President's Report 2009

President's report to the 2010 Annual General Meeting

For the past year, members of the School Library Association of Queensland Inc have been actively participating in events which have supported student learning, teacher-librarianship, school libraries, and teachers, through-out Queensland. Their involvement has taken them around the state, inter state and to the international arena.

Subcommittees:

Activities for subcommittees again varied greatly, ranging from literacy to literature, author visits, creative writing groups, Web 2.0 technologies, management issues and inquiry-based learning to maintaining curriculum knowledge. The Executive Officer and other SLAQ members in the Darling Downs area worked together to set up a new sub-committee in Toowoomba. The committee began to plan events and provide support for its members. Other subcommittees around the state continued to promote the role of teacher-librarianship. Presidents and Councillors attended the annual face-to-face planning day in April, where they discussed SLAQ’s future activities, issues relating to members and possible changes to ASLA and its future direction.

SLAQ Council: 

Councillors from subcommittees attended teleconferences, face-to-face meeting and email meetings relating to their role and communicated information and ideas to the members in their local subcommittee area. Suggestions, questions and comments were communicate to SLAQ Executive and other members, and responses were conveyed to members of their subcommittees.  Council was instrumental in disseminating information relating to ASLA’s future direction, to members and collated responses within particular timeframes.  SLAQ Council was responsible for decisions which provided direction for the organisations actions throughout the year and Councillors were instrumental in supporting SLAQ’s strategic direction. Thank you to all Councillors for their participation and professionalism.

SLAQ Executive:

Members of the executive met before each council meeting and at the annual face-to-face meeting. Information was communicated to council and other members in relation to SLAQ’s activities and future direction.  State-wide Professional Development for 2010, the 2010 SLAQ/IASL conference, issues relating to ASLA’s future direction, budgetary considerations, succession planning and strategic planning were part of the Executive’s program for the year. Thank you to all members of the executive for your work throughout the year.

Publications: 

SLAQ Newsletter was edited by Julie Cass, and our web site was regularly updated by Chris XYZ. Julie and Chris have kept SLAQ’s profile to the fore through these publications. It was a challenge for both Chris and Julie to keep members informed and both publications current.  Chris also took on the role of maintaining the information for the joint SLAQ/IASL conference which will be held in September 2010.  Thank you to both members for their work in these areas. As Julie will not be continuing the role of Newsletter editor in 2010, I would like to take the opportunity of thanking her for her professional attitude and her support of our association.

The Guide to Referencing and Bibliographies for Secondary school students was edited and reprinted (3rd edition) and the publication continues to be a financial success for SLAQ.  Thanks must go to Jennifer King for your continued support and voluntary editing of the document.  The Primary version is also continuing to sell well. 

Special projects:

The History of Teacher-librarianship document did not receive the attention it should have during 2009, but two authors, Mary-Ann Salisbury and Geraldine Massey have agreed to work on this document during 2010 and are hoping to have a publication ready for launch at the SLAQ/IASL joint conference in 2010.  We are very pleased to have their support in this manner.

Awards:  

Australian Teacher-Librarian of the Year: This award is sponsored Links Plus and is promoted by the national association, ASLA. The Queensland nominee for 2009 was Darlene Hill from Bundaberg State High School. Darlene’s role was central to both her school and her local subcommittee.  Her nomination recognised her involvement with student writing, coordinating writing workshops, author visits and incorporating information and Communication Technologies into curriculum activities. Her role as a Smart Classroom Mentor supported these activities.  Congratulations were extended to Darlene for this nomination.

Brian Bahnisch Award: This Award is designed to recognise best practice in information literacy in school communities and is in recognition of the role teacher-librarians play in school-based programs which are ongoing and in which the teacher-librarian has had a major role in setting up.  It is a biennial award and will be presented at the 2010 joint SLAQ/IASL conference in Brisbane. The brochure and website information are being redeveloped in readiness for the nominations and members are urged to consider nomination for this award.

Professional Development:

During 2009 a number of Professional Development workshops were held around Queensland.  Members expressed keen interest in Web.2 technologies. Cathy and John Oxley prepared and delivered a number of workshops in Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and the Sunshine Coast. Others are planned for 2010 in this area as well as Inquiry Based learning. The major focus for Professional Development in 2010 will be the conference in September.

Conference:

Planning for the joint SLAQ/IASL conference in 2010 continued. Conference theme and concurrent session strands were finalised; the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) was secured as the venue; trade exhibitors were contacted; keynote speakers were confirmed; the call for abstracts was issued; the budget was prepared; promotions and sponsorship packages developed. The planning committee met on numerous occasions and continued to communicate via an EdNA list. Thank you to all the coordinators and the committee members who have supported them.

Relations with other organisations:  

SLAQ again continued to work with QUT with a representative on the Course Committee; shared a booth with Cyberschool at the Education Show promoting school libraries and supporting resources; liaised with Education Queensland staff from the ELearning branch about Library 21 sessions in relation to the federal Governments BER program; continued discussions with the National Body ASLA, and with CBCA.

JCQTA:

SLAQ continues to be represented on the JCQTA body. One of our Vice-Presidents is an executive member as is hence able to keep the association informed of its actions. Attendance at numerous functions, Professional Development opportunities and the sharing of knowledge on panel discussions helps promote the value of involvement in professional associations.

Through this association, SLAQ was able to provide speakers at another association conference, which was very successful.

ASLA:

The national body continues to undertake support for state associations at a national level. Continued contact via SLAQ’s Councillor to ASLA has allowed SLAQ members to have access to all discussions relating to proposed changes to ASLA’s structure. Members have had the opportunity to view all documents and discuss within local groups what the implications will be for the state association. 2010 will be a year of more discussions as ASLA makes its decisions. All SLAQ members will be asked to consider whatever options are proposed. Discussions will continue.

President’s activities:

During the year I have represented this association on a number of levels and at a variety of functions. These have included;

  • JCQTA Presidents’ dinners (with associated guest speakers) and Professional Development workshops
  • Gold Coast subcommittee workshop with Ross Todd on Guided Inquiry
  • Presenting Lyn Lawrence of Cathedral College in Rockhampton with her nomination certificate for Australian Teacher-librarian of the Year Award
  • Education Queensland’s Showcase Awards dinner
  • Brisbane Marketing Pop-up conference planning event
  • Brisbane sub-committee meetings
  • Values Education in-service for teacher-librarians, promoted by SLAQ
  • QUT Stepping Out day, showcasing professional associations
  • Liaising with BCEC and Brisbane Marketing regarding the conference planning
  • Reporting to the Greater Brisbane Future Libraries Reference Group, supporting teacher-librarians in schools and planning for the Pupil Free Day combined Professional Development Day
  • Attended IASL conference in Italy to note aspects needed for consideration at 2010 conference
  • Correspond with Life members relating to the History of Teacher-librarianship in Queensland
  • Attend ACARA workshops relating to the implementation of the new National Curriculum
  • I have continued to liaise with the Executive Officer on matters relating to the management of SLAQ and am grateful for the support and guidance I have received from both our EO and SLAQ Executive and Councillors.  Thank you to all these people for the time you give to our professional association. Thank you to all members for your involvement in this association.  Your thoughts and actions give direction to an association which aims to support its members and ultimately, student learning.

Chris Kahl, President
School Library Association of Queensland Inc.

Last updated 30 April 2010