Nominations are open for the SLANSW 2020 Awards.

The Association recognises, through the conferring of awards, the professional leadership, vision, innovation, publications, research and collaboration of its members and those whose work influences the development of literacy, and in particular, information, digital, critical and creative literacy.  The SLANSW awards include the; John Hirst Award, John H Lee Memorial Award, SLANSW Teacher Librarian of the Year Award, Maurice Saxby Award.

The deadline for the SLANSW Research Grant 2020 application process is:

5.00pm Friday 25th September, 2020

via email to the Executive Officer  info@slansw.net.au

The SLANSW 2020 Research Grant of $1000 will sponsor the successful recipient, be they an individual teacher librarian or school library team, to undertake a research project within their school.

All details related to the Research Grant, including the Award Criteria and Application form can be viewed at: SLANSW Research Grant.

Working for a New Normal

R. David Lankes (known to many as ‘Virtual Dave’) is a Professor and the Director of the University of South Carolina’s School of Information Science. Dave has always been interested in combining theory and practice to create active research projects that make a difference. His work has been funded by organisations such as The MacArthur Foundation, The Institute for Library and Museum Services, NASA, The U.S. Department of Education, The U.S. Department of Defense, The National Science Foundation, The U.S. State Department, and The American Library Association.

Dave is a passionate advocate for libraries and their essential role in today’s society, earning him the American Library Association’s Ken Haycock Award for Promoting Librarianship in 2016. He also seeks to understand how information approaches and technologies can be used to transform industries. In this capacity he has served on advisory boards and study teams in the fields of libraries, telecommunications, education, and transportation including at the National Academies. He has been a visiting fellow at the National Library of Canada, The Harvard School of Education, and was the first fellow of ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy. His book, The Atlas of New Librarianship won the 2012 ABC-CLIO/Greenwood Award for the Best Book in Library Literature.

To register for this final session of current ISS, please visit:   https://www.slansw.net.au/event-3850472

Box of Books are very pleased to commence a partnership with SLANSW. Our world leading resourcing service includes physical books and digital textbooks and resources, accessed using the schools single sign on, making the experience for librarians, teachers and students amazingly simple. 

At the commencement of our partnership, Box of Books would like to extend a special offer to SLANSW members:

Contact your local Box of Books regional manager for a free 30 day trial of their platform and service at your school. Remember to let Box of Books know that you are taking advantage of this Special SLANSW partnership.  If your school decides to partner with Box of Books as their main textbook provider, they will donate to your school library a complete reference set of the textbooks prescribed for students. That is, a printed copy of:

·       each booklisted title if your textbook resources are purchased by parents, or

·       each title purchased by the school as a core textbook used by students enrolled in the subject

For further information please visit: https://www.boxofbooks.com.au/

Is the way forward for teacher librarians about ensuring systems and other teachers recognise our value? Is it about ourselves recognising where our true value is? I have taken a brief look back nearly 25 years to how we were positioning the profession at that time and what we needed to think about. It seems that some things are perennial.

To read the full blog post by June Wall, click here and login to your Member Portal.

The School Library Association of New South Wales would like to acknowledge the significant contributions made by Mary Maltby in the formative years of the Association.

The Association was formed in 1964 to provide teacher librarians with professional support as education services accepted the important contribution school libraries would now be providing. In June, 1970, Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School hosted members of the Association in its new Dorothy Wilkinson Library and that must have sparked an interest, as soon after Mary joined the Council of the Association.

The Council minutes of that decade show Mary’s active participation in association activities for teacher librarians: seminars, courses and activities, including hosting the visit to Sydney by Professor Phyliss Hochstettler of the University of Portland, Oregon for UNESCO and organising the very successful national conference in Sydney in 1974.

Mary’s support of professional activities for teacher librarians and for promoting the Association among kindred organisations is recorded for history and the current Management Committee is grateful for the opportunity to acknowledge that significant contribution.

28 August, 2020

The National Centre for Australian Children's Literature offers the freely available Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Resource

The NCACL researched and identified over 300 children’s books by and about Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Peoples, published between 1974 and 2020 for young people from birth through twelve years of age. 

Access is available on NCACL’s website at: ncacl.org.au/resources/databases/ 

This year, the Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD) event is going virtual with two wonderful, celebratory events.

Indigenous Literacy Day is a celebration of language and literacy.

• Listen to a story in a language

• Learn about the value of language and why learning to read in a first language is important

• Share what it means for children in remote communities to have access to culturally appropriate books and books in first languages

• Celebrate the books that have been written and illustrated by communities, for communities.

Wednesday 2 September at 12.30pm: Join the Indigenous Literacy Day, YouTube Live Premiere - a 45-minute celebration of Indigenous language and literacy 

This inspiring virtual event is a window into the work of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF), the communities they engage and the joy of books and reading. It explores the value of language and shares how ILF builds capacity within communities. Celebrate with a story in language, a heart-felt song by ILF Ambassador, Jessica Mauboy and so much more!

Viewers are encouraged to donate a gold coin on the day of viewing. Funds go towards the purchase of books and learning resources for children in remote communities.

Subscribe to the ILF YouTube Channel today at https://go.ilf.org.au/subscribe

Wednesday 2 September at 2pm: Join us for a special virtual celebration of Indigenous language and literacy to engage, inspire and delight preschool and primary students –

It’s a time to move, shake, dance and sing with a book reading by Cheryl Lardy in Kriol and Justine Clarke (Playschool) in English, plus a catchy melody sung in multiple Indigenous languages by Australia’s favourite popstar, Jessica Mauboy and children from remote communities. Hosted by acclaimed Indigenous author and performer Gregg Dreise.

Early childhood centres and primary schools are encouraged to request children donate a gold coin on the day of viewing. Funds go towards the purchase of books and learning resources for children in remote communities.

Subscribe to the ILF YouTube Channel today at https://go.ilf.org.au/subscribe

As COVID-19 continues to affect school communities across Australia, SLANSW is hosting another one hour Open Online Forum (OOF) to reflect upon the lessons we have learnt about delivering library services in a time of disruption and uncertainty. We are once again calling upon the collective wisdom of our members to share ideas and strategies on how to continue to deliver library services through innovative practice.

We are calling for contributions on the following topics –

• Collection access, development and management
• Use of online services and social media
• Reading programs
• Student services and wellbeing
• Staff services
• Collaboration with the wider community

To learn more about how you can contribute, or register to attend the event, please visit: https://www.slansw.net.au/event-3929249

SLANSW Members will have recently received an email inviting them to attend the 2020 SLANSW Annual General Meeting. 

The AGM is to take place on Saturday 5th September 2020 at 11.30am. 

The SLANSW Member email contains links to:

• The Zoom Room
• AGM Agenda
• Minutes of the 2019 AGM
• SLANSW Nomination Form: Nominations are to reach the Secretary, by no later than 5pm on 28th August, 2020.
• SLANSW Proxy Form: Proxies will be accepted until 5.00pm Friday, 4th September 2020

There are a number of positions to be declared vacant at the AGM, please consider nominating to join our Committee. Those members wishing to represent their regions, please visit our website for the latest information: https://www.slansw.net.au/committee.