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Recent relevant information for library staff.

December 2007

Monthly website lists

The list for November, containing 231 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb. The websites can be reviewed by using the link provided. A selection of the websites listed can be made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

November 2007

Monthly website lists

The list for October, containing 206 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb. The websites can be reviewed by using the link provided. A selection of the websites listed can be made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

ASLA, ALIA & ECU Australian School Library research Project

A reminder to complete the surveys which have been extended to 16 November.
The 2 surveys are: Australian School Libraries – State of the nation and Australian School Library Personnel and roles.
More information available and links to the surveys: http://www.chs.ecu.edu.au/portals/ASLRP/index.php

Attention: Teacher librarians

Knowing readers: unlocking the pleasures of reading
Workshops on 4 & 5 December in Melbourne.
More information and the application form available here.

October 2007

ELR school library survey out now

Have you received an Educational Lending Right (ELR) school library survey package with its bright green distinctive sticker? You may be one of the schools that we have asked to participate, if so, this is your opportunity to make a difference to the creators of Australian books. By running the survey on your library automation system and sending in the results, you are contributing to the cultural program set up by the Australian government to provide financial support to Australian authors, illustrators, translators, compilers, editors and publishers.

Please complete the survey and send or email the results to ELR as soon as possible. If you have any questions or problems, please contact us for assistance.

ELR – Encouraging the growth of Australian writing and publishing

Educational Lending Right (ELR) School Library Survey is managed by the SCIS unit of Curriculum Corporation for the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA).

For more information about the ELR school library survey, contact the
Educational Lending Right Project Officer, Curriculum Corporation.
Telephone: 03 9207 9600
or 1800 337 405 (free call outside Melbourne metropolitan area within Australia)
Email: elr@curriculum.edu.au
Web: http://www.curriculum.edu.au/scis/partnerships/elr.htm

Australian School Libraries Research Project available online now for completion.

ASLA Awards

Congratulations to:
Lyn Hay, School of Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, ASLA Citation Award
Helen Reynolds, Southport School (Qld), ASLA Teacher Librarian of the Year,
and the State award nominees:
Carol Javes, Canberra Grammar School (ACT)
Anne Lockwood, Tara Anglican School for Girls (NSW)
Dr Christopher Riley, Elizabeth College (Tasmania)
Cathy Scott, Schools Isolated and Distance Education (WA)

Monthly website lists

The list for September, containing 44 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb. The websites can be reviewed by using the link provided. A selection of the websites listed can be made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

ALIA National Library and Information Technicians Conference 2007

Date: 9 – 12 October 2007
Location: Grand Hyatt Melbourne
Theme: Inform, Innovate, Initiate and Inspire
The conference will provide a forum for professional networking and socialisation among national and international participants.
Delegates will learn about the latest trends and developments for libraries, share the expertise, experience, and knowledge of the invited eminent speakers and update themselves on new products and services from the trade and publishing worlds.
Further information is available: http://www.alia07.com/

September 2007

education.au national seminar series

The final seminar for 2007, Transforming Learning through ICT focuses on the innovative use of information and communication technologies in education and training.
Howard Rheingold, internationally renowned critic and writer on cultural, social and political implications of modern communication media, will be the keynote speaker. He will take participants on a journey through the human side of the technology-shaped future.

Tuesday 2 October 9.30am - 4.00pm
Atlantic Group, Shed 14 Central Pier, Melbourne Docklands.
For further information and registration, please visit: http://www.educationau.edu.au/jahia/Jahia/home/pid/521

Monthly website lists

The list for August, containing 113 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb. The websites can be reviewed by using the link provided. A selection of the websites listed can be made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

August 2007

ASLA XX Biennial Conference 2007

Theme: Hearts on Fire: Sharing the Passion.
Date: 2 – 5 October 2007
Location: Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, Australia
The conference provides a national forum for teacher librarians, school library staff, information specialists, executive staff members, classroom teachers and school library academics to share their knowledge and engage in productive dialogue.
More information is available: http://www.asla.org.au/

National Reading Day 5th September

National Reading Day is a new national event for pre-school to Year 10 students. It will be conducted by the Australian Association for the Teaching of English and the Australian Literacy Educators' Association as part of National Literacy and Numeracy Week.
The day presents a chance for Australian students to read together from the five selected books, ranging from a picture book for early childhood students to novels for older readers. Podcasts featuring authors reading from the books will be released on 5th September 2007.
Participation is free. More information is available: http://www.alea.edu.au/nationalreadingday/

World Library and Information Congress in 2010

ALIA is very proud and excited to announce that ALIA and the City of Brisbane have been selected to host the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress in 2010.
ALIA media release http://www.alia.org.au/media.room/2007.08.24.html
IFLA www.ifla.org

LIANZA announces its shortlist for the Children's Book Awards 2007

The LIANZA Children's Book Awards, including New Zealand's longest running book prize, announces its 2007 shortlist in the fiction, non-fiction, illustrated book, and te reo Maori categories.
These awards celebrate the unique contribution made to cultural heritage and national identity by New Zealand children's authors and illustrators. Four awards are offered: Esther Glen Award, Russell Clark Award, Elsie Locke Award, and Te Kura Pounamu.
More information on the shortlisted titles is available on: http://www.lianza.org.nz/

Children's Book Council of Australia 2007 Winners

The 2007 Children's Book of the Year award winners and honour books has now been announced.
Information available from CBCA website: http://www.cbc.org.au/winner07.htm

Tasmanian Teacher Librarian Of The Year Award

Elizabeth College teacher librarian Dr Christopher Riley has won the Australian School Library Association's Tasmanian Teacher Librarian of the Year award. Dr Riley has been recognised for his professional practice and positive impact on information literacy in the education of Tasmanian students.
More information: http://www.media.tas.gov.au/release.php?id=21724

New: Special order files for Scan websites

We now offer order files for websites reviewed in Scan journal for the current year.
These are located in the Special order files available from Create orders page.

One millionth record

The one millionth record was added to the SCIS database on 9 August 2007. It was entered by the Western Australian SCIS Agency. The tile is The story of Bear by Hilary McKay, SCIS No: 1331856.

July 2007

HP7 in SCIS!

A SCIS catalogue record has magically appeared for "Harry Potter and the deathly hallows". The Ministry for Magic is pleased!

LIANZA WEB 2.0 Workshop

This workshop will introduce participants to commonly used Web 2.0 applications, and give them hands-on practice with some of them.
Saturday 8 September 2007 - 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Waiariki Institute of Technology, Mokoia Drive, ROTORUA
$130 incl GST (LIANZA Members) or $160 incl GST (Non- Members)
To register:
http://www.lianza.org.nz/cgi-bin/calendar/viewevent.pl?id=347
Contact: Anna O'Keeffe - anna@lianza.org.nz

Monthly website lists

The list for June, containing 288 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb. The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided. A selection of the websites listed can be made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

New Australian Bureau of Statistics resource

Teachers and students have a new resource designed to promote the understanding and use of statistics in schools. Developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the new Education Services web pages will assist educators bring data to life in the classroom. The pages offer a range of learning resources, including classroom activities, learning tools, professional development materials, games and specially selected ABS publications and datasets.
Visit www.abs.gov.au/teachers or www.abs.gov.au/students for more information.

US bill for school media specialist in every school

On Tuesday June 26, 2 US Senators introduced the Strengthening Kids' Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLs) Act that guarantees students across America will be served by highly qualified, state-certified school library media specialists and will have the library resources they need to succeed.
More information: http://www.capwiz.com/ala/home/

June 2007

Top 100 books held in Australian educational libraries

From the results of the Educational Lending Right Survey 2006, a list of the top 100 books held in Australian educational libraries is produced.

Please see: http://www1.curriculum.edu.au/scis/partnerships/top100_2006_2007.pdf

Monthly website lists

The list for May, containing 179 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb. The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided. A selection of the websites listed can be made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

SLAV / Curriculum Corporation Conference

Theme: Emerging Technologies Evolving Pedagogies
Date: 15th June 2007
Time: 8.30am – 3.00pm
Location: Melbourne Park Function Centre, Swan Street

New Zealand School Library Association 2007 Conference

Date: 2-4 July 2007
Theme: Intersections - Collaborative forces.
For registration information, please see: http://www.cmsl.co.nz/default,467.sm

Queen's Birthday Public Holiday - 11 June 2007

SCIS Customer Support will not be available on Monday 11th June 2007

World Environment Day – 5 June 2007

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment.
http://www.unep.org/wed/2006/english/

May 2007

New Zealand librarians and OCLC

In preparation for the Road Show, Kathy Kie from OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) will be training librarians and cataloguers from regions throughout New Zealand.
Invitation to a Wellington presentation:
When: 9 - 10 am, Tuesday 29 May 2007
Where: The Auditorium
National Library of New Zealand
Te Puna Mâtauranga o Aotearoa
58 Molesworth Street
Wellington
http://subscribers.natlib.govt.nz/news/future.htm

Libraries and information week – 21- 27 May 2007

Linking people with ideas @ your library
Library and Information Week is to communicate and promote the tremendous contribution libraries, information services and information professionals make to educate, inform and entertain all Australians.
http://www.alia.org.au/advocacy/liw/

Top 100 Australian books

A list of the top 100 Australian books based on the Educational Lending Right Survey 2006-07 is now available. Top 100 books

Monthly website lists

The list for April, containing 107 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb. The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided. A selection of the websites listed can be made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

April 2007

The Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year short list

The CBCA short list is influential in children’s publishing and bookselling. It is commonly used as a buying and reading guide. The winners will be announced on Friday 17th August during Children's Book Week celebrations. This year the theme for Book Week is ‘READiscover'.
http://www.cbc.org.au/short07.htm

The Children's Book Council of Australia - Notable Books 2007

The Children's Book Council of Australia have just released the list of notable books for 2007. http://www.cbc.org.au/notables07.htm

The Children's Book Council of Australia - Crichton Award

A national award administered by the Victorian Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia. The award was created in 1988 to recognise and encourage new talent in the field of Australian children's book illustration. Short list is now available.
http://www.cbc.org.au/crichton07sl.htm

Anzac Day Public Holiday

SCIS Customer Support will not be available on Wednesday 25 April 2007.

Voyager 6.2 upgrade

The SCIS database, which contains nearly 1 million catalogue records, is a Voyager library management system. Over Easter we upgraded Voyager to version 6.2.
As a result of this upgrade you can now search for either 10 or 13-digit form of the ISBN in the ISBN/ISSN/ISMN search field.
We have also introduced a new 'Web Link' image which you will see if you retrieve any records which contain a URL.

Library and Information Week, 21-27 May 2007

Enter the Great Ideas LIW Competition and be in the running to win a funky '@ your library' USB wristband.
Submit your entry by Friday 20th April 2007 at http://www.alia.org.au/advocacy/liw/suggestideas/
Get involved in Library and Information Week 21-27 May 2007!
More information : http://www.alia.org.au/liw

National Literacy and Numeracy Week 2000 Nominations

As part of NLNW celebrations, from 3 to 9 September, the Minister for Education, Science and Training will present up to five awards of $10,000 each to individuals in recognition of their outstanding contribution to improving literacy and/or numeracy education.
Nominating an individual for these awards is an excellent way to recognise their work in the literacy and/or numeracy arena.
The NLNW 2007 website at www.literacyandnumeracy.gov.au provides more detail, including nomination guidelines for the 2007 Minister's Awards.

Wikipedia, wikis and schools

Jimmy Wales the founder of Wikipedia, is featuring in an education.au seminar being held in late April.
Join in the discussion about the phenomenon of Wikipedia and the use of wikis in educational contexts. This is a public group, accessible without login, but in order to contribute to the discussion, you will need to be registered with edna Groups.
More info at http://www.educationau.edu.au/seminar/challenging

SCISWeb and SCIS OPAC availability

Over Easter we are upgrading the SCIS database.
There may be short times when access to SCIS OPAC and downloading records may be unavailable.
After the upgrade there will be new features which we will announce here and in Connections.

Monthly website lists

The list for March, containing 178 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb. The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided. A selection of the websites listed can made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

March 2007

Easter Public Holidays: 6 - 9 April 2007

SCIS Customer Support will not be available on Friday 6 April or Monday 9 April 2007.

World Water Day

Date: 22 March 2007
Theme: Water Scarcity
More information available: http://www.worldwaterday.org/

SLAV Conference: Inquiring Minds: Approaches to the VELS

A one day conference for teacher - librarians.
Venue: VUT Conference Centre, Flinders Street, Melbourne
More information available: http://www.slav.schools.net.au/slav.html

SCIS Authority Files Edition 1 2007

The SCIS Authority Files CD-ROM Edition 1 2007 has been posted. The files are also now available online to all current subscribers. Your current user name and password gives you access to the SCIS Authority Files online. The files are updated twice a year and are available in ASCII or MARC formats, the same as the SCIS Authority Files CD-ROM. More information is available on SCIS Authority Files online page.

Labour Day Public Holiday - 12 March 2007

SCIS Customer Support will not be available on Monday 12th March 2007

International Women's Day 8th March

IWD is the gobal day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potential. IWD provides an opportunity to recognise the achievements of women and their contribution to society.
For more information, please visit: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Monthly website lists

The list for February, containing 103 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb.
The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided.
A selection of the websites listed can made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

February 2007

Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust of New Zealand - Notable New Zealand Books List 2007

The 2007 list has announced for Notable New Zealand Books 2007. Ten books in four categories have been selected, from the more than 150 books published during 2006. For further information about the Storylines organisation or the Notable Books List see our website www.storylines.org.nz or email childlitnz@storylines.org.nz

Monthly website lists

The list for January, containing 110 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb.
The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided.
A selection of the websites listed can made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

Thank you - ELR survey completed

Thank you to the 400 schools across Australia who participated in the Educational Lending Right (ELR) survey. The ELR school library survey results have been compiled. SCIS has provided the Australian Government with estimates of the number of copies of over 60,000 Australian titles held in Australian school libraries. These will be used by DCITA (Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) to calculate financial payments to Australian authors, illustrators, translators, compilers, editors and publishers. Payments will be made in May 2007.

More information about the ELR school library survey available at http://www.curriculum.edu.au/scis/partnerships/elr.htm.

January 2007

Reminder: Payment for 2007 SCIS subscriptions due

SCIS wishes to advise that payment for the renewal of SCIS subscriptions in 2007 is due.
Invoices were posted to schools in October 2006. Please check that your payment has been sent to SCIS.
To avoid disconnection to SCIS products, payment is required by 2 March 2007. Payment options
Contact SCIS if you require a copy invoice.

ALIA Information Online 2007

30th January - 1st Febuary 2007
ALIA Information Online 2007 13th Exhibition and Conference will commence on 30th January. The conference has speakers from around the globe on a range of topics. The program has been developed to challenge and inspire delegates from all aspects of the information sector. For more information: http://www.information-online.com.au/

Australia Day Public Holiday - 26 January 2007

SCIS Customer Support will not be available on Friday 26th January 2007.

International Heliophysical Year

The International Heliophysical Year is an international program of scientific collaboration to understand more about Earth’s fluid envelope, its atmosphere and oceans at all heights and depths. On the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year, the 2007 IHY activities will build on the success of IGY since 1957 by continuing its legacy of system – wide studies of the extended heliophysical domain.
For more information: http://ihy2007.org/

Monthly website lists

The list for December, containing 83 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb.
The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided.
A selection of the websites listed can made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

December 2006

Holiday access to SCIS

Access to SCIS products will be available during the holiday period.
Customer Support will be available until Friday 22nd December and resume Tuesday 2nd January 2007.

SCIS access problems

To log on to SCIS you need your user name, a 6 digit number, and your SCIS password.
If you have had changes to your desktop, the school server or portal you may experience difficulties logging on to SCIS.
We have a list of issues to investigate to possibly overcome the problem.

Monthly website lists

The list for November, containing 85 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb.
The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided.
A selection of the websites listed can made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

November 2006

Australian Teacher Librarian of the Year

The Australian School Library Association Inc. (ASLA) and Pledger Consulting Pty Ltd (LinksPlus/Weblinks) have pleasure in announcing the winner of the 2006 Australian Teacher Librarian of the Year Award - Carol Miller from Hamilton Secondary College, Mitchell, South Australia.

Schools principals award

2007 John Laing Professional Development Award recognises the contribution of school principals to professional learning.
http://www.beecoswebengine.org/servlet/Web?s=157573&p=JLA_2007
The Award $7500 will be awarded in March 2007 to support the further professional growth of principals' professional development.
Applications: http://www.beecoswebengine.org/servlet/Web?s=157573&p=JLA_2007
Closing date: 28 February 2007

SCISWeb profile

The SCISWeb profile will soon be upgraded to include:
    ISBN duplicate
    ISBN format
    Subject heading format.
More information will be available from the SCISWeb Profile Help.

2007 Australian Year of Surf Life Saving

Celebrating ‘100 years of heroes’
The Australian Government has announced 2007 will be the year to recognise ‘Year of the Surf Lifesaver’ (YSL) to celebrate the centenary of Surf Life Saving in Australia. To celebrate this event, an extensive array of celebrations and commemorative events are being planned across the nation.
For more information: http://www.slsa.com.au/default.aspx?s=yearofthesurflifesaver

International Polar Year 2007 - 2008

The upcoming International Polar Year (IPY) is officially scheduled to begin on the 1st of March 2007 to 1st of March 2009. The IPY will include research in both polar regions and recognises how Earth’s remote Polar Regions impact global climate systems. The internationally coordinated campaign involves a wide range of research disciplines, including social sciences and aims to educate and train the next generation of engineers, scientists, and leaders.
For more information: www.ipy.org

Links to other related resources:

EducaPoles
http://www.educapoles.org/
EducaPoles is the international polar foundation’s educational site. It aims to teach young people and the educational world the importance of the Polar Regions and of the climate change.

SciencePoles
http://www.sciencepoles.org/
The SciencePoles website provides an overview of polar science and research findings as well as recent and forthcoming developments across different science disciplines.

IPY youth Steering Committee
http://www.ipyyouth.org
The committee exists to educate youth on the poles, polar issues and provide them an opportunity to participate in IPY projects.

Arctic Expedition onboard the icebreaker “Kapitan Dranitsyn”
http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/resources/schools/nabos2006/
This is the diary of Liam Nolan, a teacher from Cirencester, UK, who participated in an expedition aboard the Russian icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn together with other teachers from Europe and the US.

Monthly website lists

The list for October, containing 154 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb.
The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided.
A selection of the websites listed can made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

October 2006

SLAV International School Libraries Day Awards

SLAV held International School Libraries Day Awards, a celebration of teacher-librarians and their libraries. Focusing on innovation, ICT and thinking, these awards recognise creative educators.

The John Ward Award: Jennifer Hall of Bendigo Senior Secondary College.
The SLAV Research Fellowship: Jan Schmidt-Loeliger of Horsham West Primary School.
The SLAV Innovator's Grant: St. Helena Secondary College Library team.
The SLAV School Leader's Award: Tony O'Byrne, Principal of Aquinas College, Ringwood.

The Webquest of the Year Awards:
First: Alida Bonotto, Vince Antonetti and Heather Wilson, Reservoir District Secondary College
Second: Leslie Hall and James Stevens, Bayside College
Highly commended: Niki Loonstra, Ellen Scheromsky and Adam Foster, Knox Gardens Primary School.

Australian Teacher Librarian of the Year 2006

The Australian School Library Association Inc. (ASLA) and Pledger Consulting Pty Ltd have pleasure in announcing the winner of the 2006 Australian Teacher Librarian of the Year Award - Carol Miller from Hamilton Secondary College, Mitchell, South Australia.
This award is to a teacher librarian who demonstrates a high level of achievement in their role and thus provides a library and information service that improves student learning.
Carol Miller manages a diverse library service. It includes a middle school, a senior school, an adult campus and a unit for students with severe and multiple disabilities.

Connections issue 59 term 4 2006

The latest issue has been posted to all Australian schools.
Please ensure you receive your copy and we trust you find the information useful.
The electronic version is available from SCIS home page, Connections, Latest edition:
http://www.curriculum.edu.au/scis/connections/latest.htm

International School Library Day 2006

Date: 23 October 2006 Theme: Reading. Knowing. Doing.
The eighth International School Library Day: 23 October 2006.
Read about it!
Join in celebrating this day!

ELR school library survey out now

Have you received an Educational Lending Right (ELR) school library survey package?
You may be one of the schools that we have asked to participate, if so, this is your opportunity to make a difference to the creators of Australian books. By running the survey on your library automation system and sending in the results, you are contributing to the cultural program set up by the Australian government to provide financial support to Australian authors, illustrators, translators, compilers, editors and publishers.
Please complete the survey and send or email the results to ELR as soon as possible. If you have any questions or problems, please contact us for assistance.
ELR School Library Survey is managed by the SCIS unit of Curriculum Corporation for the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA).

ELR – Encouraging the growth of Australian writing and publishing
For more information about the ELR school library survey, contact the ELR Project Officer, Curriculum Corporation.
Telephone: 03 9207 9600 or 1800 337 405 (free call outside Melbourne metropolitan area within Australia)
Email: elr@curriculum.edu.au
Website: http://www.curriculum.edu.au/scis/partnerships/elr.htm

Learning and Teaching with the Brain in Mind

Curriculum Corporation invites you to our latest PD to be held on Friday 27 October 2006 at Sandown racecourse
Featuring keynote speakers John Joseph, Lisa Hayman and Robyn English.
Findings from recent studies about the functioning of the human brain have been generating a buzz amongst teachers across Australia. How do these findings affect your teaching practice?
Join your colleagues for an interesting and enjoyable end-of-year workshop incorporating current theory and practical classroom application.
For the complete program overview and to register visit www.curriculum.edu.au/pd

Monthly website lists

The list for September, containing 96 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb.
The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided.
A selection of the websites listed can made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

September 2006

SLAQ Brian Bahnisch Award for 2006

School Library Association of Queensland's prestigious Brian Bahnisch Award for 2006 has been won by Marj Kirkland, Aquinas College for integrating literacies (information literacy, reading, research and referencing) into a Whole School Literacy Plan.The Award is to recognise and encourage collaborations and partnerships involving teacher-librarians, teachers and other members of the school community.

Winners of the WA Young Readers' Book Award for 2006

Older Readers
Highest Ranked Book
Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Highest ranked Australian author - Avis Page Award
Hover Car Racer by Matthew Reilly

Young Readers
Highest Ranked Book
The Garden of the Purple Dragon by Carole Wilkinson

Highest ranked Australian/West Australian author - Hoffman Award
Shah by Lilianna Stafford

More information: http://www.wayrba.iinet.net.au/index.htm

Special order files updated

The ClickView and The Le@rning Federation order files have been updated.
The complete files contain all records currently available from SCIS. There is also an update file, which contains the records added to SCIS since the last complete file.

Results of study into Information literacy

The final report of this UK research "Information Literacy in the Classroom: Secondary School Teachers' Conceptions", funded by the Society for Educational Studies, August 2004 - July 2005, is available online. The results of the study indicate that teachers understood information literacy to be important for lifelong learning but do not feel able to effectively support the development of information literacy in their students within their current curriculum environments.

Monthly website lists

The list for August, containing 116 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb.
The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided.
A selection of the websites listed can made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

Teacher Librarian Wins State Award

Maureen Mann, Brooks High School teacher librarian has won the Australian School Library Association’s Tasmanian Teacher Librarian of the Year. The award celebrates Maureen’s dedication and professionalism as a curriculum leader, information specialist and information services manager.

New website to help student research

StudyBuddy, a new site opened recently to help students find relevant information. Students type a question in StudyBuddy search, choose their grade level and browse through 'articles' on curriculum topics.

August 2006

The Children's Book of the Year Awards

The 2006 winners for Children's Book of the Year have been announced.
http://www.cbc.org.au/winner06.htm

SCIS Authority Files CD-ROM

The 2nd edition of SCIS Authority Files for 2006 has now been dispatched to all subscribing schools.
This contains the entire subject authority file and name authority file from the SCIS database.

Monthly Website lists

The list for July, containing 137 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb.
The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided.
A selection of the websites listed can made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

Children's Book Week 2006

Children's Book Week, 19th - 25th August, theme: Book Now!
Book of the Year Winners to be announced on Friday 18 August 2006
Invitation to 2006 Awards announcement
Book Week Banner 2006

July 2006

The 2006 Books Alive Great Read Guide

Books Alive is an Australian Government initiative that aims to encourage all Australians to experience the joys of reading.
The 2006 Books Alive Great Read Guide is your personal guide to 50 remarkable books, compiled by an independent panel of book industry experts from all over Australia.

ScOT now in SCIS OPAC!

All subject headings in SCIS OPAC records now display either ‘scisshl’ or ‘scot’ following the heading. The headings followed by ‘scisshl’ have been selected from SCIS Subject Headings. The headings followed by ‘scot’ have been selected following the conventions of Schools Online Thesaurus, ScOT, a new list of terms to describe the subject content of curriculum resources.
The additional ‘scot’ headings will not be included in the records you download using the SCISWeb 'upload order file' function.
More detailed information is available from our Cataloguing update.

New Special order file for Queensland distance education learning objects

An order file for Queensland distance education learning objects has now been added to the Special order files. SCISWeb subscribers can now download a complete file of the records for Qld SDE learning objects.
The Special order files is located from the Create Orders and Upload Orders pages of SCISWeb.
Access to Qld SDE learning objects has been made available from a DVD sent to all Queensland government schools.
The learning objects may also be downloaded from the Curriculum Exchange resource centre website http://learningplace.eq.edu.au/cx/resources/.

Success for Boys Professional Learning Programme
Online Applications Now Open

The Success for Boys Professional Learning Programme provides individual schools and school clusters with grants of around $10,000 per school to undertake a Professional Learning Programme on boys’ education. In Round II this year, 800 schools will be funded to implement this national Teacher Professional Learning Programme funded by the Department of Education, Science and Training and managed by Curriculum Corporation. The Success for Boys professional learning materials for teachers consist of five printed learning guides and an accompanying CD ROM. This programme includes an important section on Boys Literacy.
Applications for Round II funding in the 2007 school year are now open. Visit Success for Boys for further information and to apply online. Applications close 21 August 2006.

Top 100 Australian books in school libraries

A colourful Top 100 Australian books in school libraries poster has been sent to schools who participated in the Educational Lending Right (ELR) survey last year. SCIS has a few extra copies of the poster available for distribution to schools. Consider the questions in the Educational Lending Right article in Connections issue no. 58, and email your response to elr@curriculum.edu.au to receive a free copy of the colourful Top 100 Australian books in school libraries poster.

The Educational Lending Right 2005-06 Survey has been completed, with over $10 million dollars in ELR payments made to Australian illustrators, authors, translators, compilers, editors and publishers. Full details of payments made can be found on the updated ELR web page.
ELR – Encouraging the growth of Australian writing and publishing

Monthly Website lists

The list for June, containing 179 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb.
The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided.
A selection of the websites listed can be made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

June 2006

Cataloguing update

Information about SCIS Subject Headings has been added to the Cataloguing Update page. It relates to headings for the languages of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Values for Australian Schooling, an initiative of the Australian Federal Government.

ALSA wins award

The Australian School Library Association (ASLA) has been awarded the Linksplus e- Library Commendation Award for the publication Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. The award, sponsored by LinksPlus, publishers of Weblinks Directories, recognizes outstanding and innovative projects, plans or programs that could serve as models for replication by school library associations or staff in individual schools. A certificate and a cash award of US $1000 will be presented at the 35th annual conference of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) in Lisbon, Portugal in July.

In announcing the award, IASL President Peter Genco noted the shared values and collaboration of ASLA and the professional library association in Australia. Through this collaboration a document has been developed that will promote the professionalism of teacher librarians. The selection panel was impressed with the way in which the document was developed using research, collaboration and the standards framework within the education profession. It is well suited to adoption or adaptation internationally to promote professional practice and improve teacher librarians standing in the education community.

Updating the Special order files

The file for all ClickView records has been changed to include all records currently available, 999 records. A second file has been added for all the new records in the ClickView term 1 Update, 88 records. The Special order files is located from the Create Orders and Upload Orders pages of SCISWeb. By clicking on the Process order now button, all the records for that product will be downloaded to the Orders Table ready for saving on your computer.

Queen's Birthday Public Holiday - 12 June 2006

SCIS Customer Support will not be available on Monday 12th June 2006.

Monthly Website lists

The list for May, containing 102 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb.
The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided.
A selection of the websites listed can made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

Montana New Zealand Book Awards 2006 - Make a Splash in Your Library

Finalists in eight categories have been announced and more information about the awards:
http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/events/awards/montanalatest.html#Winners

May 2006

Libraries and information week, 22 - 26 May 2006

Linking people with ideas @ your library
The aim of Library and Information Week is to communicate and promote the tremendous contribution libraries and information services and information professionals make to educate, inform and entertain all Australians.
http://www.alia.org.au/advocacy/liw/

10th annual New Zealand Post Book Awards 2006

The winners were announced on Wednesday 17 May. The winning books are the judges' picks for the very best of those published in 2005.
The website contains present and past nominees and winners of New Zealand Children's Book Awards (NZCBA).
http://library.christchurch.org.nz/Kids/LiteraryPrizes/

ICT and VELS Conference - Victoria

Crystallising your knowledge: A fresh look at ICT learning
Wednesday 14 June 2006
Sidney Myer Asia Centre
Cnr Swanston St & Monash Rd, Carlton, Melbourne

Curriculum Corporation and the School Library Association of Victoria bring together leaders in education ICT to offer achievable means for harnessing students' digital capabilities, thus allowing them to develop new thinking, learning and communication skills that address the Victorian Essential Learning Standards. Attendees will gain a fresh perspective on their own ICT skills reinforced with many practical ideas, useful resources and samples for immediate use in the classroom.

For registration information, presenter profiles and conference program visit the conference website.

World Environment Day – 5 June 2006

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment.
http://www.unep.org/wed/2006/english/

Connections Issue 57 term 2 2006

The latest issue has been posted to all Australian schools. Please ensure you receive your copy and we trust you find the information useful. The electronic version is available from SCIS home page, Connections, Latest edition:
http://www.curriculum.edu.au/scis/connections/latest.htm

New Special order file for NSW Connected Outcomes Group (COG) websites

The SCIS Special order files now contain a new file for NSW Connected Outcomes Group (COG) websites.
SCIS records for the web pages with the units of work are included in this file.
The Special order files are located from the Create Orders and Upload Orders pages of SCISWeb. The files are listed, with details of number of records and when created. By clicking on the Process order now button, all the records for that product will be downloaded to the Orders Table ready for saving on your computer.

Monthly Website lists

The list for April, containing 85 records, has been added to the Website lists available from SCISWeb.
The websites can be reviewed by selecting the link provided.
A selection of the websites listed can made and the catalogue records downloaded, following the instructions provided.

National Library of Australia Catalogue

Australia’s largest reference library enhances learning, creativity and intellectual endeavour.
Through its collections and services it supports the dissemination of knowledge, ideas and information.
http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First

Libraries Australia

Libraries Australia lets you discover what's in Australian libraries. You can find it, borrow it, copy it or buy it.
http://librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au/apps/kss?sa=X

April 2006

Margaret Mahy wins the Hans Christian Andersen Award

New Zealand author Margaret Mahy has won the world's premier prize for children's writing, the Hans Christian Andersen Award. The announcement was made on 29 March 2006. Mahy's career began in 1961 with the publication of her first story in the School Journal. International recognition arrived in 1969, when five of her Journal stories appeared as picture books, and was cemented by an astonishing outpouring of picture books and story collections during the 1970s. Her first two novels, The Haunting and The Changeover, won the prestigious British Carnegie Medal for 1982 and 1984. Her latest books include Kaitangata Twitch and Maddigan's Fantasia published in 2005.
http://library.christchurch.org.nz/MargaretMahy/

The Children's Book Council of Australia - Notable Books 2006

The Children's Book Council of Australia have just released the list of notable books for 2006
http://www.cbc.org.au/notables06.htm

The Children's Book Council of Australia - Crichton Award

A national award administered by the Victorian Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia. The award was created in 1988 to recognise and encourage new talent in the field of Australian children's book illustration. Short list is now available.
http://www.cbc.org.au/crichton06sl.htm

The Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year short list

The CBCA short list is influential in children’s publishing and bookselling. It is commonly used as a buying guide, especially by schools and libraries, but also by young readers and those choosing books for them. The winners will be announced on Friday 18th August during Children's Book Week celebrations. This year the theme for Book Week is ‘Book Now’.
http://www.cbc.org.au/short06.htm

SCISWeb upgrade

SCISWeb record ordering is being upgraded. The upgrade, available to customers on Monday 10 April 2006, will include the following new features.

• Publishers occasionally give the same ISBN to different resources. If your order matches on more than one record with the same ISBN, the record most recently added to the database will be supplied.
• Your order can contain either 10 or 13 digit ISBNs. The supplied catalogue record will contain the 10 digit ISBN unless only a 13 digit ISBN is published.
• You are no longer obliged to remove non numerical data (spaces, hyphens, dots) in your SCISWeb order. The SCISWeb program will now ignore these characters or spaces.
• Ordering from SCIS OPAC is now easier.

March 2006

Copyright in the Digital Age

Following the success of last year's Copyright in the Digital Age seminars, the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) will be holding a second free series in venues across Australia in May 2006. The seminar covers what you need to know when offering and protecting your work online.
CAL is offering seminars in the capital cities of mainland Australia. They start at 4.00pm and run till 6.00pm, followed by refreshments.
Even though the seminars are free you need to register your interest - visit http://www.copyright.com.au/seminars_events.htm or phone 02 93947600.

SCIS Authority Files CD-ROM

The 1st edition of SCIS Authority Files for 2006 has now been dispatched to all subscribing schools. This contains the entire subject authority file and name authority file from the SCIS database.

Curriculum Corporation 13th Annual Conference: The Vision Splendid

ICT: research, pedagogy, implementation for schools
Monday 14 & Tuesday 15 August 2006
Hilton Adelaide, 233 Victoria Square, Adelaide
Early bird discount will close on Monday 1st May 2006.The full program and registrations is accessible to the public, by visiting http://www.curriculum.edu.au/conference/2006 or by contacting National Curriculum Services by phone 03 9417 3555 or email ncs@ncsonline.com.au.

February 2006

Seaweek 2006 - Talk Live to Marine Experts! - 5th - 12th March

Seaweek 2006 is an opportunity for students from anywhere in Australia to question marine experts.
Themes: Sustaining Biodiversity, Sustainable Water, Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Tourism and Sustainable Fisheries.
Register online now for the opportunity for you and your students to interact in a live online environment using the latest long distance education technology.
http://www.mesa.edu.au/seaweek2006/centra.asp

Sending resources to SCIS Cataloguing Agencies

If you have new resources that are not in SCIS OPAC then we would like you to consider sending the resources to our cataloguers. It will help eliminate the need for you to catalogue the resources or to wait until they appear in the SCIS database.
See: http://www.curriculum.edu.au/scis/managing/agencydetails.htm

New Zealand Post Children’s Book Award Nominations

Twenty outstanding New Zealand children’s books, published in the preceding twelve months, are short-listed for the Awards each year in early February.
http://www.booksellers.co.nz/nzpb_main.htm

SCISWeb and SCIS OPAC

SCISWeb and SCIS OPAC will be unavailable from 6.00 pm AEDT Friday 10 February 2006 due to an upgrade to the SCIS server operating system. Access will definitely be available by start of business on Monday morning.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Commonwealth Games 2006

Melbourne 2006 XVIII Commonwealth Games, 15 - 26 March 2006
http://www.melbourne2006.com.au

A recent search on SCIS OPAC for subject "commonwealth games 2006", gave a result of 18 entries. The results include books, websites and electronic resources.

Winter Olympics 2006 - 10 - 26 February 2006

The Winter Olympics will be held in Torino Italy. EdNA Online has created a theme page with links to resources from the history of these games to information about Italy and weather. http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/page4720.html A search of SCIS OPAC, Guided Search, entering winter olympics as a phrase and selecting Keyword Anywhere, gave 16 results.

January 2006

Providing an email address for important messages

Your Customer profile allows you to provide an email address for us to use for important messages.
The email addresses are not provided to any other organisation and are not used for marketing.
Your Customer profile is available from the SCIS Customer centre and SCISWeb pages.

The Le@rning Federation learning objects and Special order files

An order file for The Le@rning Federation (TLF) learning objects has now been added to the Special order files.
SCISWeb subscribers can now download a complete file of the records for TLF learning objects.
The Special order files is located from the Create Orders and Upload Orders pages of SCISWeb.
Access to TLF learning objects is determined by each state and territory education authority. Contact liaison officers details are available on the TLF website, http://www.thelearningfederation.edu.au/tlf2/showme.asp?nodeID=52.
More information on learning objects is available from TLF http://www.thelearningfederation.edu.au/tlf2/

2006 the International Year of Deserts and Desertification

Desertification is a major threat to humanity, compounded by both climate change and loss of biological diversity. Land degradation affects one third of the planet's land surface and around one billion people in over a hundred countries.
See the United Nations site for more information: http://www.unccd.int/publicinfo/iyddlogo/menu.php
A recent search on SCIS OPAC for keyword "desertification", gave a result of 34 entries. A search for "deserts" as a subject had 321 entries, "deserts environmental aspects" had 11 and "deserts economic aspects" had 4.

November 2005

SCIS Special order files

We have created a new service for SCISWeb subscribers, Special order files.
SCISWeb subscribers can now download a complete file of records related to a select list.
We have created files for ClickView and the retired Media on Demand records.
More files will be made available when identified as suitable for this service.
The Special order files is located from the Create Orders and Upload Orders pages of SCISWeb.

October 2005

SLAVictoria announces award winners

The School Library Association of Victoria announced the winners of awards at its International School Libraries Day Awards Dinner on Monday 24 October.

The John Ward Award - Bronwen Parsons, Belmont High School.
The SLAV Research Fellowship - Christine Wilson, Braemar College.
The SLAV Innovator's Grant - Karen Russo, John Paul College.

Partners in discovery, partners in ideas, partners in learning competition winners:

Claire Bloom and Judy Steel, Warrandyte High School
Cherilynne Kingston, Melissa Cash and Kelly Camilleri, Werribee Secondary College
George Marotous, Nicholas Fairlie, Kerry Smyth and Merren Ward, Melbourne High School staff

http://www.slav.schools.net.au

2005 Australian Teacher Librarian of the Year Award

Congratulations to Jennie Bales, Teacher librarian, Summerdale Primary School Tasmania, awarded the 2005 Australian Teacher Librarian of the Year Award.

The national award recognises and honours an exceptional Australian teacher librarian in a school whose professional practice has a positive impact on student achievement and information literacy.

The winners of state Teacher Librarian of the Year:
Sue Lacey, Bega West PS,NSW Pat Smith, Gold Creek PS, ACT Denise Tarlinton, Kurwongbah SS, Qld Fran Knight, William Light R-12 School, SA Val Baird, Perth Modern School, WA

http://www.asla.org.au/advocacy/award/

Invoices for 2006 SCISWeb, SCIS Subject Headings Online and SCIS Authority Files subscriptions

Invoices will be despatched to schools not involved in a bulk subscription. Payment is due within 30 days of receipt of the invoice. If payment has not been received by 3 February 2006, access to SCISWeb and SCIS Subject Headings Online will be denied. There are several payment options.
For more information: http://www.curriculum.edu.au/scis/productinfo/payment.htm#payment

Education Lending Right

The Educational Lending Right (ELR) School Library Survey is currently underway, a representative sample of schools has been chosen to participate in the 2005-06 survey.

By taking part you will be benefiting our Australian creators and publishers. We anticipate that it will take up very little of your time.

International School Library Day 2005

Date: 24 October 2005   Theme: Discover the Adventure
The seventh International School Library Day: 24 October 2005.
Read about it!
Join us in celebrating this day!

September 2005

Young Australian Readers' Award

The Young Australian Readers' Award is the first national, online students choice award in Australia.Encourage students to start their considerations now so they can get their votes in by Friday, October 21. Any book by an Australian author, published in Australia in 2004 or 2005 with a target audience of pre-school - Year 12 is eligible for the award and the winner is the title with the most votes.

http://www.yara-online.org

Teacher librarians and graphic organisers

A research study is being undertaken to investigate the use of graphic organisers to develop information literacy skills.

If you would like to participate see attachment for more details.

Success for Boys Professional Learning Programme

Grants are available to schools for a professional learning programme for teachers on boys' education, funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training.
Applications close 28 October.

Schools are encouraged to visit http://www.successforboys.edu.au for further details.
Curriculum Corporation is managing the project and a Help Desk for applicants is available on 03 9207 9600.

August 2005

SCIS Authority Files CD-ROM

The 2nd edition of SCIS Authority Files for 2005 has now been dispatched to all subscribing schools.

Children's Book Week 20th – 26th August 2005

Theme: Reading Rocks!
Book of the Year Winners 2005

New search function in SCIS OPAC

Dewey is now an option in the drop down menu in Guided Search. It is possible to search the Dewey index from the In: box, to find records with that Call No. For example try a Guided Search for 616.02774, selecting 'as a phrase' from the first drop down list and select Dewey from the drop down list in the In: box.

July 2005

SCIS Standards for cataloguing and data entry

An updated version of SCIS Standards for cataloguing and data entry, Section 1 and Section 3 is now available at http://www.curriculum.edu.au/scis/managing/standards.htm

The revision incorporates changes resulting from the publication of Dewey Decimal Classification Edition 22 and Abridged Edition 14. It also includes new examples for special book numbers and clarifies classification policy for abridgements and adaptations of literary works and folk literature.

2 year deal for all New Zealand schools for SCISWeb and SCIS Subject Headings

Curriculum Corporation, the New Zealand Ministry of Education and the National Library of New Zealand are pleased to announce that all schools will have access to the cataloguing tools SCISWeb and SCIS Subject Headings Online for the remainder of 2005, 2006 and 2007. http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=23649

The Ministry of Education has funded access to the SCIS products to benefit all staff and students.The Library Advisers from National Library of New Zealand Schools Services will provide advice to staff to ensure effective usage of these SCIS products in school libraries.

New Zealand National Library will send a letter to Principals at the beginning of term 3.

Curriculum Corporation will provide school library staff with their logon details at the beginning of term 3.

June 2005

Congratulations to Mackay West State School

Mackay West State School and Mackay City Council Library Service have been awarded the IASL/Softlink Excellence award for 2005. They have developed an enduring strategic alliance between the school and public library service which has resulted in the development of a program: Productive Partnerships - Learning for Life.

World Environment Day – 5 June 2005

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment.
http://www.unep.org/wed/2005/english/Contact_Us/index.asp

NZ - Professional Registration Taskforce and Remuneration Survey

The Professional Registration Taskforce has been set up by LIANZA to investigate the introduction of a system of registration for library professionals. SLANZA is currently involved in both these initiatives and has contributed financially to the Remuneration Survey costs.
More details for NZ schools

May 2005

The Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year short list

Every year, the CBCA short list proves to be extremely influential in children’s publishing and bookselling. It is commonly used as a buying guide, especially by schools and libraries, but also by young readers and those choosing books for them.
The winners will be announced on Friday 19th August during Children's Book Week celebrations. This year the theme for Book Week is ‘Reading Rocks!'.
http://www.cbc.org.au/short05.htm

ALIA-ASLA Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarian

Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) are pleased to endorse and promote the statement of standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. A copy has been forwarded to all schools in the Term 2 Curriculum Corporation mail out, and workshops will be organised by state and territory associations.
http://www.alia.org.au/policies/teacher-librarian.standards.html

SCISWeb profile

Your SCISWeb profile, available from your SCISWeb page, indicates the type of Dewey Decimal Classification preferred in your school and the format of order files. Please check your profile if you are experiencing any change in the type of DDC or format of files in your SCIS orders.

April 2005

Library and Information Week, 23-29 May 2005

Library and Information Week aims to raise awareness of the value of libraries and information services and information professionals in Australia. The week provides the opportunity to promote our professional services and skills to user communities and the public, to introduce new services, and to canvas issues of importance to the provision of library and information services in Australia. More information is now available from http://alia.org.au/advocacy/alw/2005/

The principal sponsor is NetAlert, Australia’s internet safety advisory body, http://www.netalert.net.au

During Library and Information Week, NetAlert will distribute its “Librarian’s guide to internet safety”.

ASLA Citation Award for 2005

The Australian School Library Association (ASLA) has announced the winner of the ASLA Citation Award for 2005,
Bev Blackwell
Coordinator Cataloguing
Curriculum Materials Information Services, Department of Education and Training, Western Australia

The award is made biennially at the ASLA National Conference for an outstanding contribution to the National Leadership of Teacher Librarianship. We are very pleased to see her contributions to the school library community recognised by this award.
http://www.asla.org.au/citation.htm