Journal articles on the topic 'School libraries Australia'

Comic books are becoming increasingly popular in the field of education. In the past, comic books were excluded from school libraries and classrooms. However, with the resurgence in the popularity of comic books and students’ increased demands for them, they are now considered as recreational reading with educational value. In response to this, school libraries have begun collecting comic books and including them as part of their regular collections. This research paper reflects on the current situation of comic books in primary and middle school library collections and examines school librarians’ perceptions towards educational values of comics. The investigation was launched in Hong Kong, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia and Japan – making comparisons amongst different levels (primary school and secondary school), and different types (public school and private school) of schools in five different countries. Questionnaire surveys were sent to selected school librarians and were the main method of data collection. A total number of 683 responses were collected for this study. Research results include librarians’ attitudes towards comic books in school libraries, adolescent readers’ use of school libraries, their reading and borrowing practices, as well as other problems encountered with the on-going maintenance of comic books as part of the school libraries’ regular collections.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline a reconceptualised view of public education, with specific reference to early twentieth-century Australia, and to revisit the significance of the Carnegie Corporation of New York in this period. Further, in this regard, the paper proposes a neo-Foucaultian notion of philanthropic power, as an explanatory and analytical principle, with possible implications for thinking anew about the role and influence of American philanthropic organisations in the twentieth century. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on mainly secondary sources but also works with primary sources gathered from relevant archives, including that of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). Findings The paper concludes that the larger possibilities associated with the particular view of public education outlined here, referring to both public school and public libraries, were constrained by the emergence and consolidation of an increasingly professionalised view of education and schooling. Research limitations/implications The influence of the Carnegie Corporation of New York on early twentieth-century Australian education has been increasingly acknowledged and documented in recent historical research. More recently, Carnegie has been drawn into an interdisciplinary perspective on philanthropy and public culture in Australia. This paper seeks to add to such work by looking at schools and libraries as interconnected yet loosely coupled aspects of what can be understood as, in effect, a re-conceived public education, to a significant degree sponsored by the Corporation. Originality/value The paper draws upon but seeks to extend and to some extent re-orient existing historical research on the relationship between Australian education and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Its originality lies in its exploration of a somewhat different view of public education and the linkage it suggests in this regard with a predominantly print-centric public culture in Australia, in the first half of the twentieth century.

This article describes a job exchange between April Yasamee, Senior Library Assistant, Design Subject Librarian, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK and Mary Mavroudis, School Liaison Librarian, Applied Communications, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. They exchanged jobs for three months between April and July 2007. April arrived in Melbourne just after the start of the academic year. Mary reached London at the beginning of the summer term and the exam period. The article takes the form of email correspondence between them, as they adapt to their new university libraries, noting the differences and similarities between the two institutions.

In October 2002 I was lucky enough to spend three stimulating days at the New York University Law School Library participating in the annual Legal Information Transfer Network workshop. The Legal Information Transfer Network (ITN) is funded by a generous grant from The Starr Foundation (established in 1955 by insurance entrepreneur Cornelius Van der Starr) and is headed by the dynamic Director of the NYU Law School Library, Professor Kathie Price. ITN aims to establish a global network of prestigious law libraries which ultimately can offer a 24/7 virtual reference service, both to its own partner libraries in the developed world and to academic legal communities in less developed countries. Previous annual workshops in such cities as Lausanne in Switzerland have given senior librarians from ITN partner libraries the opportunity to meet and make progress on issues such as providing a global virtual reference desk, sharing database access across the libraries, developing interactive legal research guides, and creating imaginative training programmes for local law librarians in China and Southern Africa (http://www.law.nyu.edu/library/itn). Between workshops the exchange of ideas is continued by email discussion. Currently the list of law library partners includes New York University, Washington University in Seattle, Toronto University in Canada, IALS Library in the UK, the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, Tilburg University in the Netherlands, Konstanz University in Germany, Cape Town University in South Africa, Melbourne University in Australia, Yerevan State University in Armenia, and Tsinghua University in China.

Library services for Hong Kong-based students enrolled in distance learning programs on information studies, offered by the Charles Sturt University (CSU), Australia in collaboration with the School of Professional and Continuing Education of the University of Hong Kong (HKUSPACE), were supported by the University of Hong Kong Libraries utilizing a face-to-face format for many years. With the advancement of internet technology, new e-learning software, mobile technology and ever-growing online resources, CSU and HKUSPACE course administrators considered that online library instruction programs could be supported and delivered by the librarians of CSU at Australia remotely to Hong Kong students. Several real-time, online instruction programs were initiated since late 2013. The successful launching of the programs provides evidence to support the provision of online library instruction through not only personal computers, but also mobile devices. Based on a qualitative analysis, it was concluded that delivering library instruction programs by internet and mobile technology to distance learning students in higher education is achievable. More library services can be planned by making use of this successful experience.

American Librarian Ralph Munn's historic tour of Australian libraries in 1934 is well documented. Along with Ernest Pitt, Chief Librarian of the State Library of Victoria, he spent nearly ten weeks travelling from Sydney and back again, visiting libraries in all the state capitals and many regional towns throughout the country. Munn's trip was funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, which was then, through its Dominions fund, turning attention to philanthropic opportunities in the Antipodes. The resulting report, Australian Libraries: A Survey of Conditions and Suggestions for their Improvement (commonly referred to as the Munn–Pitt Report) is often credited with initiating the public library movement in Australia.

When I was asked to give this talk it occurred to me that it might be interesting to think aloud about some of the changes in constitutional law—and in writing about constitutional law—that have occurred since I came to Canada. I am a New Zealander by birth, but I was teaching at the Faculty of Law of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, when I came to the Osgoode Hall Law School on a one-year visit in the summer of 1970. During that visiting year, the faculty decided to offer me a permanent appointment. This was done over the objection of one of my colleagues, R. J. Gray, who claimed that my lectures would require simultaneous translation, and that I would not meet the height requirements for Canadian citizenship. Anyway I was persuaded to stay (and three years later I became a Canadian citizen).

The aim of this paper is to explore how first-year university students at a regional university in Australia perceive and use Information Literacy (IL) as they transition from school to university. A survey method was used to gather data through pre- and post-intervention surveys with 1,333 first-year students enrolled in their first semester of study across all disciplines at the university. The study identified that between 25–35% of students did not enjoy reading, with many students preferring not to read. Students arrived at university with largely misguided confidence in their personal IL skills, especially the skills needed to meet the demands of university level coursework, with up to 47% of students unlikely to have experienced well-resourced libraries at school. The study concludes that implications for university teaching include gaining an early understanding of the IL skills students have when they arrive at university, and the explicit teaching of IL skills, given the identified impact of IL skills on student success and retention rates.

Reading for pleasure is an undervalued but highly beneficial practice conferring a range of educative and socio-emotional advantages. School librarians may play a key role in supporting reading for pleasure and associated literature advocacy; however, relatively little is known about how reading for pleasure may be valued within the job description of contemporary school librarians. It cannot be assumed that reading for pleasure is positioned as a valued aspect of the school librarians’ educative role in the United States and Australia, given factors such as evolving demands placed on the profession. Through hybrid content analysis of job description documents, this article explores which aspects of the current school librarian role are related to supporting reading for pleasure, comparing expectations between nations. While there are some similarities in the nature of the reading for pleasure role in the United States and Australia, Australian school librarians are far more likely to be expected to foster reading for pleasure.

The low reading culture in teachers has an impact on the low ability and interest in writing scientific papers, of course; also have an impact on the stagnant level of education and teacher’s rank. Nationally, most of the teacher's rank stops at group IV A. Because starting group IVA and above class increased, it requires the component of writing scientific papers, besides teaching component. The results showed that reading culture among Madrasah teachers who became the object of this research increased after the Grant Program of School Quality Component Assistance 3 Madrasah accreditation phase 2 of Indonesia Education Partnership to Australia. They are increasingly aware of the importance of improving the quality of self and improving the quality of Madrasah. Efforts are made to improve the culture of reading teachers, including 1) adding facilities for reading places, such as libraries and reading parks; 2) increasing the number of books collected in Madrasah, related to subjects and textbooks supporting subjects; 3) involving teachers in scientific forums, such as scientific paper competition, short stories, and seminars; 4). The principal as a leading coach for teachers provides motivation to teachers through teacher board meetings as well as directly, in order to increase interest in reading their teachers.

Objective - Evidence based librarianship (EBL) springs from medical and academic origins. As librarians are tertiary educated (only occasionally with supplementary qualifications covering research and statistics) EBL has had an academic focus. The EBL literature has significant content from school and university perspectives, but has had little, if any, vocational content. This paper suggests a possible Evidence Based Librarianship context for vocational libraries. Methods - A multidisciplinary scan of evidence based literature was undertaken, covering medicine and allied health, librarianship, law, science and education. National and international vocational education developments were examined. The concept and use of evidence in vocational libraries was considered. Results - Library practice can generally benefit from generic empirical science methodologies used elsewhere. Different areas, however, may have different concepts of what constitutes evidence and appropriate methodologies. Libraries also need to reflect the evidence used in their host organisations. The Australian vocational librarian has been functioning in an evidence based educational sector: national, transportable, prescriptive, competency based and outcome driven Training Packages. These require a qualitatively different concept of evidence compared to other educational sectors as they reflect pragmatic, economic, employability outcomes. Conclusions - Vocational and other librarians have been doing research but need to be more systematic about design and analysis. Librarians need to develop ‘evidence literacy’ as one of their professional evaluation skills. Libraries will need to utilise evidence relevant to their host organisations to establish and maintain credibility, and in the vocational sector this is set in a competency based framework. Competency based measures are becoming increasingly relevant in school and university (including medical) education.

ARLIS/ANZ Art Libraries Society, Australia New Zealand was formed in August 1976. Since then, ARLIS/ANZ has arranged a number of seminars and workshops for art librarians in both countries; found finance to bring three noted art librarians to the antipodes to give talks and workshops which stimulated both members and other interested professionals; and has published thirteen issues of ARLIS/ANZ News. ARLIS has served as a valuable support for art librarians working in isolation, at great distance from international centres of publishing and art activity. Distance between ARLIS/ANZ centres led to the formation of local interest groups and cooperation between art libraries in art galleries and museums, universities, schools of art, and national resource libraries.

As we all cope with an e-everything world, libraries are moving to accommodate WOW (words on the web) as well as POP (print on paper) in their collections. This has led to a realignment in organisational structures, particularly in university contexts. This paper addressed two major issues: firstly the challenges that major institutional reorganisations in Australia have placed on universities and, in particular, on art schools; secondly the way these challenges may be met, based on actions and solutions to improve access to Australian visual arts information resources which followed from an extensive survey by the National Library of Australia in co-operation with ARLIS/ANZ. These results encourage art libraries to develop partnerships and networking with their parent institution and other libraries and cultural institutions on a national level.

Until a few years ago there were only 12 law schools in this country. That number has now grown to 28 with rumours of more, and with the additional introduction of programmes like those run by the University of London. Law student numbers in Australia country have risen by over 60% since 1987. It can be, and has been, argued that this is simply too many for our resources and many of the newer law schools were established more with an eye to the prestige of having a law degree within the institution.

Purpose The skill set required to be a professional in any profession is inherent in the qualifications required for entrance to that profession. The ability to demonstrate leadership in the middle to upper echelons of that profession is demonstrably different. The School of Information Studies at the Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga Australia sought to explore what a postgraduate qualification in the leadership of the profession might look like and what the demand for such a qualification might be. The purpose of this paper is to detail that research effort and the outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The study undertook a number of different approaches including engaging in networks of professional colleagues globally and a series of focus groups in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The outcomes were analyzed in terms of the expectations of what a new degree might contain as well as the enrollment prospects for such a degree. Findings There was a strong ground-swell of support for a new degree of Masters of Information Leadership. The combination of subjects from the LIS environment together with subjects from a MBA environment was strongly endorsed. These areas of interest were documented in the paper along with recommendations. Research limitations/implications There is a fertile ground for research here in two ways. First, there is much scope for the examination of the course requirements and how they sit in a future work environment. This is especially the case where there is a convergence of the interests of the galleries, libraries, archives and museums sectors. Second, there is much to be done as the authors look at leadership skills sets for future information environments which are highly speculative. Practical implications This study has produced a set of requirements for a new Masters of Information Leadership. It is a very useful set of requirements to base future studies. There was also a very strong requirement for real life aspects to such a course rather than theoretical exercises as has been the current academic practice. Originality/value This study is quite original as it sought to engage practitioners in different areas and sectors in Australia aiming to ensure that the resulting academic program was closely aligned with practitioner need.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a seven stage community engagement process to develop and disseminate community uptake strategies which encouraged cybersafety as part of a positive transition from primary to secondary school among Australian young people. Design/methodology/approach The combined principles from socio-ecological models, community development models and student participation models formed the foundation for the strategies. Resources were developed for all members of the community – students, parents, teachers and the broader community. The methods included: the formation of a steering committee and a Youth Advisory Board; review of the current literature; development of online resources; a youth resource development activity; development of youth resources; translation of resources into health promotion initiatives; and the dissemination of resources at community events and facilities such as schools, libraries and recreation centres and through print and social media. Findings Community engagement strategies – in particular a partnership between a Western Australian university and local government body, the steering committee consisting of local organisations, and the student advisory board – were used to successfully design and promote resources developed by young people for young people. Originality/value This study utilises a community-level approach to develop resources to encourage cybersafety and a positive transition from primary to secondary school.

I want to place the fate of the National Museum of Australia (NMA) in the context of some of the political strategies that underpin the electoral placidity and public acceptance of a government so radically reshaping Australian democratic institutions. A national museum that reaches and engages with a national constituency can be an important place for the vigorous public debate that democracy requires. In such a place, political doctrines and dogmas, cultural fantasies and assumptions, historical interpretations and good old common-sense may all be scrutinised as well as confirmed. Such a place sits beside schools and universities, public libraries and art galleries and festivals, each of which provides the opportunity for reflection as well as for congratulation. As with the other publicly funded but independent sites of public reflection, the National Museum is to be reined in and redirected. It is to become ‘balanced’. Nothing could more surely ring its death knell. In future, the museum’s visitors will reflect along the narrow and limited lines of carefully delineated ‘alternatives’ that in fact confine and constrain rather than enlarge understanding.

Abstract: This study aims to describe the professional development of elementary school teachers in remote areas in the UPTD Damang Batu working area, seen from the aspects of: (1) elementary teacher professional development through: (a) Intensive Development, (b) Cooperative Development, (c) Self Directed Development, and (2) Supporting factors and obstacles encountered in the professional development of remote area elementary school teachers. This research is a qualitative research with a case study design. Data collection is done by methods: in-depth interviews (indepth interview), participant observation (participant observation), and study documentation (study of document). Determination of data sources is done by using purposive sampling technique. Data analysis was performed using the interactive patterns of Miles and Huberman (1994). Checking the validity of the data is done by using a degree of credibility through both source and method triangulation techniques. The results of the study show that: (1) Professional development of elementary school teachers in remote areas, through: (a) Intensive Development, carried out through activities commonly aimed at developing teacher professionals and program activities that are tailored to the needs of teachers; (b) Cooperative Development, carried out through visits to other schools, sharing experiences with colleagues, being active in MGMP activities, and supporting each other to increase work motivation; and (c) Self-Directed Development, carried out through teaching media manufacturing activities, actively reading books in school libraries, actively participating in seminars / training, and actively seeking new teaching materials if they have the opportunity to access the internet; and (2) Supporting factors include the establishment of synergic cooperation between the Education Office, UPTD, supervisors, school principals and teachers; while the constraint factor is not all teachers have the opportunity to participate in a professional development program due to geographical conditions and the difficulty of access to and from the school. Keywords: Professional Development, Elementary Teacher, Remote Area Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan tentang Pembinaan profesional guru SD daerah terpencil di wilayah kerja UPTD Kecamatan Damang Batu, dilihat dari aspek: (1) Pembinaan professional guru SD melalui: (a) Intensive Development, (b) Cooperative Development, (c) Self- Directed Development, dan (2) Faktor pendukung dan kendala yang dihadapi dalam pengembangan profesional guru SD daerah terpencil. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif dengan rancangan studi kasus. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan metode wawancara mendalam, observasi partisipan, dan studi dokumentasi. Penetapan sumber data dilakukan dengan teknikpurposive sampling. Analisis data dilakukan dengan menggunakan pola interaktif Miles dan Huberman (1994). Pengecekan keabsahan data dilakukan dengan menggunakan derajat kepercayaan (credibility) melalui teknik triangulasi baik sumber maupun metode. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: (1) Pembinaan profesional guru SD daerah terpencil, melalui: (a) Intensive Development, dilaksanakan melalui kegiatan yang lazim ditujukan untuk mengembangkan profesional guru serta program kegiatan yang disesuaikan dengan kebutuhan guru; (b) Cooperative Development, dilaksanakan melalui kegiatan kunjungan ke sekolah lain, sharing pengalaman dengan sejawat, aktif dalam kegiatan MGMP, serta saling mendukung untuk meningkatkan motivasi kerja; dan (c) Self- Directed Development, dilaksanakan melalui kegiatan pembuatan media ajar, aktif membaca buku di perpustakaan sekolah, aktif mengikuti seminar/pelatihan, serta aktif mencari bahan ajar baru jika memiliki kesempatan untuk mengakses internet; dan (2) Faktor pendukung meliputi terjalinnya kerjasama yang sinergis antara Dinas Pendidikan, UPTD, pengawas, kepala sekolah dan guru; sedangkan faktor kendala belum semua guru mendapatkan kesempatan untuk mengikuti program pembinaan profesional disebabkan kondisi geografis serta sukarnya akses dari dan menuju ke sekolah tersebut. Kata Kunci: Pembinaan Profesional, Guru Sekolah Dasar, Daerah Terpencil References: Arifin. (2011). Kompetensi Guru dan Strategi Pengembanganya. Yogyakarta: Penerbit LILIN. Arnold, P. (2001). Review of Contemporary Issues for Rural Schools. Education in Rural Australia, 11 (1), 30-42. Bafadal, I. (2003). Peningkatan Profesionalisme Guru Sekolah Dasar: Dalam Rangka Manajemen Peningkatan Mutu Berbasis Sekolah. Jakarta: Bumi Aksara. Collette, A.T., & Chiappetta, E. L. (1994). Science Instruction in the Middle and Secondary Schools(3rd Edition). New York: Merrill. Departemen Pendidikan Nasional. (2005). Manajemen Peningkatan Mutu Berbasis Sekolah.Jakarta: Direktorat Pendidikan Menengah Umum. Direktorat Jenderal Pendidikan Dasar dan Menengah.Departemen Pendidikan Nasional. Dinas Pendidikan Kabupaten Gunung Mas. (2010). Laporan Tahunan DinasPendidikan Kabupaten Gunung Mas Tahun 2010. Dinas Pendidikan Kabupaten Gunung Mas. (2016). Data Hasil UKG Tahun 2015. Gaffar, F. M. (1987). Perencanaan Pendidikan: Teori dan Metodologi. Jakarta: Depdikbud. Glatthorn, A. A. (1995). Teacher Development. In: Anderson, L. (Ed.). International Encyclopedia of Teaching and Teacher Education. Second Edition.London: Pergamon Press. Gorton, R. A. (1976). School Administration Challenge and Opportunity for Leadership.New York: Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers. Hanson, M. E. (1985). Educational Administration and Organizational Behavior. Third Edition. Boston Allyn and Bacon. Heslop, J. (1996). A Model for The Development of Teacher in a Remote Area of Western Australia.Australian Journal of Education. Vol.21: Iss.1, Article 1. Available at: http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol21/iss1/1. Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (Kemendikbud). (2012). Pedoman Uji Kompetensi Guru.Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan Sumber Daya Manusia dan Kebudayaan dan Penjaminan Mutu. Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (Kemendikbud). (2015). Pedoman Pelaksanaan Uji Kompetensi Guru.Jakarta: Direktorat Jenderal Guru dan Tenaga Kependidikan. Khasanah, N. (2014). Ternyata ini Alasan Pendidikan di Jawa Lebih Berkualitas. Diakses pada tanggal 20 Juli 2018, dari: https://www.kompasiana.com/noerchasanahkinar/ 54f868f5a333113a038b4577/ternyata-ini-alasan-pendidikan-di-jawa-lebih-berkualitas. Koswara, D. D., & Triatna, C. (2011). Manajemen Pendidikan: Manajemen Peningkatan Mutu Pendidikan.Tim Dosen Administrasi Pendidikan Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. Bandung: Alfabeta. McPherson, R. B. (1986). Managing Uncertainty: Administrative Theory and Practice in Education. Colombus: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company. Miles, M., & Huberman, A. M. (1992). Analisis Data Kualitatif: Buku Sumber Tentang Metode-Metode Baru. Jakarta: UI Press. Mulyasa, E. (2013). Uji Kompetensi Guru dan Penilaian Kinerja Guru.Bandung: PT. Remaja Rosda Karya. Mustofa. (2007). Upaya Pengembangan Profesionalisme Guru di Indonesia.Jurnal Ekonomi Pendidikan, Vol.4 (1). Nugroho, P. J. (2013). Faktor-Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Profesionalisme Guru SD Daerah Terpencil Daratan Pedalaman Kabupaten Gunung Mas.Prosiding Hasil Penelitian dan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Tahun 2013. Dies Natalis Universitas Palangka Raya. ISSN: 2354-6727. Nugroho, P. J. (2017). Pengembangan Model Pelatihan Inovatif untuk Meningkatkan Kompetensi Guru SD Daerah Terpencil. Jurnal Sekolah Dasar: Kajian Teori dan Praktik, Vol.26 (2). Peraturan Pemerintah Republik Indonesia Nomor 19 Tahun 2005 tentang Standar Nasional Pendidikan. Peraturan Pemerintah Republik Indonesia Nomor 32 Tahun 2013 tentang Perubahan Atas Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 19 Tahun 2005. Rohani, N. K. (2004). Pengaruh Pembinaan Kepala Sekolah dan Kompensasi Terhadap Kinerja Guru SLTP Negeri di Kota Surabaya.Jurnal Pendidikan Dasar, Vol.5 (1). Saud, U. S. (2009). Pengembangan Profesi Guru SD/MI. Bandung: Alfabeta. Sher, J. P., & Sher, K. R. (1994). Beyond the Conventional Wisdom: Rural Develop-ment as if Australia’s Rural People and Communities Really Mattered. Journal of Research in Rural Education, Vol 10 No 1. Siram, R. (1992). Pelaksanaan Model Sistem Guru Kunjung Suatu Alternatif Pemerataan Pendidikan Sekolah Dasar Daerah Terpencil di Kalimantan Tengah.Tesis tidak dipublikasikan, PPS IKIP Malang. Snyder, K. J., & Anderson, R. H. (1986). Managing Productivity Schools. Orlando: Academic Press College Division. Supriadi, D. (1990). Pendidikan di Daerah Terpencil: Masalah dan Penanganannya. Analisis CSIS No. 5. Bandung: IKIP Bandung. Tjalla, A. (2010). Potret Mutu Pendidikan Indonesia ditinjau dari Hasil-Hasil Studi Internasional.Diakses tanggal 20 Juli 2018 dari: http://repository.ut.ac.id/2609/1/fkip201047.pdf. Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 20 Tahun 2003 tentang Sistem Pendidikan Nasional.

In addition to classroom management, school management plays a vital role in the success or failure of schools (as establishments or educational firms) and students’ performance in general. This paper discusses several issues that were put under seven different subtitles starting with “The Transformations of Principals Roles in Iraq” and ending with “Recommendations” for further studies or research in this regard. It (the paper) focusses on the importance of empowering principals and school leaders through providing them with more freedom in decision making. Also, the paper pinpoints how much control we need to have on this freedom. Some of the roles played by principals, in addition to the required qualities, skills and capacities that school principals need to have or acquire if they want to run their buildings (schools) in an effective and an influential way will be tackled in the fourth part (issue) of the paper. These roles, skills and capacities will be highlighted in light of their impact on students’ performance in classrooms and in the results of the end of year exams. The questionnaire part of the paper describes the results of the questionnaire (in which a limited number of school leaders participated) and their analysis. The last two parts of the paper describe the challenges that accompanied writing this paper like: the unavailability of resources as it was a bit hard to find resources tackling the issue of principalship and leadership in schools in our libraries, therefore, most of the paper was written according to the American and Australian literature in this field. Also, not many principals agreed to participate in the questionnaire because they thought that it contains an implicit criticism to the current educational system that’s why I kept the identity of the participants unknown.

This study sought to examine the views of students, teachers and teacher librarians on students' attitudes to, use of, and reflections on, information retrieval, when completing curricular assignments. A second element of the research was to investigate the views of students, teachers and teacher librarians on the extent to which students might transfer information retrieval skills across time and across subjects. The research was carried out in three rural Australian schools. A constructivist grounded theory approach was taken in the study, and data was collected in the form of student diaries and questionnaires, and interviews with students and staff. Constructivist grounded analysis was used to analyse and interpret data. Findings from the study indicated that a minority of students both valued and would transfer information retrieval skills; the majority of students valued information retrieval skills but were unlikely to transfer skills without prompting; and a very small minority of students could not understand the concepts of information retrieval and transfer. The study also found that the schools lacked a culture of transfer.

<p class="VARAbstract">This paper focuses on examining the scope of virtual architectural archaeology in forms of digital geospatial platforms and immersive tools such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) to be used for achieving social cohesion, particularly in a multicultural and multi-ethnic society like Australia’s. In the context of the current global and national concern about Muslims and Islam, as well as for the mistrust towards and distance between Muslims and Non-Muslims in Australia, it is imperative to delve deeper into the contribution of early Muslim pioneers, in this case, the Afghan Cameleers, in the social fabric of colonial Australia. Based on the premise that architecture could be a unique and revealing research frame to gain insight into human values, worldview and material culture, the main aim of this paper is to address two key issues using virtual architectural archaeology. Firstly, to demonstrate the application of 4D capturing and component-based modelling with metadata and paradata regarding the past of the lost architectural heritage sites in remote central and western Australia, also counting on assets such as Linked Open Data (LOD) for further dissemination and use. Secondly, to propose a mode to disseminate new knowledge through digital platforms and VR/AR experiences to the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) audiences and schools regarding the Muslims in Australia. Understanding properly them and their contribution to the Australian society would eventually minimise the cultural distance between Muslims and Non-Muslims in Australia. Greater awareness could mitigate the myth of fear and mistrust regarding Muslims and Islam, widely misunderstood for a long time.</p><p>Highlights:</p><ul><li><p>Architectural-archaeological heritage as a tool for achieving social cohesion and to minimise cultural/social differences between Muslims and non-Muslims in Australia.</p></li><li><p>4D capturing and digital geospatial platforms for contextualising architectural-archaeological heritage in a spatial and chronological way.</p></li><li><p>Gamified and non-gamified Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) applications to engage the general public with architectural-archaeological heritage from remote, hard-to-access areas.</p></li></ul>

Museum studies is an academic and practical field of research that is ever expanding and alive with potential, opportunity, and challenge paralleling the extraordinary growth of museums in every part of the world. Museum Worlds: Advances in Research, launched in 2012, has responded to the need for a rigorous, in-depth review of current work in museums and related industries, including galleries, libraries, archives, and cultural heritage. The inspiration for the journal came from Howard Morphy, Professor of Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra, along with founding editors Kylie Message, also at the ANU, and Sandra Dudley from the School of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester.

This research investigates the portrayal of masculinity in Australian young adult novels published in 2019. The novels were taken from the 2020 Children’s Books Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year for Older Readers Notables List. Established in 1946, these annual awards are considered the most prominent and prestigious in Australian children’s and young adult literature and are likely to be accessible and promoted to young readers in schools and libraries. The three texts studied were Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte, The Boy who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews, and This is How We Change the Ending by Vikki Wakefield. Using a Critical Content Analysis methodology (Beach et al., 2009), researchers completed a review of the literature and theories around masculinity and chose to analyse three exemplary texts using the attributes of the Hegemonic Masculinity Schema (HMS) and Sensitive New Man Schema (SNMS) as described by Romøren and Stephens (2002). Attributes from the HMS include traits and behaviours like being violent, physical or verbal bullying, and hostile to difference while attributes from the SNMS include being supportive, affectionate, and considerate and respectful of the space and feelings of others (especially females). In this method, researchers identify examples of the attributes within the main characters and minor characters from each of the three books, recording quotes and noting critical incidents depicting aspects of masculinity. Notable findings of the research include the acknowledgment and portrayal of a particular conception of hegemonic masculinity in the selected novels often informed or shaped by the presence of dominant father figures and the absence of the concept of “the mother.” The characters who aligned to the schema used within this research are often overshadowed by a dominant father figure who conformed to an extreme version of hegemonic masculinity and who shaped their child’s actions even if the fathers were absent from the novel. The research reveals commonly held conceptions of masculinity aligned to those used in the schema and demonstrated that young adult literature, like popular media, can be used as a vehicle for the dissemination of such concepts and reveal contemporary understandings of it. Outputs from this research include the development of a modified and more contemporary schema which could be applied to future research. Significantly, this interdisciplinary research bridges the library, education and literature fields to examine the different ways maleness and masculinity are depicted to young adult readers in prize-nominated Australian young adult novels.

AbstractThis article is an intervention in debates about the reputation of Australian writers, with specific reference to the career of Thea Astley (and, as a ‘benchmark’, Randolph Stow). It argues that the terrain in which reputations are made and books are valued is complex and uneven, particularly when viewed from regional perspectives. The aim is to shift the focus in ‘reception’ from single fields, such as book sales, literary prizes, critical attention and international recognition, to show a more complex literary ecology within which authors might simultaneously ‘rise’ and ‘fall’ in different ways. The data supporting this claim come from a variety of sources, including newspaper databases, schools and libraries, although the article is ‘preliminary’ in the sense that it does not investigate the substance of the quantitative data compiled — for example, it does not consider in depth the reviews or kinds of stories that were carried in the press. The discussion of reputation aims to keep Astley’s oeuvre and style in view, in order to consider why and how Astley might be ‘neglected’ and how this neglect might be addressed.

AbstractGiven that the Sunshine Coast and its hinterland have been, at least for a time, the haunt of several of several eminent Australian writers — the Palmers, Dark, Herbert, Astley, Wright, Cato, Williamson and Carey, to name a few — it seemed worth asking whether the principal, and for most of the twentieth century the only, newspaper servicing the region since 1903 — the Nambour Chronicle and the North Coast Advertiser — was part of a literary culture to which these writers felt they belonged and were contributing in the first half of the century. If not, why not? And if so, what kinds of contributions did it make to that culture? The tentative finding is that while the Chronicle did not make the kinds of direct, ‘homegrown’ contributions that some other metropolitan and provincial newspapers did, it maintained a literary presence and function by means of a regular diet of imported features, and by its particularly close and consistent relationship with the Nambour Town Library (and also, less consistently, with various School of Arts libraries in the district). The continuing connection between these two Nambour institutions — the Chronicle and the library — was personal and familial as well as civic in nature, and clearly suited the literary demands and expectations of a highly dispersed community that found its unity and identity by other means.

Background and Objectives: The United States, like many other nations, faces a chronic shortage of primary care physicians. The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesize literature describing evidence-based institutional practices and interventions that support medical students’ choices of primary care specialties, published in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Methods: We surveyed peer-reviewed, published research. An experienced medical librarian conducted searches of multiple databases. Articles were selected for inclusion based on explicit criteria. We charted articles by topic, methodology, year of publication, journal, country of origin, and presence or absence of funding. We then scored included articles for quality. Finally, we defined and described six common stages of development of institutional interventions. Results: We reviewed 8,083 articles and identified 199 articles meeting inclusion criteria and 41 related articles. As a group, studies were of low quality, but improved over time. Most were quantitative studies conducted in the United States. Many studies utilized one of four common methodologic approaches: retrospective surveys, studies of programs or curricula, large-scale multi-institution comparisons, and single-institution exemplars. Most studies developed groundwork or examined effectiveness or impact, with few studies of planning or piloting. Few studies examined state or regional workforce outcomes. Conclusions: Research examining medical school interventions and institutional practices to support primary care specialty choice would benefit from stronger theoretical grounding, greater investment in planning and piloting, consistent use of language, more qualitative methods, and innovative approaches. Robust funding mechanisms are needed to advance these goals.

When considering the question of reading provision in remote regions, Australian historians have tended to focus on the challenge of distributing books and other reading matter affordably across vast and sparsely populated areas. In the back-blocks of Western Queensland between the wars, however, the problem of distribution had been addressed with some success: by mail orders to metropolitan book retailers, subsidised postal rates, local Schools of Arts libraries, the Workers’ Educational Association and, above all, the efficient operations of the Queensland Bush Book Club, which performed extraordinary feats of remote distribution throughout the interwar period. Isolated booklovers could almost take for granted a steady — if somewhat limited and belated — supply of books to read. Two things they could not take for granted, however, were reliable, disinterested and informed advice about what books to choose (where choice was available) and — even more important — the opportunity to share their reading experiences with others. Walter Murdoch once said, ‘It is a basic fact that when you have read a book you want to talk about it.’ That may overstate the case a little, but there is no doubt that the desire to communicate the pleasures, occasional disappointments and sense of discovery in reading books — no matter how solitary the reading experience itself may have been — was and is very strong and widespread, and that single families or households did not then (and do not now) necessarily provide congenial environments for such ‘book talk’.

Australian school libraries have an expressed need to organise resources according to Australian Curriculum (AC) outcomes. The Schools Catalogue Information Service (SCIS) at Education Services Australia creates and distributes MARC records to 93% of Australian school libraries, but has not traditionally provided curriculum-alignment data. This paper describes a SCIS survey of 586 Australian school libraries, examining the factors driving demand for curriculum alignment. Libraries with a teacher librarian and those that were already actively engaged in curriculum resourcing saw the most value in resource alignment. Curriculum-engaged libraries were more prominent in secondary schools, Catholic schools, and large schools with larger libraries and a teacher-librarian. They were also more prominent in schools where teachers actively engaged with library staff. Library engagement is discussed as a concept of potential interest for further research.

Libraries are valuable resources that schools can draw upon to enhance their students’ literacy outcomes. However, the role of libraries in supporting student literacy attainment and maintenance may be poorly understood in schools. To determine if libraries are a valued literacy resource within schools, investigation of their incorporation into school-level literacy policies and plans was warranted. Literacy policies and plans from Australia and the United Kingdom were examined using a hybrid content analysis approach to explore if libraries are commonly featured in school literacy policies and plans. Analysis also identified the kinds of libraries that were mentioned, and the roles that libraries play in these documents. Only 34.3% of Australian documents mentioned a library, with UK documents far more likely to include them (74.3%). UK documents were more likely to mention school libraries, classroom libraries, public libraries, mobile libraries, online libraries and book swap areas, while parent libraries were only mentioned in Australian documents. Analysis of roles of libraries found mentions of borrowing and literature exposure; access to a well-resourced facility; reading for pleasure; reading for assessment; environment; research, information literacy and library skills; external expertise, resourcing and outreach; and literacy and literature instruction. UK documents were more likely to include these roles than their Australian counterparts.

Igniting a passion for reading and research is core business for school libraries, inevitably placing the library at the center of the 21st century reading and learning experience. It is in this context that digital literature creates some challenging questions for teachers and librarians in schools, while the emergence of digital technology and/or device options also offers a great many opportunities. Collection development in school libraries encompasses an understanding of the need to contextualize these e-literature needs within the learning and teaching experiences in the school. The Australian Library and Information Association’s 2013 statement Future of collections 50:50 predicted that library print and ebook collections in libraries would establish a 50:50 equilibrium by 2020 and that this balance would be maintained for the foreseeable future. This statement from the Australian professional body raised the need to know more about e-collections in school libraries. For teacher librarians in Australian schools, the nature of online collections, and the integration of ebooks into the evolving reading culture is influenced by the range and diversity of texts, interfaces, devices, and experiences available to complement existing print and media collections or services. Management and budget constraints also influence e-collections. By undertaking a review of the literature, a discussion of the education context, and a critical analysis of the trends evidenced by national survey data, this paper presents an overview of the changes and emerging trends in digital literature and ebook collections in school library services in Australia today.

The issue of combined school-public libraries has long concerned researchers and practitioners in the field and is well documented in literature. A literature survey reveals opinion articles as well as empirical field studies, especially in the US, Canada, UK, Australia and Germany, which attempt to determine the advantages and disadvantages of this model, and possible factors associated with its success in practice. Despite the importance of the topic and its potential of budget savings and greater efficiency in use of resources, no large-scale empirical study of the extent and performance of combined school-public libraries in Israel has been conducted. The study aimed to empirically investigate the combined school-public libraries on the high school level existing in Israel. The main research tools were three different written closed questionnaires sent to the school librarian, school principal and one of the school teachers. In 1996 questionnaires were mailed to all 65 schools known to have some type of combination libraries: 26 had a combined school-public library, while in the remaining 39 schools the library was a branch of a regional or municipal public library. Questionnaires were also mailed to 40 randomly-chosen schools, having a 'regular' (i.e. not combined) library, to serve as a control group. Response rate was about 50% and the final sample included 51 libraries: 18 -combined, 11-'branches', and 22-'regular' ones. Main findings were: the number of combined libraries has risen constantly over the decades which seems to be an interesting trend, especially in view of the recent decline reported in the US and Canada. Regarding space and seats the situation in the regional libraries was much better than in the urban ones. Concerning opening hours the urban combined libraries were open longer than the regional combined ones and the control group. The combined libraries, mainly the urban ones, were open for more afternoon hours, all of them were open during school vacations, and they had a higher average number of weekly librarian hours per school. Regional combined libraries had a much larger number of books per student and periodicals and computers per library than the urban combined ones and the control group. The mean number of users of the reading-room was about the same (usually low) in all types of libraries in afternoon hours, but differed considerably in the mornings, probably due to different teaching methods. About half the librarians, the school principals and the teachers in the combined libraries rated their combined library as 'very successful', while the rest rated it as only 'partially successful', or expressed dissatisfaction, pointing out serious problems. Regional librarians were much more satisfied with the combined model, compared to their urban colleagues. Findings indicated that the combined model is more likely to succeed in a regional library, in a rural setting, than in an urban one.

KBANZSL, the Knowledge Bank of Australia and New Zealand School Libraries, is an open access knowledge bank collating key documents, collections and other resources for and about Australian and New Zealand school libraries and teacher librarianship. The resource was created in response to recommendations from the Australian Parliament over a decade ago but still highly relevant in today’s educational climate. KBANZSL holds strong potential in supporting advocacy, professional development, and research for school libraries and teacher librarianship in the Oceania region and beyond. This paper shares ways KBANZSL can be used for research and advocacy projects.

Abstract Research indicates that partnerships between libraries and schools have potential to enhance early literacy. However, few studies have investigated the nature and outcomes of such collaborations. This paper reports on the findings from a qualitative study of a partnership between librarians and kindergarten teachers to implement a family literacy programme, developed by the State Library of Western Australia. The programme aims to facilitate connections between libraries, families and schools, to support early literacy. Using an interpretive paradigm, interviews were undertaken with 38 participants including State, branch, local and school librarians, kindergarten teachers and school principals in seven schools, to explore the effectiveness of the partnership model. The partnerships were highly valued, and participants reported confidence in the success of the co-operative model of programme delivery. However, there was little evidence of deep engagement across service sectors or sharing of expertise and resources. Four key factors that influenced the development and sustainability of partnerships are identified and discussed. Implications of the research are identified, which include the development of a library–school partnership framework and a literacy-text messaging programme. We conclude by suggesting that the partnership model could be replicated across other countries, maximising opportunities for cost efficiency while supporting better outcomes for families and children.

This paper explains the purpose of the Outstanding International Books (OIB) Committee of the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY), the available resources on the USBBY OIB site (http://www.usbby.org/list_oibl.html), and highlights selected titles from the 2015 list. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the OIB Lists have represented some of the most outstanding international books published, providing a range of titles appropriate for children from birth to 18 years of age. Titles were first published in another country and language before being distributed in English throughout the U.S. Some of the countries where these books originated include Australia, France, India, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The paper includes an annotated bibliography of the 2015 OIB Book list for librarians who wish to have a selection aid when purchasing books for their school libraries.

Gould, Peter. Windy Wyndham and the Wagon Who Couldn’t Swim. Bassendean, Western Australia, Peter Gould and Donna Franklin, 2018. This is the sixth volume in Peter Gould’s Stories from the Engine Shed series. These books tell the stories of the train engines and cars of the Bennett Brook Railway at Whiteman Park, near Perth in Western Australia. Apart from being a fun series of children’s books, this series is important because it demonstrates that the concept of anthropomorphized train cars is generic and does not belong to any particular franchise. The series has its own cast of characters and a unique Western Australian world in which they operate. While earlier volumes have been set in Whiteman Park, this is a story told by the large diesel locomotive, Windy Wyndham that harkens back to a time when Windy worked at the harbour in the northwestern Australian coastal town of Wyndham. The book is full of Donna Franklin’s brightly coloured pictures. The style of illustration varies significantly, even within pictures. Some of the images, particularly those with machines and people, are quite cartoonish. Drawings of people sometimes lack detail. However, when the subject is something in nature, Franklin’s work is stronger. Her rendition of a turtle, a crocodile, magpie-larks and seahorses are lovely. Each page is a picture with text overprinted. The text includes local references, such as the Freemantle Doctor, the cooling breeze that comes from the Indian Ocean. There are also some railway-specific words, such as “buffer beam”, “shunter”, and “cow catcher.” These words are explained in the glossary, “Ashley’s Railway Words”, at the end of the book. While not widely distributed, the series is available through the Bennett Brook Railway. This volume includes a loose single page insert that explains the history of the real Windy Wyndham engine, which has been at Whiteman Park since 1984. Overall, this is an excellent series, which is suitable for elementary school libraries and public libraries. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Sandy Campbell Sandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

Evidence-based practice as it applies to the Library and Information (LIS) sector and in particular teacher librarians is the focus of this research investigation. The context for this research is Australian school libraries and teacher librarians. This is a research in progress and the report here will include some very early findings and lessons learned from the initial pilot study. The contributions of this research will be in developing a framework for the library and information sector with a particular application for teacher librarians. Providing meaningful evidence of work practices that demonstrate contributions to the schools goals and mission statements in conjunction with contributions to student academic, social and cultural achievements are crucial for the future of the teacher librarian.

Technology and social media platforms are driving an unprecedented reorganization of the learning environment in and beyond schools around the world. Technology provides us leadership challenges, and at the same time offers opportunities for communication and learning through technology channels to support professional development. School librarians and teacher librarians are often working as the sole information practitioner in their school, and need to stay in touch with others beyond their own school to develop their personal professional capacity to lead within their school. The Australian Teacher Librarian Network aims to make a difference, and supports school library staff in Australia and around the world to build professional networks and personal learning connections, offering an open and free exchange of ideas, strategies and resources to build collegiality. This ongoing professional conversation through online and social media channels is an important way to connect, communicate and collaborate in building a vibrant future for school librarians.

Evidence is required to ensure the future viability of school libraries and teacher-librarians. Education policy makers and school principals need detailed, reliable evidence to support informed decision-making about school library resourcing and staffing. Teacher-librarians need evidence to guide their professional practice and demonstrate their contribution to student learning outcomes. This review, which arises from recent Australian research (Hughes, 2013), collates international and Australian research about the impacts of school libraries and teacher librarians. It strengthens the evidence base, and recommends how this evidence can be best used to advance school libraries and teacher-librarians and enhance student learning.

All sectors of Australian education are currently seeking to define and promote quality teaching and are developing policies on teacher quality and educational leadership. The national Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching sets out agreed foundational elements and dimensions of effective teaching and provides an architecture in which generic, specialist, and subject-area-specific professional standards can be developed. In 2005, the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) released the joint publication Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians, a document that helps teacher librarians find their place in the professional teaching standards agenda. This article outlines the policy framework underpinning the ALIA-ASLA document and shows how the project seeks to empower school libraries by helping teacher librarians evaluate their professional practice.

Under what title should teacher-librarians be known? What is in a name? This paper provides an Australian background to the questions about the name that should be given to those who work as information specialists in schools. The authors review metaphorical analysis as a research tool and outline a qualitative research project employing the metaphor technique in an attempt to discover the conceptions that stakeholders (teacher-librarians, principals, classroom teachers, others) hold about three alternative titles that could be employed by the teacher-librarian profession. This research was undertaken with a number of groups in New South Wales, Australia.

IntroductionIn regional Australia and New Zealand, museums and art galleries are increasingly becoming primary sites of cultural engagement. They are one of the key tourist attractions for regional towns and expected to generate much needed tourism revenue. In 2017 in New South Wales alone, there were three million visitors to regional galleries and museums (MGNSW 13). However, apart from those (partially) funded by local councils, they are often run on donations, good will, and the enthusiasm of volunteers. Regional museums and galleries provide some paid, and more unpaid, employment for ageing populations. While two-thirds of Australia’s population lives in capital cities, the remainder who live in regional towns are likely to be in the 60+ age cohort because people are choosing to retire away from the bustling, growing cities (ABS). At last count, there were about 3000 museums and galleries in Australia with about 80% of them located in regional areas (Scott). Over the last 40 years, this figure has tripled from the 1000 regional and provincial museums estimated by Peter Piggott in his 1975 report (24). According to a 2014 survey (Shaw and Davidson), New Zealand has about 470 museums and galleries and about 70% are located outside capital cities. The vast majority, 85%, have less than five, full-time paid staff, and more than half of these were run entirely by ageing volunteers. They are entrusted with managing the vast majority of the history and heritage collections of Australia and New Zealand. These ageing volunteers need a diverse range of skills and experience to care for and interpret collections. How do you find the time and budget for professional development for both paid staff and volunteers? Many professional development events are held in capital cities, which are often a significant distance from the regional museum—this adds substantially to the costs of attending and the time commitment required to get there. In addition, it is not uncommon for people working in regional museums to be responsible for everything—from security, collection management, conservation, research, interpretation and public programs to changing the light bulbs. While there are a large number of resources available online, following a manual is often more difficult than learning from other colleagues or learning in a more formal educational or vocational environment where you can receive timely feedback on your work. Further, a foundational level of prior knowledge and experience is often required to follow written instructions. This article will suggest some strategies for low cost professional development and networking. It involves planning, thinking strategically and forming partnerships with others in the region. It is time to harness the power of modern communications technology and use it as a tool for professional development. Some models of professional development in regional areas that have been implemented in the past will also be reviewed. The focus for this article is on training and professional development for workers in regional museums, heritage sites and keeping places. Regional art galleries have not been included because they tend to have separate regional networks and training opportunities. For example, there are professional development opportunities provided through the Art Galleries Association of Australia and their state branches. Regional galleries are also far more likely to have one or more paid staff members (Winkworth, “Fixing the Slums” 2). Regional Museums, Volunteers, and Social CapitalIt is widely accepted that regional museums and galleries enhance social capital and reduce social isolation (Kelly 32; Burton and Griffin 328). However, while working in a regional museum or gallery can help to build friendship networks, it can also be professionally isolating. How do you benchmark what you do against other places if you are two or more hours drive from those places? How do you learn from other colleagues if all your colleagues are also isolated by the ‘tyranny of distance’ and struggling with the same lack of access to training? In 2017 in New South Wales alone, there were 8,629 active volunteers working in regional museums and galleries giving almost five million hours, which Museums and Galleries NSW calculated was worth over $150 million per annum in unpaid labour (MGNSW 1). Providing training and professional development to this group is an investment in Australia’s social and cultural capital.Unlike other community-run groups, the museums and heritage places which have emerged in regional Australia and New Zealand are not part of a national or state branch network. Volunteers who work for the Red Cross, Scouts or Landcare benefit from being part of a national organisation which provides funding, support workers, a website, governance structure, marketing, political advocacy and training (Winkworth, “Let a Thousand Flowers” 11). In Australia and New Zealand, this role is undertaken by the Australian Museums and Galleries Association AMaGA (formerly Museums Australia) and Museums Aotearoa respectively. However, both of these groups operate at the macro policy level, for example organising annual conferences, publishing a journal and developing Indigenous policy frameworks, rather than the local, practical level. In 1995, due to their advocacy work, Landcare Australia received $500 million over five years from the federal government to fund 5000 Landcare groups, which are run by 120,000 volunteers (Oppenheimer 177). They argued successfully that the sustainable development of land resources started at the local level. What do we need to do to convince government of the need for sustainable development of our local and regional museum and heritage resources?Training for Volunteers Working in Regional Museums: The Current SituationAnother barrier to training for regional museum workers is the assumption that the 70:20:10 model of professional development should apply. That is, 70% of one’s professional development is done ‘on the job’ by completing tasks and problem-solving; 20% is achieved by learning from mentors, coaches and role models and 10% is learnt from attending conferences and symposia and enrolling in formal courses of study. However, this model pre-supposes that there are people in your workplace whom you can learn from and who can show you how to complete a task, and that you are not destroying or damaging a precious, unique object if you happen to make a mistake.Some museum volunteers come with skills in research, marketing, administration, customer service or photography, but very few come with specific museum skills like writing exhibition text, registering an acquisition or conserving artefacts. These skills need to be taught. As Kylie Winkworth has written, museum management now requires a [...] skills set, which is not so readily found in small communities, and which in many ways is less rewarding for the available volunteers, who may have left school at 15. We do not expect volunteer librarians to catalogue books, which are in any case of low intrinsic value, but we still expect volunteers in their 70s and 80s to catalogue irreplaceable heritage collections and meet ever more onerous museum standards. That so many volunteers manage to do this is extraordinary. (“Let a Thousand Flowers” 13)Workers in regional museums are constantly required to step outside their comfort zones and learn new skills with minimal professional support. While these challenging experiences can be very rewarding, they are also potentially damaging for our irreplaceable material cultural heritage.Training for museum professionals has been on the agenda of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) since 1947 (Boylan 62). However, until 1996, their work focused on recommending curricula for new museum professionals and did not include life-long learning and on-going professional development. ICOM’s International Committee for the Training of Personnel (ICTOP) and the ICOM Executive has responded to this in their new curricula—ICOM Curricula Guidelines for Professional Museum Development, but this does not address the difficulties staff or volunteers working in regional areas face in accessing training.In some parts of Australia, there are regional support and professional development programs in place. For example, in Queensland, there is the Museum Development Officer (MDO) network. However, because of the geographic size of the state and the spread of the museums, these five regionally based staff often have 60-80 museums or keeping places in their region needing support and so their time and expertise is spread very thinly. It is also predominantly a fee-for-service arrangement. That is, the museums have to pay for the MDO to come and deliver training. Usually this is done by the MDO working with a local museum to apply for a Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) grant. In Victoria there is a roving curator program where eligible regional museums can apply to have a professional curator come and work with them for a few days to help the volunteers curate exhibitions. The roving curator can also provide advice on “develop[ing] high quality exhibitions for diverse audiences” via email, telephone and networking events. Tasmania operates a similar scheme but their two roving curators are available for up to 25 days of work each year with eligible museums, provided the local council makes a financial contribution. The New South Wales government supports the museum advisor program through which a museum professional will come to your museum for up to 20 days/year to give advice and hands-on training—provided your local council pays $7000, an amount that is matched by the state government—for this service. In 2010, in response to recommendations in the Dunn Report (2007), the Collections Council of Australia (CCA) established a pilot project with the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia and $120,000 in funding from the Myer Foundation to trial the provision of a paid Collections Care Coordinator who would provide free training, expertise and support to local museums in the region. Tragically, CCA was de-funded by the Cultural Ministers Council the same year and the roll-out of a hub and spoke regional model was not supported by government due to the lack of an evidence base (Winkworth, “Let a Thousand Flowers” 18). An evaluation of the trial project would have tested a different model of regional training and added to the evidence base.All these state-based models (except the aborted Collections Care hub in Western Australia) require small regional museums to compete with each other for access to a museum professional and to successfully apply for funding, usually from their local council or state government. If they are successful, the training that is delivered is a one-off, as they are unlikely to get a second slice of the regional pie.An alternative to this competitive, fly-in fly-out, one-off model of professional development is to harness the technology and resources of local libraries and other cultural facilities in regional areas. This is what the Sydney Opera House Trust did in March 2019 to deliver their All about Women program of speakers via live streaming to 37 satellite sites throughout Australia and New Zealand.Harnessing Technology and Using Regional Library Infrastructure to Provide Training: ScenarioImagine the following scenario. It is a Monday morning in a regional library in Dubbo, New South Wales. Dubbo is 391 km or five hours drive by car from the nearest capital city (Sydney) and there are 50 regional museums within a 100 km radius. Ten people are gathered in a meeting room at the library watching a live stream of the keynote speakers who are presenting at their national museums conference. They are from five regional museums where they work as volunteers or part-time paid staff. They cannot afford to pay $2000, or more, to attend the conference, but they are happy to self-fund to drive for an hour or two to link up with other colleagues to listen to the presentations. They make notes and tweet in their questions using the conference twitter handle and hashtag. They have not been exposed to international speakers in the industry before and the ideas presented are fresh and stimulating. When the conference breaks for morning tea, they take a break too and get to know each other over a cuppa (provided free of charge by the library). Just as the networking sessions at conferences are vitally important for the delegates, they are even more important to address social isolation amongst this group. When they reconvene, they discuss their questions and agree to email the presenters with the questions that are unresolved. After the conference keynote sessions finish, the main conference (in the capital city) disperses into parallel sessions, which are no longer available via live stream.To make the two-hour drive more worthwhile and continue their professional development, they have arranged to hold a significance assessment workshop as well. Each museum worker has brought along photographs of one item in their collection that they want to do more research on. Some of them have also brought the object, if it is small and robust enough to travel. They have downloaded copies of Significance 2.0 and read it before they arrived. They started to write significance reports but could not fully understand how to apply some of the criteria. They cannot afford to pay for professional workshop facilitators, but they have arranged for the local studies librarian to give them an hour of free training on using the library’s resources (online and onsite) to do research on the local area and local families. They learn more about Trove, Papers Past and other research tools which are available online. This is hands-on and computer-based skills training using their own laptops/tablets or the ones provided by the library. After the training with the librarian, they break into two groups and read each other’s significance reports and make suggestions. The day finishes with a cuppa at 2.30pm giving them time to drive home before the sun sets. They agree to exchange email addresses so they can keep in touch. All the volunteers and staff who attended these sessions in regional areas feel energised after these meetings. They no longer feel so isolated and like they are working in the dark. They feel supported just knowing that there are other people who are struggling with the same issues and constraints as they are. They are sick of talking about the lack of budget, expertise, training and resources and want to do something with what they have.Bert (fictional name) decides that it is worth capitalising on this success. He emails the people who came to the session in Dubbo to ask them if they would like to do it again but focus on some different training needs. He asks them to choose two of the following three professional development options. First, they can choose to watch and discuss a recording of the keynote presentations from day two of the recent national conference. The conference organisers have uploaded digital recordings of the speakers’ presentations and the question time to the AMaGA website. This is an option for local libraries that do not have sufficient bandwidth to live stream video. The local library technician will help them cast the videos to a large screen. Second, they can each bring an object from their museum collection that they think needs conservation work. If the item is too fragile or big to move, they will bring digital photographs of it instead. Bert consulted their state-based museum and found some specialist conservators who have agreed to Skype or Facetime them in Dubbo free of charge, to give them expert advice about how to care for their objects, and most importantly, what not to do. The IT technician at Dubbo Library can set up their meeting room so that they can cast the Skype session onto a large smart screen TV. One week before the event, they will send a list of their objects and photographs of them to the conservator so that she can prepare, and they can make best use of her time. After this session, they will feel more confident about undertaking small cleaning and flattening treatments and know when they should not attempt a treatment themselves and need to call on the experts. Third, they could choose to have a training session with the council’s grants officer on writing grant applications. As he assesses grant applications, he can tell them what local councils look for in a successful grant application. He can also inform them about some of the grants that might be relevant to them. After the formal training, there will be an opportunity for them to exchange information about the grants they have applied for in the past—sometimes finding out what’s available can be difficult—and work in small groups to critique each other’s grant applications.The group chooses options two and three, as they want more practical skills development. They take a break in the middle of the day for lunch, which gives them the opportunity to exchange anecdotes from their volunteer work and listen to and support each other. They feel validated and affirmed. They have gained new skills and don’t feel so isolated. Before they leave, Alice agrees to get in touch with everyone to organise their next regional training day.Harnessing Technology and Using Regional Library Infrastructure to Provide Training: BenefitsThese scenarios need not be futuristic. The training needs are real, as is the desire to learn and the capacity of libraries to support regional groups. While funding for regional museums has stagnated or declined in recent years, libraries have been surging ahead. In August 2018, the New South Wales Government announced an “historic investment” of $60 million into all 370 public libraries that would “transform the way NSW’s public libraries deliver much-needed services, especially in regional areas” (Smith). Libraries are equipped and charged with the responsibility of enabling local community groups to make best use of their resources. Most state and national museum workers are keen to share their expertise with their regional colleagues: funding and distance are often the only barriers. These scenarios allow national conference keynote speakers to reach a much larger audience than the conference attendees. While this strategy might reduce the number of workers from regional areas who pay to attend conferences, the reality is that due to distance, other volunteer commitments, expense and family responsibilities, they probably would not attend anyway. Most regional museums and galleries and their staff might be asset-rich, but they are cash-poor, and the only way their workers get to attend conferences is if they win a bursary or grant. In 2005, Winkworth said: “the future for community museums is to locate them within local government as an integral part of the cultural, educational and economic infrastructure of the community, just like libraries and galleries” (“Fixing the Slums” 7). Fourteen years on, very little progress has been made in this direction. Those museums which have been integrated into the local council infrastructure, such as at Orange and Wagga Wagga in western New South Wales, are doing much better than those that are still stuck in ‘cultural poverty’ and trying to operate independently.However, the co-location and convergence of museums, libraries and archives is only successful if it is well managed. Helena Robinson has examined the impact on museum collection management and interpretation of five local government funded, converged collecting institutions in Australia and New Zealand and found that the process is complex and does not necessarily result in “optimal” cross-disciplinary expertise or best practice outcomes (14158).ConclusionRobinson’s research, however, did not consider community-based collecting institutions using regional libraries as sites for training and networking. By harnessing local library resources and making better use of existing communications technology it is possible to create regional hubs for professional development and collegiate support, which are not reliant on grants. If the current competitive, fly-in fly-out, self-funded model of providing professional development and support to regional museums continues, then the future for our cultural heritage collections and the dedicated volunteers who care for them is bleak. Alternatively, the scenarios I have described give regional museum workers agency to address their own professional development needs. This in no way removes the need for leadership, advocacy and coordination by national representative bodies such as AMaGA and Museums Aotearoa. If AMaGA partnered with the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) to stream their conference keynote sessions to strategically located regional libraries and used some of their annual funding from the Department of Communication and the Arts to pay for museum professionals to travel to some of those sites to deliver training, they would be investing in the nation’s social and cultural capital and addressing the professional development needs of regional museum workers. This would also increase the sustainability of our cultural heritage collections, which are valuable economic assets.ReferencesAustralian Bureau of Statistics. “2071.0—Census of Population and Housing: Reflecting Australia—Snapshot of Australia, 2016”. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2017. 17 Mar. 2019 <https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20Features~Snapshot%20of%20Australia,%202016~2>.Boylan, Patrick. “The Intangible Heritage: A Challenge and an Opportunity for Museums and Museum Professional Training.” International Journal of Intangible Heritage 1 (2006): 53–65.Burton, Christine, and Jane Griffin. “More than a Museum? Understanding How Small Museums Contribute to Social Capital in Regional Communities.” Asia Pacific Journal of Arts & Cultural Management 5.1 (2008): 314–32. 17 Mar. 2019 <http://apjacm.arts.unimelb.edu.au/article/view/32>.Dunn, Anne. The Dunn Report: A Report on the Concept of Regional Collections Jobs. Adelaide: Collections Council of Australia, 2007.ICOM Curricula Guidelines for Professional Museum Development. 2000. <http://museumstudies.si.edu/ICOM-ICTOP/comp.htm>.Kelly, Lynda. “Measuring the Impact of Museums on Their Communities: The Role of the 21st Century Museum.” New Roles and Issues of Museums INTERCOM Symposium (2006): 25–34. 17 Mar. 2019 <https://media.australianmuseum.net.au/media/dd/Uploads/Documents/9355/impact+paper+INTERCOM+2006.bb50ba1.pdf>.Museums and Galleries New South Wales (MGNSW). 2018 NSW Museums and Galleries Sector Census. Museums and Galleries of New South Wales. Data and Insights—Culture Counts. Sydney: MGNSW, 2019. 17 Mar. 2019 <https://mgnsw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2018-NSW-Museum-Gallery-Sector-Census.pdf>Oppenheimer, Melanie. Volunteering: Why We Can’t Survive without It. Sydney: U of New South Wales P, 2008.Pigott, Peter. Museums in Australia 1975. Report of the Committee of Inquiry on Museums and National Collections Including the Report of the Planning Committee on the Gallery of Aboriginal Australia. Canberra: Australian Government Printing Service, 1975. 17 Mar. 2019 <https://apo.org.au/node/35268>.Public Sector Commission, Western Australia. 70:20:10 Framework Learning Philosophy. Perth: Government of Western Australia, 2018. 17 Mar. 2019 <https://publicsector.wa.gov.au/centre-public-sector-excellence/about-centre/702010-framework>.Robinson, Helena. “‘A Lot of People Going That Extra Mile’: Professional Collaboration and Cross-Disciplinarity in Converged Collecting Institutions.” Museum Management and Curatorship 31 (2016): 141–58.Scott, Lee. National Operations Manager, Museums Australia, Personal Communication. 22 Oct. 2018.Shaw, Iain, and Lee Davidson, Museums Aotearoa 2014 Sector Survey Report. Wellington: Victoria U, 2014. 17 Mar. 2019 <http://www.museumsaotearoa.org.nz/sites/default/files/documents/museums_aotearoa_sector_survey_2014_report_-_final_draft_oct_2015.pdf>.Smith, Alexandra. “NSW Libraries to Benefit from $60 Million Boost.” Sydney Morning Herald 24 Aug. 2018. 17 Mar. 2019 <https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nsw-libraries-to-benefit-from-60-million-boost-20180823-p4zzdj.html>. Winkworth, Kylie. “Fixing the Slums of Australian Museums; or Sustaining Heritage Collections in Regional Australia.” Museums Australia Conference Paper. Canberra: Museums Australia, 2005. ———. “Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom: Museums in Regional Australia.” Understanding Museums—Australian Museums and Museology. Eds. Des Griffin and Leon Paroissien. Canberra: National Museum of Australia, 2011. 17 Mar. 2019 <https://nma.gov.au/research/understanding-museums/KWinkworth_2011.html>.

Nationwide education initiatives are underway in various parts of the world, including a push for national curricula in the U.S. and Australia. In Australia, school librarians have been invited guests to provide input into the integration of digital/information literacy across curriculum areas. Conversely, U.S., school librarians crashed the wedding by actively responding to the Common Core Standards initiative by highlighting areas where information literacy skills, dispositions, responsibilities and assessments are integrated – even though they weren’t asked. Other examples of successful and not so successful national school librarian involvement to infuse 21st century skills and implications for professional practice are discussed.

INDONESIA – Biomed Analysis: Indonesia needs a central science fund. KOREA – Agilent Technologies helps City of Daegu and Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology search for biomarkers for neurological diseases. SINGAPORE – New S$6.5m facility at NTU by SCELSE and Carl Zeiss to boost used water treatment and environmental life sciences engineering research in Singapore. SINGAPORE – Chugai expands in Singapore with opening of second satellite research institute. SINGAPORE – Rising Above the Present into the Next-Generation. SINGAPORE – Austrianova Singapore announces new pancreatic cancer models. SINGAPORE – IBN and Fortis Colorectal Hospital establish tissue bank for colorectal cancer research. SINGAPORE – Electronic medical records progress from an enterprise-centric solution to a customer-specific application, finds Frost & Sullivan. SINGAPORE – Global perspectives on Health IT from Harvard Medical School thought leader, Dr Blackford Middleton. AUSTRALIA – World's first fluorescent flowers. UNITED KINGDOM – AbD Serotec introduces bovine and ovine Dendritic Cell Growth Kits and antibodies. USA – Medicago Successfully Completes the Production of More Than Ten Million Doses of H1N1 VLP Influenza Vaccine in One Month. USA – Research validates BioNano genomics' mapping platform for complex human genome analysis. USA – Nine population strategies to stop short of 9 billion. USA – Virtual science libraries to be launched in Central Asia. USA – Vaginal ring may help reduce HIV infections.

Masson, Sophie. The Phar Lap Mystery. Sydney, Aust.: Scholastic, 2010. Print The end notes of this historical novel describe the details of the remarkable Australian racehorse, Phar Lap, who, in the difficult times of the Great Depression, gave Australians something positive to think about. The cover image, from the collection of the State Library of Victoria, shows the big red horse in full stride, tail flying, jockey crouched behind his neck, reigns pulled tight. While the novel tracks alongside the historical story, it is a delightfully written account presented as a two-year diary of an eleven year-old girl. Diarist, Sally Fielding, is very conscious of the fact that she is writing for posterity. She begins her September 19, 1931 entry with “Hill Stakes Day, and the best day ever! I want to write down absolutely everything, to remember it all.” Author, Sophie Masson, who has written more than fifty juvenile novels, gives the reader a good snapshot of life in the 1930’s in urban Eastern Australia. From the “chooks” in the back yard, to the fancy hats of the well-to-do ladies at the Rosehill racecourse, to the seedy characters from the underbelly of the racing industry, Masson’s detailed descriptions help to draw us into Sally’s world. Aussie slang is sprinkled throughout the book to add to the “down-under” flavour. “Strewth”, which is a mild oath like “crikey” appears often. Sally refers to a young man with whom she is not impressed, as a “real mick”, denies that she’s a “stickybeak” when she really has been snooping and has a “slap up” lunch, which is a very good one. The story stretches over two years beginning with Sally’s private detective father first being engaged to try to find out who took a shot at Phar Lap and ends with Sally and her father going to America when Phar Lap is taken there to race. Sally’s diary chronicles her reactions to the various dangerous twists and turns of the case, her father’s on-again, off-again romance, and Sally’s general chatter about friends and events around her. The family’s economic struggles are ever-present. Occasionally readers are treated to a facsimile of a real newspaper article or a letter, which is “glued” into the volume, reinforcing the illusion that you really are reading someone’s diary. Overall this is a thoroughly enjoyable read that captures your attention and holds it through to the surprising ending. The Phar Lap Mystery will appeal to readers from pre-teens through adults and especially to readers who love horses. Highly recommended for junior high and high school libraries, as well as public libraries everywhere.Reviewer: Sandy CampbellHighly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

Zammit, Marisa, and Erica Dornbusch. A Friend In Hope: a Story About Hope's Journey with a Brain Tumour. Brain Tumor Foundation of Canada, 2008.Zammit, Marisa, Erica Dornbusch, and Carole Baillargeon. Mon amie Claire: L'histoire de Claire et de sa tumeur cérébrale. Foundation canadienne des tumeurs cérébrales, 2009.Zammit, Marisa, Erica Dornbusch, and Rocco Speranza. La mia amica Speranza : Speranza e il suo tumore cerebrale. Fondazione canadese del tumore cerebrale, 2008.In an interview with Daytime television, available on YouTube, author Marisa Zammit explains how the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada contacted her as an established freelance copy writer to come up with a positive story of hope for and about children with brain tumours. According to Susan Marshall, executive director of the Foundation, no other storybook existed for elementary school aged children in Canada before 2008, when the book was published. It is the personal connection, having a child diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 4,that motivated Sharon to commission the publication of A Friend in Hope. Marisa had worked previously with illustrator Erica Dornbusch, who had published other storybooks (e.g. Finding Kate's shoes , Mrs. Goodstory) in the past. Marisa is now a school teacher librarian at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Strathroy, Ontario and she has read the book to her students.A Friend in Hope has definitely accomplished its main objective of giving children, parents, and friends a positive and hopeful outlook on the brain tumour journey. Amy Mathias, the Online Community Engagement Coordinator of the Foundation, indicated that 15,000 copies of the book had been distributed in time for the organization’s 30th Anniversary in 2012. It is thanks to the Ronald McDonald House Charities that printing and distribution of the book were possible. The book addresses a very real need not only in alleviating young patients’ fears, but also in explaining brain tumours and their medical implications to children’s teachers and classmates. In turn, adults diagnosed with brain tumours may also use the storybook to approach the subject with their children.As for the translated versions of the book, Pia di Bacco helped translate from English into French by enlisting the support of youth and staff at her school in Montreal. Similarly, her godson Rocco Speranza commissioned grades 4, 5, and 6 youth and staff at the École East Hill School’s Italian program to translate the storybook from English and French into Italian. The motivation in both translation cases was a result of a family member or a student being diagnosed with a brain tumour and the belief in educating youth about brain tumours. Schools across the English Montreal School Board and beyond in Italy, Australia, Argentina, and the USA have also benefited from the storybook.The story is written from the perspective of a young brain tumour patient’s best friend, Danny, Daniel, or Daniele in English, French, and Italian respectively. Danny is trying to understand and, most of all, support his “best buddy,” Hope, who begins her brain tumour journey. As the author Marisa Zammit expressed in the Daytime interview, Hope, or in Italian Speranza, received that name because “it is hope [speranza] that buoys the character through the hardships of the story.” In French, the character’s name is Claire, whose Latin origin “clarus” means “clear, bright, celebrated” and by extension the word “clear”. The French name too, therefore, is representative of her personality and journey.Part of the story involves references to some of the medical treatments that Hope undergoes: MRI, pharmaceutical drugs, radiation therapy, a special helmet and mouthguard, a hospital’s child life centre, and the effects of various treatments on Hope. In every instance, the story uses the narrator’s voice and point of view to express Hope’s various experiences, Danny’s reactions to them, and his own fears. It is a child’s imagination which makes this topic bearable and allows the illustrations to become particularly powerful, when, for example, Danny sees Hope take some medication, which she says will help her “feel well enough to play with [him].” The illustration, in this case, represents a mountain scape and the children’s game of climbing pillows and cushions as if they were mountain climbers, because as Hope says the medication she takes is the “same medicine mountain climbers use,” (ie. dexamethasone). Another exceptional illustration is the one representing an oceanic world with an octopus and fish, which is how Hope faces the MRI machine and transforms it into a submarine. The illustrations are identical across the translations and the English source text, except for one image representing a hockey player in what appears to be Toronto Maple Leafs colours; however, in the French and Italian translations, which originated in Montreal, the team colours were changed to those of the Montreal Canadiens. Habs fans will no doubt appreciate the sensitivity of the illustrator.All in all the story is very well written and the language is suitable for children from grades 2 to 4; however the concepts that are addressed also make this book relevant to higher grade levels. That said, some grammatical inaccuracies exist within the French translation. Public and school libraries would benefit from access to this book, as would hospital library patrons and those who use Faculty of Education libraries. The health education elements of the story are presented in a very appropriate yet realistic manner for the target audience, who will appreciate having access to such a unique resource.Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Denis LacroixDenis Lacroix has worked at the University of Alberta Libraries since 2003. He is the romance languages and classics librarian and enjoys reading in French, Spanish, and Italian.