From the editor...

With a substantial amount of LIANZA activity of interest in this issue, I thought I’d highlight the magnitude of the library cuts in the UK in my editorial this week. There’s a wealth of information being put out there on the situation and we’ve handily got a small cross-section of it for you in Librarylife. So put that google search away, and sit back and have a good read of news from the library and information community in New Zealand and around the world.

Read more...

LIANZA activity

LIANZA Council has been deliberating about the future of our annual Library Week Campaign and have made changes to the way it'll operate in 2011, click here for more information.

LIANZA was approached by Peter Biggs, Chair of the NZ Book Council late last year and invited to appoint a representative to their Board. A call for expressions of interest was circulated to members on 17th December for those with the interest and experience to contribute strategically to the aims of the Book Council to put themselves forward by 21st January, join us in congratulating Liz Knowles!

Join in discussions with colleagues around the country, read news and post your own news and thoughts to your community pages. If you don’t watch the news or TV3, Heather Lamond has put up a link to the news coverage on TV3 last night (Monday 7th February) on the great work that Aotearoa People’s Network Kaharoa is doing for communities around the country. Heather, as chair of the Website Advisory Group, has also written a very relevant blog post for all of us to read.

You can also find a summary of the most recent remuneration survey here.
And don't forget, applications for LIANZA awards are open!

ALIA ioc - ALIA’s Information Online Conference

A few people I know attended this conference. In this issue, Naomi Doessel “from across the ditch” gives us her roundup of it, and what she took away from it. Read her feature column.

Also, here’s a piece from Kim Tairi, a librarian in Australia who writes at Libraries Interact, a collaborative blog by Australasian librarians, for Australasian librarians.

Sean the Storyteller

A review of how the Auckland libraries “Tweetup, meetup, we’re not eliteup” went on Waitangi Day on Sunday, and how you can replicate their efforts in your area. Read his feature here.

What’s happening with libraries in the UK : Standing up against the cuts

You may not be aware, but there are some dire things happening in government in the United Kingdom. Have a read of Kathryn Oxborrows' account of the situation.

Speaking of saving libraries... have you seen LIANZA’s statement on Free Public Library Service in New Zealand? Have a read here.

Using a project management framework for effective meetings

Meetings, just like projects, are unique. No two meetings are the same. It is difficult to consistently deliver successful projects without using some kind of framework, and the same is true for meetings. Sally Pewhairangi shows us how using a framework optimises productivity and reduces misunderstanding and conflict.

A piece of history

I found this swimming around on the internet. It’s a newsroom team in North America looking back at themselves 17 years ago, introducing this new thing called “internet”. Quite funny really.

(Apologies for the ad at the start!)