I am a firm believer in the idea that the more you give, the more you will receive in return. Throughout my career, therefore, I have found that an active professional life has been immensely rewarding, allowing me to gain insights into and experiences of issues that I would not normally encounter if I focussed only on my job. While I am a member of a number of professional organisations within the library and information services sector, my involvement in some is more out of interest, enabling me to achieve a broader understanding of professional practice in other countries, while in others I am directly involved in a number of activities.
Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)
I have been an active member of ALIA for many years, initially at the local and regional levels, as convenor of ALIA Quorum. In this role I sought to engage professional colleagues through a range of programs and initiatives, such as the:
In 2004, I was elected to the Board of Directors as President-elect, serving as President of ALIA for the period 2005-2006. In this role, I had the opportunity to extend my leadership skills and develop my understanding of corporate governance. A group of past-presidents met to compare notes over lunch in September 2006.
In 2009, I was elected once again as a Director of the Board, which allows me to make a meaningful contribution to the policies and strategic direction of the Association. I currently hold a number of positions within the Association:
In 2008, I was honoured to be made a Fellow of ALIA in to acknowledge the distinguised contribution I have made to the library and information science profession during my career. The award was presented by Executive Officer of ALIA, Sue Hutley, accompanied by Roxanne Missingham's oration for the award, given in her role of President [available online (7'46")].
International Federation of Libary Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
Since 2007, I have served as Australia's representative on the Standing Committee for the Education and Training Section (SET). The Section is responsible for coordinating professional events at the annual World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) and for furthering international discussions on education and training issues. I currently have the role of Information Officer, to manage the communication between members of the Standing Committee and ensuring the currency of the web presence for the SET.
I am also Convenor of the e-Learning Special Interest Group, a new group which seeks to explore issues associated both with the delivery of library services in the context of eLearning programs, and with the development of eLearning strategies within library education and training.
I find the multicultural dimensions of my IFLA work highly stimulating and particularly enjoy the opportunity to participate in the events held in Milan (2009), Quebec City (2008) and Durban (2007). I am Program Chair for the SET conference activities at the 2010 WLIC in Gothenburg, Sweden.
