Ainslie Drew - ALIA Fellow

Ainslie Dewe has been conferred with the distinction of Fellow of the Australian Library and Information Association. ALIA fellowships are awarded to distinguished members of the profession and Ainslie joins an elite group.

Ainslie Dewe is University Librarian at La Trobe University, in Melbourne. Prior to taking up this appointment in 2008, Ainslie was University Librarian and Director of Knowledge Management at Auckland University of Technology from 2002 and 2008 and was Director, RMIT University Library, also in Melbourne, from 1997 to 2002.

Dr Trish Milne - ALIA Fellow

Dr Patricia Milne (Trish) has been conferred with the distinction of Fellow of the Association. ALIA fellowships are awarded to very distinguished members of the profession and Trish joins a very elite group.

Trish has made an outstanding contribution to the field of library and information science as an educator, researcher and by sharing her knowledge through publication. In these ways she has helped others to become aware of issues facing the profession and encouraged them to explore new directions and ideas to strengthen its intellectual base.

As an educator, Trish has demonstrated energy and enthusiasm in her teaching, design and delivery of programs which have engendered in her students a commitment to promoting library and knowledge management and delivering excellent services. Further, Trish has made an important contribution to the discussion on LIS education needs and the role of ALIA and library course providers. During her career Trish maintained a focus on excellence in teaching and learning and scholarship, pioneering the development of quality online teaching and learning at the University of Canberra, recognised when she received a New Initiative Grant to facilitate the development of the university’s first online course, the Graduate Certificate in Information Access and Delivery.

In awarding the distinction of Fellow of the Australian Library and Information Association on Trish Milne, the Association recognises the significant and valuable contribution Trish has made to education for and development of the library and information services profession in Australia and her dedication to the aims of the Association.

Her fellowship will be awarded at an event in mid 2010.

Retirees at Dreaming 2008

In the months leading up to ALIA Dreaming 2008 at Alice Springs early in September the ALIA Retirees had been planning a get -together for members interested in staying connected during retirement. Robin had arranged a "spot" in the schedule and we hoped to meet colleagues and friends in amongst the busy program.

As it turned out there were only three of us who met...Mylee, Robin and Val had been talking in teleconferences for nearly a year and finally had the opportunity to see each other, have a celebratory drink together and get acquaninted in person. It was a real joy!

The conference was a wonderful experience. The quality of speakers and the range of topics was superb and enough to keep all of us enthralled for the whole three days. We met colleagues old and new from all over the world and found, as usual, that we share a passion for our profession even though we are officially "retired" (but still working part time or as volunteers).

All three of us who attended were amamzed at the range of projects being undertaken by librarians in large and small communities all over Australia and the world. As could be expected with the venue being Alice Springs many of the conference papers and presentations had a focus on indigenous culture and library services to indigenous communities. These examples were inspiring.

The venue and the social events were just spectacular, taking advantage of the unique features of the unusual location. We met local wildlife, stargazed at a clear desert sky and danced in the red dust. The convention centre caters well to such an event and the whole population of the town showed us real outback hospitality.

We thoroughly recommend attending ALIA conferences as a way of keeping contact with colleagues and in touch with our profession, especially at the bargain price offered to Retiree members! We look forward to another great time at ALIA Brisbane in 2010, in conjunction with IFLA! See you there.

Regards, Val Hooper

Roxanne Missingham - ALIA Fellowship

The ALIA Board of Directors is delighted to announce that Roxanne Missingham has been awarded the distinction of an ALIA Fellowship. The Fellowship will be conferred at the ALIA 2008 Biennial Conference in Alice Springs.

Roxanne Missingham has made a distinguished contribution to ALIA and to librarianship over several decades. Roxanne’s professional contributions throughout her career have been characterised by implementation of best practice, development of customer-focused services and transparent processes for collaboration and cooperation within the library community.

Roxanne has demonstrated untiring energy and enthusiasm in contributing to ALIA groups, committees and events and in being an advocate for librarianship in professional and government settings.

Roxanne has worked in a number of special libraries, at the National Library of Australia (NLA) and now as Commonwealth Parliamentary Librarian. Her career has involved a focus on customer services, including implementation of services to remote users when she worked in the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, and CSIRO Wildlife and Ecology. Roxanne has been an early adopter of technology, successfully implementing systems to support customer-focused service models – including automated systems, electronic databases, full-text electronic resources and websites.

On behalf of the library community, we congratulate Roxanne on her ALIA Fellowship.

Christine Mackenzie - ALIA Fellowship

Christine is seen here with library legend, Stephen Abram.

The ALIA Board of Directors is delighted to announce that Christine Mackenzie has been awarded the distinction of an ALIA Fellowship. The Fellowship will be conferred at the ALIA 2008 Biennial Conference in Alice Springs.

Christine Mackenzie has demonstrated sustained high achievement and leadership in library and information services during her career. Christine is an innovator, collaborator, networker, motivator, risk taker, strategic thinker and developer of others.

As a strategic leader, she has introduced new technologies and reinvented library service using Web 2.0 tools to change organisational culture and embrace the future. She has developed staff and encouraged innovation and enthusiasm for new directions and the opportunities that new technologies offer.

Christine has been an active ALIA member for over 20 years. She has served as ALIA President and Vice-president, and has had a commitment over several years to the ALIA Online Content and Regulation Advisory Committee and Public Libraries Advisory Committee. Her international representative work has contributed to a positive reputation for Australian libraries overseas.

Christine is currently a member of the IFLA Metropolitan Libraries Section (MLS) Standing Committee, and was a former member of a select group of international public librarians on the Bertelsmann Foundation’s International Network of Public Libraries.
On behalf of the library community, we congratulate Christine on her ALIA Fellowship.