Issue 33

1. SLAQ 2000 'Frontiers of Learning'.

Proudly sponsored by access ED and Karen Bonanno & Associates. Have your registered for SLAO 'Frontiers of Learning', the 7th Biennial Conference of the School Library Association of Queensland? It will be held from 3-5 July 2000 at Grace Lutheran College, Redcliffe City, twenty minutes north of Brisbane. Curriculum Corporation are pleased to announce their involvement in this conference with two presentations and a stand at the trade fair. SLAO have established a reputation for excellence in conferences, and SLAO 2000 should prove to be no exception with presenters including:

• Suzette Boyd, Methodist Ladies College, Victoria
• Dr Ross Todd, University of Technology, Sydney
• Rupert McCall, poet and TV presenter
• Michael Salmon, popular children's author and illustrator
• Gary Crew, author
• Mary-Ann Salisbury, President, SLAO
• Bruce McDonald, accessED
• Dr Kerry Mal Ian, Queensland University of Technology
• Angela Vilkins, Interchange Management
• Karen Bonanno, Karen Bonanno & Associates
• John Shield, storyteller.

The presenters will cover areas such as Management and Leadership, Advocacy, Information Literacy, Information Technology, Knowledge Management and Children's Literature -there is something to interest everyone. The program includes a dynamic mix of paper presentation, hands-on workshops and discussions, as well as a one day trade fair of the latest educational resources with many give-aways, special offers and one-off deals as well as fun, stimulating social activities. There will be book signings and opportunities to purchase original children's book illustrations as well as the wonderful food that SLAO conferences have become famous for!

For a copy of the registration brochure, or for further information, please contact Conference Secretariat, Sally Fraser, PO Box 252, Mt Gravatt, Old 4122. Tel: (07) 3349 3815, fax: (07) 3219 2077, email: [email protected], website: <http://www.pukpuk.com.au/SLAO/slaq_ 2000.htm>.

Register before 31 May 2000 to go into the draw to win a copy of SCIS Subject Headings Fourth Edition valued at $90.00.

2. Video Education Australasia

SCIS has undertaken to catalogue all videos distributed by Video Education Australasia (VEA). The majority have now been catalogued, however, if there is no record for a particular video when searching the SCIS database, please forward the item to a SCIS cataloguing agency.

It is usual to search SCIS OPAC for these titles, however, there is a spreadsheet on our website with the titles and SCIS numbers at <http://www.curriculum.edu.au/scis/catalog/video.him>. This alphabetical listing may be of value when SCIS record numbers are required for cataloguing large collections of videos. It is possible to search for both title and series title in this list.

Video Education Australasia, producer and distributor of high quality educational multimedia, has been established for over 21 years, and operates from a Head Office based in Bendigo, in country Victoria. Kerri Carr from VEA says:

'VEA is pleased to work in partnership with Curriculum Corporation, providing educational resources for cataloguing onto their database. This provides access to cataloguing data for Teacher Librarians who purchase our programs, as well as valuable information when searching for new resources. VEA will be gradually adding SCIS numbers to our products and promotional materials, which will be of benefit to library staff.

If you have any suggestions on how we can provide additional services to you, or suggestions for new products, please do not hesitate to contact us via email: <[email protected]> or freecall 1800 034 282. We look forward to hearing from you in 2000.' 

3. Review of library automation systems

SCIS customer support staff are often asked by Teacher Librarians to recommend a library software system. It is SCIS policy to refrain from commenting about the advantages and disadvantages of the various systems. However, in order to assist Teacher Librarians with the selection of a new software system for their school, Curriculum Corporation intends to publish information on its website at <http://www.curriculum.edu.au/scis/links/ software.him> which may assist schools with their selection.

Recently an evaluation of library software systems was undertaken by Curriculum Materials Information Services, Education Department of Western Australia. This report is located on their website at <http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/centoff/cmis/cat/mrr.htm>.

A report completed by the Victorian Department of Education in 1998 is located at <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/itb/libryrpt/ index.him> and would provide further information.

4. The great divide? Physical and digital resources in school libraries

School libraries face an increasing challenge to meet the needs of their users for integrated access to all resources -physical and digital. Worldwide there is increasing use of the concept of 'hybrid libraries' to describe the integration of access to physical and digital resources.

At SCIS we are grappling with the issue of school libraries' need to include internet resources in their library catalogue -see articles in this issue of Connections on the inclusion of catalogue records of web sites on SCIS. Also, Curriculum Corporation and Education.au which manages Ed A Online) have identified as an issue the need to enable schools to easily search both catalogues of physical resources (the traditional library catalogue) and directories of Internet resources, such as EdNA Online.