InterALIA September 2004

Editorial

From the editors

It has been a busy few months for ALIA in SA. Many events were held July and August, and lots of people are heavily involved in planning for the upcoming New Librarian's Symposium in December. Our Forum for Purchasing and Licensing was a successful start to the chain of Forums to be held around the country. Georgina Dale, Manager, membership services, visited from ALIA National Office and attended the Mentoring event as well as a breakfast to meet some of the local ALIA convenors.

Remember the NPC meeting on the 9th of September - a chance for all members to give feedback to their Association.

But for this issue, we are also looking forward to Spring, and have a few 'green' articles for your reading pleasure!

Benita Wheeler

Feature articles

Reduce, reuse, recycle

It's not easy being green, but it's not that hard either, as Benita Wheeler discovers.

Hayley Gamble is a library officer at the Drug and Alcohol Services Council and is currently the chair of their internal Environmental Advisory Group.

This group has existed since 2000, and came into being as a result of the need to address Environmental Responsibility Standards during a Quality Accreditation Process. At the same time some staff members were running a recycling program and wanted to do more.

The goals of the group initially were to meet the standards for the Quality Accreditation. These related to safe waste management, improving energy efficiency and waste minimisation in both workplace operations and purchasing of resources, and putting a comprehensive recycling program in place and be a model of environmental responsibility to its consumers and the community.

The Environmental Advisory Group has implemented a number of changes across the organisation, including:

• Changing from plastic to paper disposable cups for clients and visitors and encouraging staff to use their own mugs instead of disposable.
• Using 50 per cent and 35 per cent recycled paper in all offices, including the library.
• Recycling white paper waste. They are currently looking at changing provider to further decrease environmental impact and reduce costs.
• Using the free council kerbside recycling program to recycle cardboard boxes, white and yellow pages, cans, tins and bottles (from the staff lunch room).
• DASC Library is a trial site for the use of fibre-based cleaning products instead of chemical alternatives.
• The information technology department install all new computers with the energy-saving function activated to reduce use of power from electrical items not in use.
• DASC Library has a photocopier with an energy-saving function when not in use, and turns itself off altogether after a certain number of hours without use.

The environmentally-friendly changes have made very little impact on the running costs of the department so far.

'We previously had a paper recycling program in place. We are currently planning to change to another provider which will actually reduce our costs in that area.' The current provider take all grades of paper and cardboard in the same bin which means it is all recycled into cardboard - not much resale value in that - whereas the proposed new provider asks customers to keep white paper separate from coloured paper and cardboard. The white paper is then recycled back into paper and re-sold; hence they have the flexibility to lower collection costs.

When you consider the cost of paying for normal waste collection to take away waste including paper and cardboard, implementing a recycling program will not greatly add to that cost.

DASC use the council kerbside recycling for large boxes, tins, cans etcetera. Just as for household recycling, this service is provided free by the council.

'We purchase paper cups for clients and the paper is more expensive than the plastic but by cutting out disposable cup use altogether for staff, we have saved some money by not having to replenish stock as often', said Hayley.

The recycled paper costs have varied since the program began: 'When we started ordering 50 per cent recycled white paper for use throughout the whole organisation, there was very little price difference between that and the ordinary white office paper. However we recently started to notice a price increase, so have changed to a new brand of 35 per cent recycled which is cheaper.'

Anyone who uses fibre-based cleaning products knows that they are not cheap. DASC has not implemented their use throughout the organisation yet. The library is a trial site and has two gloves - one for dusting and a kitchen-grease glove which can be used to get sticky marks off surfaces without having to use spray and wipe or other chemicals. Hayley explains 'as the products generally last between two to three years, they tend to 'recoup' their value by not having to purchase chemicals. And then there is the OHSW angle to consider where certain people - especially asthmatics - can have reactions to domestic chemicals used on site. If you remove the cause of allergic reactions, you reduce the amount of sick leave taken by staff - an obvious economic benefit'.

The energy saving methods cost very little. Ensuring that information technology staff turn on the energy-saving feature of new computers takes very little of their time (just a few extra mouse clicks) and doesn't cost anything. It can greatly reduce running costs by ensuring that idle machinery is not consuming great quantities of power.

As for photocopiers, Hayley said 'You don't need to specifically go out and buy new photocopiers with energy-saving features. When your old copiers die or the lease runs out, simply replace them with an energy-saving alternative (I think most new machines now have this feature as standard)'.

The library is planning to purchase a 'newish' plastic book covering called Naturecover which is 100 per cent biodegradable under compost conditions.

Hayley said that 'most staff participate by sorting their paper for recycling and washing out used cans - on the whole it has been well-received'.

The Environmental Advisory Group is continuing to monitor performance in meeting their goals and quality standards, and is always searching for new ways to lower the environmental impact of the organisation. Hayley would be glad to talk to others who want to 'green' their workplaces.

Mentoring and networking in SA

As the Liaison Mentoree I helped organise a very successful and stimulating 'networking' event on 2 August 2004 together with the ALIASA Mentoring Committee, which more than 30 people attended on a cold and rain-drenched winter evening. Representatives from various ALIA groups and Georgina Dale, Manager for Member Services and Group Liaison for ALIA, spoke enthusiastically about what ALIA membership can do for us, such as gaining support and recognition with CPD programs, attending seminars and conferences and most importantly developing and expanding networking opportunities between librarians, library technicians, present and future information specialists.

Amongst the attendees, many were current students from Adelaide TAFE college, and the University of South Australia, information managers, library assistants and librarians in schools, public libraries and private organisations, and universities. This included library students who are looking for work or new opportunities in the library world and people who were looking for mentors. The guest speakers highlighted the benefits one can gain by participating in their meetings and events. By joining an interest group such as MentoringSA, Special Libraries, InfoSci, New Grads Group or the South Australian Library and Information Network (SALIN), to name a just a few, members could gain training opportunities, news on job availability, keep up with developments in the latest technologies, as well as increased confidence and peer support. It was also explained that most of the guest speakers are members of more than one group.

Sharron Zuodar who represented SALT and Libtec, promoted their forthcoming events and described their 'meetings' as a social gathering to promote the 'networking' aspect of the group. Kate Sinclair promoted the ALIA group 'New Grads' and the upcoming 'New Librarians' Symposium 2' at the Hilton Hotel in Adelaide for 3-4 December. Kate explained that the three main themes at the symposium are 'career and life planning', 'libraries and the future' and 'libraries and the world'. Silvia Muscardin together with Vickie Richardson and Marie Francis, represented 'Specials' and spoke with warmth of the support and benefits they have received from ALIA when requiring advice or help. Jenny Quilliam explained the role and activities of the ALIA Information Science (SA) group, while Jenni Jeremy spoke about her activities with the ALIA Acquisitions and ASSIG groups. Jonathon Dyer represented the ALIA Reference and Information Services group; I spoke about how my career has been helped by being a part of the Mentoring group.

Feedback immediately after the event was most positive with the attendees leaving on a high note and with great enthusiasm, and a better understanding of the benefits of joining ALIA and participating in ALIA groups for the benefit of their future career.

Quality assurance in libraries: Who's doing what and why?

RAIS, 23 July 2004.
For our mid-year event for 2004, we chose to take a look at what's happening with Quality Assurance in Libraries. We had three speakers - Jenny Natt from the Adelaide Institute of TAFE, Helen Culshaw from Flinders University and Christine Cother from the University of South Australia.

Jenny was the first to speak, talking of her role as a representative on the quality groups at the Adelaide Institute of TAFE. The library is involved with the initiatives put forward by the Institute as a whole. The Institute uses two quality frameworks, the first being AQTF, the Australian Quality Training Framework (which is mandatory for registered training organisations delivering VET). The second is ISO 9001, an international quality system, which is used as a business management tool. There is a quality unit, which has a continuing consultancy and monitoring role.

Jenny pointed out the advantages and disadvantages of the quality assurance process. The disadvantages include the time and energy it takes to make changes and improve on an ongoing basis, and advantages are continuous improvement through planning, monitoring, incorporating outcomes and feedback and as a formal tool for best practice.

Helen Culshaw was our next speaker. She is the law librarian at Flinders University, and is also a Quality Officer and the library's representative on a University-wide quality project team. Flinders University will be audited in 2006 by AUQA, the Australian University Quality Agency, an independent not-for-profit agency for higher education. As part of the audit process the University tells AUQA what it is trying to do in terms of missions and objectives, then AUQA conducts an audit checking with all of the various stakeholders, before publishing the results. In preparation for the audit Flinders in undertaking a complete self-review of all policies, educating staff and will conduct a trial audit in 2005.

Flinders library is also identifying specific library-related issues from the existing 16 AUQA reports. Good points noted from these surveys include - synergies between the library, IT, flexible learning and academic support services; peer review; active role of subject librarians; 24x7 IT help desk and user surveys.

Our third speaker for the evening was Christine Cother from UniSA. UniSA has undergone the AUQA audit process in 2004. Since late 2000 UniSA library has undertaken a quality assurance process. This began as part of the increasing demand for accountability, created by issues such as a diversifying client group, increasing demand for a broad range of services and the introduction of fee-based services.

Christine has concentrated on quality assurance in the two areas of flexible delivery and lending services so far. This has lead to the creation of policy documentation and performance indicators. Initially this caused the staff to feel pressured to meet the performance indicators, but through continuous monitoring and review, there has been work redesign, new services have been introduced and there has been a reduction in delivery and turn-around times for some services.

Through the quality assurance process, documentation has been created, statistics kept and procedures have been written. Christine points out that this process has also increased the library staff's understanding of their roles and responsibilities and improved team spirit.

So by the end of the evening we all understood a little more about quality assurance, and the rationale behind why libraries are actively involved.

Kylie's environmentally friendly workplace tips

Here are a few hints and tips off the top of my head, commonly known ones really, that I've picked up over the years as a keen recycler and environmentally aware person in the home. Sometimes I find that the following practices aren't being applied in the workplace as much as they could be.

Recycling options to the level we have enjoyed as residents in recent years: Paper, glossy paper, cardboard, milk cartons, plastic, glass, tins, and don't forget to rinse before you throw it in the recycling bin.

If your workplace has a garden, you could even go so far as to set up a compost bin in the work kitchen, although I've not looked into how this sits with OHS and W regulations about clean work kitchens.

Print jobs on double-sided paper, and re-use scrap printing paper where at all practical. There is also the 'think before you print' mantra, which rings true within reason. A lot of us prefer to digest relevant information of a certain amount in print form, where too much reading on the screen can send us bleary-eyed.

Set workplace and library space temperatures to realistic levels for the season. When indoors, putting cardigans on in the summer or being warm to the extent of stuffiness in the winter is unnecessary, and is most likely using more air-con power. It would be great to be in a work space where you can open the windows, when the weather is right.

I have heard one tip where people could turn off the PCs at their workstations during their lunch break to save electricity. This is not a bad idea.

Switching off any speaker and monitor switches at the end of the day is also saving some electricity that would otherwise be used a little in 'standby' light mode overnight.

It is good news that more modern library spaces are taking advantage of natural light in their building design. This is better for our well-being, compared to the many fluorescent lights.

There are plenty of building features that are environmentally friendly, beyond the scope of what I'm even aware of. There are timer lights going out, reactivated by sensors when people come back into a room; solar panels for power, solar hot water systems, rainwater collecting on the roof, recyclable 'grey water' filtered and re-used for flushing toilets, and on it goes.

While we're at it, plants in the work space and greenery out the window to gaze upon is also very good for all our well-being, resting those eyes from hours of PC screens.

Alive and clicking 2: Online learning explored

1 October is just around the corner and so is the upcoming seminar: Alive andLking 2: Online learning explored. Organised by ARCoM, InfoSci(SA) and RAIS(SA), it promises a fantastic programme of local and interstate speakers and demonstrations on a wide range of topics in online learning at very affordable prices. Every attendee will receive a satchel full of useful information and goodies and the day will close with drinks and nibbles.

If you are a librarian working in an educational environment or an educator interested in online learning possibilities, then this is definitely the seminar for you. So join us on 1 October, at the University of South Australia - Underdale Campus, for an exceptional day designed to inform, challenge and evaluate online learning, its role in education and libraries and future directions for librarians.

For more information and to register please go to the event website. For further details contact seminar convenor Janetta Mascilongo on ph 08 8201 2063 or janetta.mascilongo@flinders.edu.au.nospam.

Sesquicentenary at botanic gardens

I interviewed Tony Kanellos, acting information resources manager (including manager of the library) at the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and State Herbarium regarding the gardens forthcoming birthday celebrations. The Botanic Gardens was set out and planted in 1855 and opened to the public in 1857. The director of the gardens Stephen Forbes and his staff are planning celebrations and major works that will start in 2005 and finish in 2007 to mark the beauty and joy that the gardens give to residents and visitors to South Australia.

The first of two projects that Karen Dankiw, the manager of the library and now Tony are involved in are publishing a commemorative book for the sesquicentenary. This involved hiring a publisher, two authors and a photographer. The authors have researched the manuscripts, archives and library resources and they will produce a beautiful book with colour photographs that will excite people that have an interest in the botanic gardens. The production is partly funded by the Board and the Friends of the Botanic Gardens and should be completed by Christmas 2005.

The second project that Tony is involved in is researching the expedition that the second director of the botanic gardens, Richard Schomburgk and his brother made to British Guiana. Schomburgk brought the famous Victoria Amazonica water lily to Adelaide from British Guiana. The Victoria water lily has been a popular attraction and on view in the purpose built Victoria House. Victoria House and the Schomburgk Range of glasshouses will be replaced by a new Amazon Waterlily Pavilion dedicated to displaying the waterlily and other appropriate plants. Tony is delving into primary and secondary sources that link back to the early Director and his interest in plants and what he learnt about plants and the countries he visited. Tony is translating that information into a guide and liaising with a tour guide for approximately twelve botanists that are planning to retrace (self-funded) Schomburgh's steps in British Guiana.

Stephen Forbes and all the garden staff are currently working on a master plan which will be the strategic plan for the next 150 years; they look to the past, present and the future to provide us with magnificent gardens.

Regular articles

InterALIA Asks

Jennifer Osborn

Membership level Associate
Qualification(s) B.A. (Hons), Grad Dip Lib St. Employment
Currently I have two (paid) jobs that I do over 4 days a week. I'm a Reference Librarian at the University of Adelaide Library (working mainly with international and indigenous students) and I'm Staff Development Co-ordinator here (for professional staff.) In terms of unpaid work, (I do this for love, not money!) I'm a mentor, coach and presenter.

What are you reading?
At the moment I'm reading Georgia Blain's latest novel Names for nothingness (She's a fabulous Australian author) And I love reading crime fiction, particularly when the murder takes place in a library! John Harwood's The Ghost Writer is brilliant.

What are you listening to?
Ummm, this is a bit embarrassing (but what the heck!) I'm spending a fair bit of time listening to the sound of my own voice! I'm a member of Rostrum, I give presentations and training sessions regularly. I've learnt that the best presentations mean 'practise, practise, practise', 'rehearse, rehearse, rehearse'
Apart from this, Diana Krall and Janet Seidel. (jazz)

What talent do you wish you had?
I would love to be able to act. Presentations are fun, a kind of performance, but I'd love to do the real thing. (something really demanding and exciting, like Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar named Desire)

Who do you find inspiring?
The founding members of SALIN (South Australian Libraries' Information Network), five fantastic librarians with lots of energy, enthusiasm and drive. They're passionate about our profession, consummate networkers and a pleasure and delight to know.

Where would you like to be in five years?
At the risk of being 'politically incorrect' (I know that we're all meant to have great career plans these days), I really don't know. I believe in taking opportunities as they come and really enjoying my life. I don't believe in planning that far ahead.