ALIA Quorum Group

Michelle Alcock

What is Quorum? Quorum is the ALIA Queensland overarching group. Quorum is the group to which all library staff who are ALIA members can belong to. It doesn't differentiate between librarian, library technician or library assistant. It isn't specifically for special, public, or academic libraries.

What does Quorum do? Quorum runs events that will help in the development of library staff such as pre or post conference events or workshops like the how to write selection criteria workshop held at the end of 2006. Quorum runs social events like the Quiz night in Library week. Quorum brings all sectors of the Queensland library world together for fellowship and networking. Quorum recognises Queensland achievement through the QLD Library Achiever award. This is presented annually to a Queensland library staff member who has demonstrated any one of five criteria:

1. Innovative practice in the development of library and information services.
2. Progress achieved in the implementation of new services or new technologies.
3. Successful collaborative ventures or partnerships in library and information services.
4. Creative approaches to marketing or promoting library and information services.
5. Demonstrated dedication to the advancement of libraries.

Who are Quorum members? Quorum is run by a small committee of volunteers from three different library sectors, special, academic and public libraries. The committee meets regularly throughout the year and the meetings are advertised on the aliaQLD elist. All ALIA Queensland members are welcome to attend the meetings or contribute to the agenda. All Queensland library staff are welcome at Quorum events.

Why should you attend a Quorum event? Library staff who attend Quorum events say they enjoy:

• Meeting library staff from all the library sectors;
• Participating in events that will broaden their horizons;
• Having fun and catching up with people they haven't seen in a while;
• Celebrating working with a group of diverse and interesting people.

Whatever the reasons for attending Quorum events, they are for all library staff, even those who are not members of ALIA.

What can you get out of a Quorum? As a one person librarian in a small pathology library for four years, Quorum was one of the ways I kept in touch with my colleagues, kept abreast of changes in the library world and kept myself up to date with new technologies and the way libraries were using them. Other ways to use Quorum to your advantage are to attend the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events to add to your CPD points, to contribute to your professional knowledge and to broaden your experiences.

So sign up to receive the aliaQLD elist and come along to a Quorum event, what have you got to lose?