Hello Arlis/ANZ members, and hello September.

Where has the year gone?

Here's the latest news from Arlis/ANZ:

BLOGS BLOGS BLOGS

I have just added this, our Blog, to a listing of library blogs from around the world - discovered by Kelly McKeon, our Web Manager. Take a look and see how we meaure up!
http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/links/index.php?title=Library_associations

ALIA is there with their blog, and I must say, I think we shape up well and are in very good company.

Blogs certainly are a quick and cheerful way to stay in touch with colleagues and disseminate info, and I know many of our members use them. Kelly blogs for the National Art School and one of our newest Arlis/ANZ members - Peta Kruse in Darwin - has recently created a blog to keep in touch with her burgeoning discipline area and client base.

I'd certainly encourage Chapters of Arlis/ANZ to consider blogging as a way of keeping in touch, not only within the Chapters but also with the wider membership. If any Chapters are already blogging or plan to set one up - let Kelly know the URL of your blog and she'll arrange for it to be linked from the Arlis/ANZ website.

Same goes for wikis. If any Chapters are using wikis to organise your business and document your activities, Kelly would be happy to link them from the Website. QLD and NSW are already there......

Website Redevelopment Project: Update

The QUT students involved on our Website Redevelopment Project are all absolutely delighted to be working with our site, and are really, truly engaging with the task on all levels. They're even reading this blog! Luisa Rossitto (Arlis/ANZ Web Editor ) and I have had some initial meetings with the students, and we expect to see the first mock up of page, structure and graphic design work by next week.

Luisa is currently working hard to update out-of-date content on the site as per instructions from Kelly, so that the students are working with the most current information on our pages. Expect to see some changes to content over the next few days.

The students are also looking at ways to incorporate blogging, wiki and forum technology into the Arlis/ANZ site itself, so that eventually we don't have to hang third-party freeware off the site, and can communicate with each other and our Chapter colleagues from within our 'home'. The only way is up, in terms of the functionality we can expect from our future Arlis/ANZ site.

And of course, hiding in the background of all this is the future Arlis/ANZ conference site - which the QLD chapter will get going in coordination with the Website redevelopment Project. So all in all, Arlis/ANZ is pretty busy on the virtual front.

Journal

Bill Hood, our journal Editor, is also in the Website Redevelopment loop as a key stakeholder. There are fantastic opportunities offered by the Website project, such as digitising the journal and revamping it's look and feel with new graphics to match the site - and the Web Team realised it was important that we involved him as soon as possible.

With Bill's input to help us coordinate the print and online 'branding' of Arlis/ANZ, we're hoping to have proposals for a fresh, new look for the journal ready for your comment before the end of the year - so stay tuned.

Feedback from members

Remember, if there is anything at all that you'd like to know regarding this work, anything you feel should be explained in more detail to the membership, or any comments you wish to make - please either leave a comment here on the blog, or contact myself or Kelly by email, or post to the Arlis/ANZ email list for open discussion. We're always happy to hear from you, and delighted to respond to questions and suggestions.

cheers
Ellen