howard Rheingold's Infotention and the following is a series of posts discussing the skills needed within a 21st century workforce. There are five short posts, outlining two skills in each, and a quick read will get you thinking about how much influence we have, as a profession, in building many of those skills.
I have listed the headings below, and you can read the full posts here
1. Sense Making: The ability to determine the deeper meaning or significance of what is being expressed
2. Social Intelligence: The ability to connect to others in a deep and direct way, to sense and stimulate reactions and desired interactions
3. Novel and Adaptive Thinking: Proficiency at thinking and coming up with solutions and responses beyond that which is rote or rule-based.
4. Cross-Cultural Competency: The ability to operate in different cultural settings
5. Computational Thinking: The ability to translate vast amounts of data into abstract concepts and to understand data-based reasoning
6. New-Media Literacy: The ability to critically assess and develop content that uses new media forms, and to leverage these media for persuasive communication.
7. Transdisciplinarity: Literacy in and ability to understand concepts across multiple disciplines
8. Design Mindset: The ability to represent and develop tasks and work processes for desired outcomes
9. Cognitive Load Management: The ability to discriminate and filter information for importance, and to understand how to maximize cognitive functioning using a variety of tools and techniques
10. Virtual Collaboration: The ability to work proactively, drive engagement, and demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team.
The work that we do in information literacy, critical literacy, and the diversity of resources to which we lead our clientele are crucial in building these skills. But it looks like a big job, when you put it like this, doesn't it? How many people in your professional sphere understand what you have to offer?
Have a great Friday - it was nice driving to work this morning and kidding myself that the days already seem longer!
Donna Watt
I have listed the headings below, and you can read the full posts here
1. Sense Making: The ability to determine the deeper meaning or significance of what is being expressed
2. Social Intelligence: The ability to connect to others in a deep and direct way, to sense and stimulate reactions and desired interactions
3. Novel and Adaptive Thinking: Proficiency at thinking and coming up with solutions and responses beyond that which is rote or rule-based.
4. Cross-Cultural Competency: The ability to operate in different cultural settings
5. Computational Thinking: The ability to translate vast amounts of data into abstract concepts and to understand data-based reasoning
6. New-Media Literacy: The ability to critically assess and develop content that uses new media forms, and to leverage these media for persuasive communication.
7. Transdisciplinarity: Literacy in and ability to understand concepts across multiple disciplines
8. Design Mindset: The ability to represent and develop tasks and work processes for desired outcomes
9. Cognitive Load Management: The ability to discriminate and filter information for importance, and to understand how to maximize cognitive functioning using a variety of tools and techniques
10. Virtual Collaboration: The ability to work proactively, drive engagement, and demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team.
The work that we do in information literacy, critical literacy, and the diversity of resources to which we lead our clientele are crucial in building these skills. But it looks like a big job, when you put it like this, doesn't it? How many people in your professional sphere understand what you have to offer?
Have a great Friday - it was nice driving to work this morning and kidding myself that the days already seem longer!
Donna Watt
Thursday, April 14, 2011
An idea to use old books and collaborate with your Art Department
If you're anything like me, you're very pleased today is the last day of a very long first term! Here's a creative idea orginally posted on the OZTL_NET about how to use old books to create fantastic art! This would be a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with art teachers and/or students. http://stephenslighthouse.com/2011/03/19/book-sculptures/ Check out #2 - the painted book sculptures. I'd love to know what you think of this very novel (like the pun!!??) idea. I hope everyone has a well-deserved break to do what you like to do when you're not at work :-) Senga
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Getting better work stories!
We can all get bogged down in the day to day-ness of life as a school librarian ..... so smile when you picture me in my library last Friday afternoon .....
It was directly after our busy lunch break (an oxymoron in my world, where I NEVER get to eat lunch during lunchtime!) I had a plumber in my office investigating a problem with our hot water dispenser. I had just heated my lunch and was attempting to eat while the dozen or so senior students working at our computer pods were busily beavering away at the keyboards. Peace ..... or so I thought momentarily.
Peace was shattered by the sound of heavy, teenage-boy feet running into the library and loud teenage-boy voice in full volume, sounding very angry. I had only just looked up in response when I heard the yelping of a dog! Yes, a dog! You might be wondering what a dog was doing in my library! So was I. Unfortunately this young man had chased the dog into the library and was proceeding to "teach it a lesson it wouldn't forget". Fortunately I was able to diffuse the situation and refer said "angry young man" to one of our guidance staff.
On returning to my office, I stood in the doorway (glass doorway)
It was directly after our busy lunch break (an oxymoron in my world, where I NEVER get to eat lunch during lunchtime!) I had a plumber in my office investigating a problem with our hot water dispenser. I had just heated my lunch and was attempting to eat while the dozen or so senior students working at our computer pods were busily beavering away at the keyboards. Peace ..... or so I thought momentarily.
Peace was shattered by the sound of heavy, teenage-boy feet running into the library and loud teenage-boy voice in full volume, sounding very angry. I had only just looked up in response when I heard the yelping of a dog! Yes, a dog! You might be wondering what a dog was doing in my library! So was I. Unfortunately this young man had chased the dog into the library and was proceeding to "teach it a lesson it wouldn't forget". Fortunately I was able to diffuse the situation and refer said "angry young man" to one of our guidance staff.
On returning to my office, I stood in the doorway (glass doorway)
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