SIP and Share

SIP Annual General Meeting 2007

2008-01-30T20:35:00.001+10:30

ALIA SIP SA
AGM 2007

was held on Friday 23 November 2007, 7:45 for 8am
@ Regattas Bistro
Adelaide Convention Centre

Our AGM 2007 was a successful event. We were treated to a lavish breakfast on the Regattas Bistro terrace overlooking the Torrens on that beautiful late srping morning. The business of the group were attended to and networking and conversation followed.

The new committee looks forward to a new year of activities.

Salisbury Writers' Festival - October 2007

2007-09-20T12:46:00.000+09:30

Are you looking for a stimulating Friday night out? Does the mention of a Holden FX or FJ bring back memories? Would you like to hear stories about the people who made the first Holden cars? Do you enjoy interesting conversation?

The City of Salisbury, the SA Writers' Centre and ALIA SIP invite you to an evening that combines it all.

Social event - Free entry
October - Friday 5th
Opening Night of the Salisbury Writers' Festival 2007
Speaker: Don Loffler, author of She's a beauty! The story of the first Holdens.
7 pm - 9 pm, John Harvey Gallery, 12 James Street, Salisbury
Please RSVP on 8406 8368

To date, Don has written this and two other books on the early Holden vehicles: Still Holden together and The FJ Holden. As a testament to his research and writing skills, Don received the following message from a woman: "I thought my husband was sick. In all our years of marriage I've never seen him read a book. But with yours I couldn't get him off the sofa."

The event is part of the Salisbury Writers’ Festival 2007: Friday 5th - Friday 19th October 2007
organised by the Salisbury Council, the Salisbury Library and the SA Writers’ Centre.

For more information about the 2007 Salisbury Writers’ Festival contact Fiona on 8406 8469 or visit the Salisbury Council website and follow the links.
More information on this event will be posted also to the SAWC website in the coming weeks.

Contacts:
For ALIA SIP: Silvia Muscardin For SAWC: Jude Aquilina

SA Writers' Festival - September 2007

2007-09-09T12:53:00.000+09:30

Do you live in South Australia? Are you travelling to South Australia this week-end? Do you enjoy interesting conversation, wine, food, and the chance to meet the authors of books we may have on our shelves?

The SA Writers’ Centre and ALIA SIP SA invite you to an event that combines intellectual stimulation with good food and good wine.

Social event - Free entry
Sunday 16th September All-day event @ Wirra-Wirra Vineyard
Talks, interviews with writers, music, food & wine.
Special guest: playwright David Williamson, and Ashley Mallett, Kirsty Brooks, Rory Barnes.

Program:
11:00am - The 2007 Wirra Wirra Short Stories anthology launch
12noon - The passion within … Love, Crime & Sport: Ashley Mallett, Kirsty Brooks & Rory Barnes
1:00pm - The challenge of being asked to write a memoir of my husband” Kristin Williamson
1:45pm - Anne-Marie Mykyta Lecture by David Williamson: Australian identity: is there such thing and should we cherish it if there is?
2:45pm - Worlds apart?: Sean Williams, Max Anderson, John Harwood & Dyan Blacklock
3:30pm - Book Launch: From France with love, a love story with baggage Nadine Williams

The event is part of the SA Writers' Festival 2007: Sunday 9th - Sunday 16th September 2007 organised by the Onkaparinga Council and the SA Writers’ Centre.
For more information about the 2007 SA Writers’ Festival and a program visit http://www.onkaparingacity.com/ and follow the links.
More information on this event will be posted also to the SAWC website in the coming weeks.

Contacts: For ALIA SIP: Silvia Muscardin For SAWC: Jude Aquilina

SA Writers' Festivals - September and October 2007

2007-08-27T21:52:00.000+09:30

Do you live in South Australia? Are you travelling to South Australia in September or October?
Do you enjoy interesting conversation, wine, food, and the chance to meet the authors of books we may have on our shelves?
The SA Writers’ Centre and ALIA SIP SA invite you to two events that combine intellectual stimulation with good food and good wine.

Social event - Free entry
September - Sunday 16th
All-day event @ Wirra-Wirra Vineyard
http://www.wirrawirra.com.au .
Talks, interviews with writers, music, food & wine.
Special guest: playwright David Williamson, and Ashley Mallett, Kirsty Brooks, Rory Barnes.

Contacts:
For ALIA SIP: Silvia Muscardin, silvia_m026@yahoo.com.au
For SAWC: Jude Aquilina, sawriters@sawriters.on.net .

The event is part of the SA Writers' Festival 2007: Sunday 9th - Sunday 16th September 2007
organised by the Onkaparinga Council and the SA Writers’ Centre.
For more information about the 2007 SA Writers’ Festival and for a program visit http://www.onkaparingacity.com and follow the links.

Social event - Free event
October - Friday 5th
Opening Night of the Salisbury Writers' Festival 2007
Speaker: Don Loffler, author of She's a beauty! The story of the first Holdens.

Please RSVP on 8406 8368.
Contacts:
For ALIA SIP: Silvia Muscardin, silvia_m026@yahoo.com.au
For SAWC: Jude Aquilina, sawriters@sawriters.on.net .

The event is part of the Salisbury Writers’ Festival 2007: Friday 5th - Friday 19th October 2007
organised by the Salisbury Council, the Salisbury Library and the SA Writers’ Centre.
For more information about the 2007 Salisbury Writers’ Festival contact Fiona on 8406 8469 or visit http://www.salisbury.sa.gov.au .

More information on both events will be posted also to the SAWC website http://www.sawriters.on.net in the coming weeks.

First Falls Valley Walk at Morialta Conservation Park

2007-08-19T14:37:00.000+09:30

Sunday 19 August 2007

"This is the best time of the year to see the 30-metres falls that run after autumn and winter rains. Interpretive signs with information about the local fauna and flora are found along the path. Return walk: 45 minutes" the brochures published by the Department for Environment and Heritage and by Trails SA said. What they didn't say is what a wonderful, satisfying experience it is to walk through a piece of Australian bush right on Adelaide's doorstep. A walk that immerses you in nature, invigorates the body and cleans the mind.

The path to the first of the three Falls is an easy walk suitable to everyone, including small children
as it has an even surface (except a few patches laid with stones).

We met in the morning at First Falls car park, in the park. Our small group was made mostly of members of the Friends of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide, with whom I have started walking recently, and two librarians (I was one of the two). All enjoyed the walk so thoroughly we promised ourselves to go back again.
Photo: copyright Silvia Muscardin 2007.

Tour of the Federal Court Building and Library

2007-06-29T21:34:00.000+09:30

Friday, 29 June 2007

This afternoon eleven librarians from seven special libraries were treated to the tour of the Federal Court and its Library, located in the new Commonwealth Law Courts Building, at 3 Angas Street, Adelaide. And what a treat that was!

Georgia Livissianos, Manager, Library & Information Services, Federal Court of Australia, had organised cake and coffee on arrival at the 'QC on Angas'.

Then, assisted by Kelly Gruenwald, Georgia took us for the grand tour of two courts, the visiting judges' chambers and the library, through wide flights of stairs and airy atriums. Through the use of carefully chosen natural materials the new building, characterised by simple lines, combines the modernity and functionality of the design with an air of solemnity and the feeling of relaxed comfort and elegance. The Library is an open, airy space, albeit less well lit by natural light than much of the building. It was interesting to see the library collection consists also of a seizable collection of textbooks and not only statutes and hansards. The style of the furniture is simple, functional and elegant, in keeping with the design. Georgia gave us a lively picture of the work of the courts and, of course, of the library staff who support such work. We were all impressed by the art works that liven the rooms. The object found to be most touching is an exquisit carpet that hangs in the Judges' Bookroom. It was donated by the Aboriginal artists who wove it and who were the plaintiff in a successful suit case involving their art works.

The ALIA SIP group wishes to thank:
Caryl Armstrong, ALIA SIP Treasurer, for organising this event single-handed.
Georgia Livissianos for volunteering her time and insight for this wonderful library tour, and for arranging coffee and cakes at 'QC on Angaas' cafe' on arrival. Kelly Gruenwald for assisting with the tour.
The 'QC on Angs' for staying open longer for us.
Philip Keane, ALIA Board Director, for his support to our group's activities.
And all who came and made this event a success.

Tips for the Uninitiated, by Rachel Teesdale-Smith

2007-05-30T23:45:00.000+09:30

Here are the 10 'Tips for the Uninitiated' Rachel offered to all budding bloggers at the launch of our SIP blog.

1. Experiment with different blogging software programs.
2. Does the help have a good overview of the program?
3. Do you know HTML?
4. Prepare to ‘fiddle’ with layout.
5. Organise a style sheet.
6. Make sure there is a DASHBOARD so you easily navigate back to a central point.
7. A preview facility is a must.
8. Develop a promotional strategy.
9. Agree on collaborative working practices.
10. Generate a maintenance program so it is always up-to-date.

Visitor's Book

2007-05-30T23:39:00.000+09:30

Please use this post to leave comments about this blog. Thank you!

SIP and Share launched!

2007-05-30T23:31:00.000+09:30

Our SIP and Share blog was officially launched on Tuesday 22nd May, at 4:30pm in the boardroom of the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).

The occasion marked the celebration of the first 'Special Librarian's Day' (see), that now falls on the Tuesday of the third full week in May, to allign the occasion with Library and Information Week (LIW).

Rachel Teesdale-Smith hit the 'Entry' key and sent the blog live on air after delivering her talk Tips for the Uninitiated on the ten essential points for 'collaborative blogging'. Rachel is the co-author of this blog with Silvia Muscardin who gave a short account of the steep learning curve they both had to climb before pressing that 'Entry' key.

But the afternoon really belonged to the guest speaker Pippa Buchanan, aka 'battlecat'. Rachel and Silvia are proud and humbled that Pippa accepted to play 'god-mother' to the SIP and Share blog. Pippa impressed everyone with a very candid and thought-provoking talk about her motives for blogging, the themes that she developed along the seven years of her creative process, and of the urge she now acknowledges in herself to express certain themes particularly significant to her. You can find Pippa's website at: http://www.battlecat.net .

Hayley Gamble, ALIA SIP Convenor, introduced the speakers to the audience.

We gratefully acknowledge Roxanne Missingham for her message of congratulations and best wishes she sent to Rachel on the eve of the launch. You can read the message by clicking on 'Roxanne Missingham's message' under 'Labels'. We also wish to thank Philip Keane, ALIA Board Director, for attending the event. All members of the audience expressed their congratulations to Rachel and Silvia for an informative and entertaining event, and to Pippa Buchanan for her terrific presentation. We want to thank the NCVER staff, and in particular Miriam Saunders, who assisted in organising the event.

Message from Roxanne Missingham

2007-05-28T22:41:00.000+09:30

On the eve of our blog launch Roxanne Missingham, ALIA President, sent this message:

"Dear Rachael

Congratulations on this launch - what a terrific initiative. The
developments of librarians and library technicians in the Library 2.0
space are tremendous demonstrations of our ability to take new
technology to create new services and sharing opportunities. I am very
sorry that I can't be at the launch but would be really pleased if you
could pass on to everybody in SA my congratulations and best wishes

Regards

Roxanne Missingham
President, ALIA"

We would like to thank Roxanne for her kind words and good wishes.

(Message published by kind permission of Roxanne Missingham.)

SIP and Share Launch

2007-05-23T00:43:00.000+09:30

Australian Library and Information Week
Special Librarian's Day 2007

ALIA Special Information Professionals launches

SIP and Share

Hayley Gamble, ALIA SIP Convenor introduces

Guest Speaker

battlecat
Pippa Buchanan

Pippa has been blogging for seven years, many countries, three serious boyfriends and two hair colours. She has written about topics as diverse as creativity, cooking, procrastination, travel, politics, mental health, family history, love, heartbreak, writing, books and gardening.
When Pippa isn't blogging, she has beeen gainfully employed as a video games programmer, bartender and teacher.

Speakers
Rachel Teesdale-Smith
who will give 10 Tips for the Uninitiated for 'collaborative blogging'

and Silvia Muscardin who will talk about
The backpacker's guide to Blogland: part-Eldorado and part-Legoland
Eldorado because the 'perfect blog' is a seemingly rich and wonderous place but impossible to reach: it is there, somewhere, but where? Legoland because, just like the norse plastic cult play, it's built in blocks: the heading, the sub-heading, the welcome message, the picture, and so on. And, just like it, these elements can be changed and swapped over to take new and unexpected forms.

SIP and Share was first conceived to facilitate communication with regional and one-person-library members, to break the isolation and share experiences, concerns, ideas, and projects. It grew to be a forum for all who provide specialist information and allied professionals. May you work in a small or large specialist library, govenrment or non-government, in metropolitan and regional areas, we want to hear from you.

Special Librarian's Day 2007

2007-05-22T23:31:00.000+09:30

Today, Tuesday 22nd May 2007, we celebrate Special Librarian's Day by launching our SIP and Share Blog.

You may notice that the 'International' has disappeared from the event name. In fact, it used to be 'International Special Librarian's Day', or 'ISLD' for short, and as such we celebrated it until last year.

The then 'Special Libraries SA' group first got the idea for ISLD from the Special Libraries Association (SLA) in the United States. As stated in their website: "ISLD is traditionally held on the Thursday of [USA] National Library Week" which happens sometime in April, the date being decided at their January meeting.

This year we decided to align the Day with our Library and Information Week (LIW), to put it into a context closer and more meaningful to us. That is the reason behind the name change of the occasion we celebrate today.

We shall always be grateful to SLA for the idea. Special Librarian's Day has become now so much a part of our calendar of events that it is entrenched in our 'Specials' culture. Making SLD part of our LIW is the best tribute we can pay to our US colleagues' initiative.

The rules of this blog

2007-05-22T11:05:00.000+09:30

This is a professional blog. Its aim is to open a forum to share ideas, tips, projects, initiatives from and among specialist information professionals in metropolitan and regional areas. Professionals who work in allied fields such as health and law libraries, knowledge management, information architecture, information science, record keeping, archives, provision of information, and training are welcome to participate, but no spam.

Use common sense and respect: post only contributions that fall within the aim of this blog, and respect others and this professional blog. Be careful to post your comments to the right thread. Share comments useful to all. Keep your comments polite, short and to the point. Be mindful of the way you use copyright and licensed material in this blog: remember that creating unauthorised links to websites may breach the Australian Copyright Act.

Any offensive, threatening, and otherwise inappropriate comment will be deleted and the contributor will be notified by personal email of the action taken. If the contributor offends again, he/she will receive a public warning. The offending contributor will be banned from the blog and all his/her posts removed without appeal on the third of such incidents.

Watch this space!

2007-05-22T07:56:00.000+09:30

Please note that new events will be added to this list as well as removed, and dates may subject to change as more details become available. Check this space regularly.

September
ALIA SIP Committee Meeting
ALIA PD activity.
Wednesday 19 September, 5:45 for 6:00 pm at '33 on East' cafe'
Contact: Silvia Muscardin, ALIA SIP Convenor, silvia_m026@yahoo.com.au .

In partnership with the SA Writers' Centre....
Social event
Sunday 16th September all-day event
@ Wirra-wirra Vineyard
http://www.wirrawirra.com.au .
Talks, interviews with writers, music, food and wine.
Special guest: playwright David Williamson
Part of the SA Writers' Festival 2007 Sunday 9th - Sunday 16th September 2007 organised by the Onkaparinga Council and the SA Writers' Centre.
Contacts
For ALIA SIP: Silvia Muscardin, silvia_m026@yahoo.com.au
For SAWC: Jude Aquilina, sawriters@sawriters.on.net .

More information on this event will be posted to the SAWC website http://www.sawriters.on.net in the coming months.

October
In partnership with the SA Writers' Centre....
Social event
Friday 5th October 2007
Salisbury Writers' Festival Opening Night
@ Salisbury Public Library
Speaker: Don Loffler, author of She's a beauty! The history of the first Holdens.
Part of the Salisbury Writers' Festival 2007 Friday 5th - Friday 19th October 2007 organised by the Salisbury Council, the Salisbury Library and the SA Writers' Centre.
Contacts
For ALIA SIP: Silvia Muscardin, silvia_m026@yahoo.com.au
For SAWC: Jude Aquilina, sawriters@sawriters.on.net .

More information on this event will be posted to the SAWC website http://www.sawriters.on.net in the coming months.

November
ALIA SIP AGM
ALIA PD activity.
Friday 23 November 2007: Breakfast at Regattas (Adelaide Convention Centre), 7:45 for 8:00 am.
Contact: Silvia Muscardin, ALIA SIP Convenor, silvia_m026@yahoo.com.au .

December
TBA

Adelaide Botanic Treasures guided walk (SIP HGW)

2007-05-21T00:02:00.000+09:30

Sunday 20th May

Adelaide's Botanical Treasures: Guided Walk in the Botanic Garden of Adelaide for SA History Week 2007

This guided walk, organised by the Friends of the Botanic Gardens, was one of the many activities and events offered throught the state by the History Trust of South Australia (HTSA) during SA History Week (Friday 18th - Sunday 27th May 2007).

A small contingent of us gathered outside the Botanic Garden of Adelaide Restaurant from which we were taken on a tour spanning good part of the Garden and two centuries. Jan Lindsay, our guide, took us back to a time when the Morton Bay Figs had just been planted, birds and exotic animals were kept in cages among the trees, trams were housed in huge sheds next to where the Bicentennial Conservatory is now, Dr. Schonburgk had the vision for the Palm House and the Museum of Economic Botany, and only a thin fence separated the Lunatic Asylum from the Garden.

We all enjoyed the tour brightened up by a very informative and lively commentary. As for me, I'll never be able to visit the Garden again without 'seeing' Dr. Schonburgk walking along its well-kept lanes thinking of what to plan next.

Making your case

2007-05-01T22:54:00.001+09:30

Making your case workshop
Monday 30 April 2007
Adelaide Zoo Conference Centre

An ALIA SIP / ALIA SA joint event in partnership with the State Library of South Australia.

Bob Cother (Cother Consulting) opened the all-day workshop with a session packed full of the right tools to deliver a strong business case. He listed all the facts and figures we need to gather and the right way to use them for the right result. His competence shone through the well pitched presentation.

Bob was followed by Ruth Neave (Australian Business Arts Foundation) who put the 'human factor' into the subject. In her hands-on exercise she gave us the template for any business case submission. She pointed out we should see the process as a partnership, and seek collaboration with our partners, rather than feel confronted by them. She made us see the strengths of our library/organisation, on which we can build the picture we must 'sell' to our partners.

Mary Peterson (RAH/IMVS) and Sue Rockliff (QEH) presented the Chasing the sun project as a case study. The project was presented 'warts and all' in a very honest and informative way. It was interesting to follow the ups and downs of the process as the story unfolded and to listen to Mary's and Sue's evaluation of their own work.

A themed 'South-East Asia' guided walk of the Adelaide Zoo concluded the day.

A very good workshop, with a good mix of theory and practice. The evaluation forms gave a positive feed-back on the speakers and on the venue.

Walk from Glenelg to Glenelg South (SIP HGW)

2007-05-01T22:51:00.000+09:30

Sunday 1st April

Glenelg was the location for the first of the Sunday walks.

This time we were invited to meet in Victoria Square and catch the tram to Glenelg. It was a beautiful sunny day and things looked promising from the start. Yet, only the contingent from the Adelaide Zoo Library turned up in force. Yes, I was all by myself but I was soon joined by a tourist from Perth who was hopeful to take his dog to Glenelg by tram, and we engaged in a conversation comparing the tourism capacity of our two cities.

I took the tram (the man from Perth and his dog were refused boarding by the tram driver) and landed in Mosley Square hoping to find more people there. I was not disappointed: lots had congregated in sun-bathed Glenelg. Not one was a librarian, though. Undeterred by that, I enjoyed a wonderful walk along the Esplanade. In fact, the day was so perfect that I walked almost all the way to Brighton.

Would you join us on a Sunday for a stroll and a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine? Or a glass of beer (I am presently mapping pubs located in areas good for a walk)?

Is Sunday your 'sacred' day that you wouldn't give up for the world?

We would like to hear from you.

Walk along the Torrens (SIP HGW)

2007-05-01T22:48:00.000+09:30

Thursday 29 March 2007

This was our first walk in the 'Healthy Green and Wise' program (HGW), held after work.

We were supposed to meet at Regatta's Restaurant (Adelaide Convention Centre), but we found it is closed for what it seems redevelopments. The few of us who managed to meet walked briskly along the very cold, windy and very dark banks of the Torrens and ended up at Najiar's Cafe', in North Adelaide, for a cup of coffee.

We are debating whether or not we should continue with after hours walks, now that is gets dark soon and the whether is so unreliable, or put them off until September-October.

We would like to know what you think on the matter. Should we continue with the walks? Is Thursday a day suitable for most of us (some like to take advantage of late night shopping in the suburbs)?

Please have your saying by clicking on 'Comment'.

SIP Healthy, Green and Wise program

2007-04-30T00:31:00.000+09:30

We are currently running the SIP Healthy Green and Wise (SIP HGW) program to keep us fit and healthy. We believe fitness is the key to cope with the stress we all experience in our lives and in our jobs.

We plan to walk after hours and at week-ends, around Adelaide and at some other nice location.

Our inaugural walk in Adelaide will take place on Thursday 29th March at 6pm. We'll walk along the Torrens, from Regatta's Restaurant (Adelaide Convention Centre) to the Weir and back along the opposite bank. We plan to have a coffee at Regatta's before we head home.

For our second walk we'll meet in Victoria Square, Adelaide, on Sunday 1st April at 10am to catch the tram to Glenelg, where we'll be walking along the Esplanade from Glenelg to Glenelg South and back. We'll end at a cafe' in Mosley Square for lunch or a coffee and a nibble.

Regional members, you are invited to organise walks with friends and share your experience with all on this blog.

See you there!

A night with Rod Quantock

2007-04-29T23:51:00.000+09:30

Thursday 8th March 2007

Our year of events begun with a social outing. On March 8th we went to watch Rod Quantock perform Hand in bloody hand, part of the 'Adelaide Fringe Festival'.

Rod Quantock made us sing, play as an orchestra, perform 'theatre sport'-type acts, all while delivering not-so-subtle political remarks and all together being his provocative, funny self.