Wednesday, September 20, 2006

1001 Australian Nights

I am very excited to be attending the ALIA Library Click 06 Conference in Perth. I once worked in Perth as a Youth Services Librarian and in this role established a new career and enjoyed myself enormously. As part of the Wednesday program of the Conference I was fortunate enough to listen to Andy Wright's presentation "1001 Australian nights: the importance of librarians telling their own story".

The story began with his grandmother - a wrinkly who was a wrinkly and could read. I smiled immediately, the fondest memories I have of beginning reading are sitting on my grandmother's lap and listening intently to her stories, ones she would read and ones she would talk to me gently and slowly about. Just lovely.

Andy then lead the story gently towards libraries and his first visit to a new local library. Certainly a memorable visit. Any my own visits to Libraries are part of my memories growing up, growing in knowledge and loving life. As a Youth Services Librarian I realised as I was listening that sharing my love for children's literature, especially reading aloud to children as part of story telling was not only a favourite part of my work but also an act which fostered this love in others around me.

A random act of kindness, which sometimes I think is not significant, is really what I believe and hope makes a difference to the people I work and interact with in the context of Libraries and life. It is for me as a Librarian now working in a different state, with adults in an academic / government environment is very different but still provides an opportunity to influence the way in which people utilise the Library. Collecting that very large pile of books on the essay question due the very next day for a panic stricken student is always rewarding. Searching the database for that unique piece of information that will make research stand out, and even finding the right book on the shelf at the right time is rewarding. Knowing my collection, waltzing through the Library shelves sharing the collection hot spots with an eager reader are acts that delight me and hopefully make a difference to the poeple with whom I work. This for me is a small way in which I can influence the way in which people learn and enjoy libraries.

The walls of my Library do not contain me. In fact, when I first began in this very different workplace, I thought the Library to be far too quiet. So telling and listening outside the walls of my Library became part of my everyday. As Andy encouraged all Librarian to do, I began connecting with diverse people. I indulged in the art of conversation. I joined colleagues at morning tea and developed an understanding of what they do in the context of their individual work areas. I attended lectures from students who have researched their information in the Library and I listen avidly to guest presenters visiting from interstate and overseas. I take a risk and share my personality, I share my ideas and I listen to others. This I have found to be an instrinsic part of my role.

Interestingly, Andy mentioned the way in which people just don't do what you tell them. However it constantly surprises me after holding a Library Orienation, something I love to do, that people have listened. They have used the prompts provideed and spread their wings and utilised available resources they may not have noticed before. Often the Library is revisted and more questions asked and of course, the support in reaching information literacy independence is always available.

So as stories are a springboard, I am inspired to blog, to share my story. And feel heartfelt that stories help balance life. Andy concluded by saying Librarianship is a noble profession in which you can change lives. Be proud. Librarianship has certainly changed my life. I am content, I enjoy my work and realise the opportunity I have to make a difference to others, even if in a small way is significant.

1 Comments:

At 11:31 pm, Blogger Jill said...

I enjoyed Andy Wright's presentation immensly because of how entertaining he is but also because it gives us a way to unpack, or get to an essence of what libraries and librarianship is about..

I do remember as a child my early introduction to libraries and what an eye-openor it was for me. As a first generation Australian coming from a non-english speaking and low literacy background the fact my mother brought as to a library at all was a small miracle.

I remember 2 libraries, the Perth one when it was down near the Supreme Court gardens and one at Floreat. Visits to them were years apart and quite sporadic or rare from memory.

My next memory about being or having access to a library was when I'd moved from a catholic to a state school. I don't remember the library in the catholic school at all - maybe they did not have one. But I do remember the one at the state school as it was large and airy and had comfort zones and I think we had an introduction to it.

It was this that allowed me as a fairly shy, introverted and ethnically alienated kid to build up the courage to spend more time in there fossicking around discovering books. We only had 3 books (beside school books) at home - a readers digest volume a salesman must have flogged to my parents.

I guess this is all about how much of an impact libraries can make to communities without a reading culture or/and low literacy. It takes a lot of encouragement and reaching out to both the parents and the child to allow a comfort zone to be reached. But the efforts made can be life changing in allowing the context within which self development and learning can begin.

It was great that in this first day of the conference so many of presentations stressed the importance of a greater focus on the needs of clients and demonstrated creative and innovative ways to reach out to clients of most need.

 

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