it's the week after Christmas...
Well, staff had a lovely break-up party with Friends and volunteers on the 22nd (Friday), then it was back to work on Saturday (for some), Sunday to Tuesday off, back to work on Wednesday (for those who didn't take leave) with business as usual (tho' there were reduced access hours).
Now we're prepping for the New Year!

Last day of school...
All quiet on the library front now that school has concluded for 2006. It's been a big year. Lots of changes that have kept us all very busy, right to the last day of school. Now a general wrap-up before Christmas and then preparations for the New Year.
Next year it will be more changes, new teachers and students and new things to learn.
Time now, though, to prepare for Christmas joy!

We're WiFi'ed!
The installation is done and staff training is under way. Very soon now we will be advertising that our WiFi is available for public use. Goodbye cables, hello wireless capability! Customers will be able to bring in their WiFi enabled devices, and once they have completed their one-off registration, will be off and surfing (the Web of course).
In time for the school holidays, this system will be up-and-running and established for the start of the New Year.

Art moderation...
I can't miss this as an entry! A couple of weeks ago we had the Seaford student's art on display in the library and again it did not disappoint. There were great works on display with a wide range of styles and forms. The work was on display for an extended time which provided a great opportunity for all library users to have a look. A great display that received lots of positive comment.

It must be the 'silly season'...
We're well into Term 4, and believe it or not, Christmas is in sight!...and things are getting just a little silly. Nothing to be really worried about but as we head out of the cold winter season (with no rain) and in to the spring (with no rain), there seems to be a marked increase in the occurrence of 'weird' things (strange requests, unusual complaints, weird smells, off-the-wall behaviour, etc). The forecast ahead (hotter weather with no rain) doesn't instil any confidence either. Maybe it's the lack of water (note to myself: check to see that we have water available for our customers!). Let's hope the sunny weather ahead cheers us all up and dissipates the weirdness.

Is it just me... or are things just BIGGER!
The last week of term 3 and things are just as hectic. I can just imagine the stats will be good (read: we've been bloody busy!). On the up side, time at work has gone really fast (and on the down side there isn't time to get anything else done). We'll now have 2 weeks where there will be time to catch up on things and for the lucky ones to have some annual leave. Then it will be busy again leading up to exams and a slow down to Christmas (yes, time to brush up on those carols). We've also delivered and collected the teacher/student surveys, so it will be very interesting to find out how we're rated on our service delivery (and anything else they may wish to comment on). A time for library staff to rest and recover before we start term 4!

Just two words...BOOK WEEK!
Yes, the culmination of the last two weeks was the delivery of Book Week at Seaford library (and the author visit made our task that much easier). It's a testament to the resilience of staff that we were able to function at all with the number of staff diminishing over the last two weeks (predominately due to illness). But those of us left did the Codral thing ('soldiered on') and still managed to 'get things done!'
It's hard to believe that we have completed (school) weeks 4 and 5, but here we are - beyond the half-way mark. But it's no time to sit on our hands as the 'busy' part of the school year is almost upon us. So, with the onset of Spring and the promise of nice sunny days ahead, we are gearing-up! ...and ready to start peddling faster?

...more display upgrades!
...but before you start thinking that we are soooooo superficial (style before substance), let me assure you that it is all part of the plan. All our services are good (some would say great but we wouldn't want to get ahead of ourselves) and we see nothing wrong with 'looking good'!
Nathan's doing agreat job in clearing out damaged/unwanted a/v equipment, Angela and the team are 'massaging' the collection, everyones pitching in with ideas and actions on the CKI room and circ desk...and it's all coming together just fine.
Week 2 of school has brought with it further work demands as students and teachers gear-up to meet the work end of the year. We are meeting the challenge and planning the implementation of further support strategies (eg Online Tutoring, Homework help, etc).
...and the number of people commenting (positively) about the genre groupings - we're on the right track!

...the collection keeps moving
this time the Crime/Suspence collection has weaved its way around the corner and increased in size. This should keep the readers of this collection very happy! But Angela isn't happy with a single move of the collection...Nooooooooo! So we dragged the spinners to their new locations (to a number of different positions) until it all looked great. Then the reader information display board was reorganised and refreshed with a simple but effective display on a table. This, combined with the recent genre changes has meant that our customers need assistance (at times) to find the location of books they are after. Staff have provided this assistance but we probably need to clearly advertise changes to ensure that we provide the support our customers need.
The air con was finally fixed in The Keep and the ITC (but it took all week). The upside being that people are now comfortable in those areas and we can retun to 'business as usual'. The week ended with a report to police about damage done to the aerials on the roof (someones been on the roof again) which has resulted in no off-air recordings until it is fixed.
Apart from some minor issues it's been a good first week back for the school and it's good to see that we are on track to meet the challenges ahead.

Operational...
finally, the CKI function is operational in the Keep. We have already tried a number of different setups and I'm sure that we will try a few more before we are happy with it. The good news is that it is up and running. check out the colour of the wall
Nathan started this week, so at last we have a full team. We took advantage of the current situation and had our team planning day on Thursday with a lovely lunch at Pt Noarlunga to end off the session.
Everyone was busy during the week preparing for the return of school, delivering programs and getting used to the 'new' way of doing things. Moving the CKI function to the Keep has resulted in a dramatic change at the circulation desk and left us considering what further changes need to be implemented (and in what order).
...and if that wasn't enough, Angela also arranged for the fiction collection to be arranged by genre, the fiction spinners to be moved (yeah, that was fun!) and the expansion of the crime collection. Thanks to the efforts of all staff, this was achieved at a speed that surprised all of us!
Lots of other good stuff happened during the week but with the speed of the changes they are all history now. I'm off for some rest - zzzzzzzzzzz!

The Cat was not in the Hat...he was in the library!
School holidays and the attention was on programs that the library was to deliver (for children). We had a very good cat...an entertaining cat...a cat with stories and fun!...and we hope he comes back.
A fair amount of the week was spent in maintenance work, preparing The Keep for the CKI function, and planning further changes to be implemented during the school holidays.
Gus was here for his first full week, Kelly was on leave and preparations are under way for Nathan's commencement next week. A good week for catch-up, making changes and yummy chocolate cake!
YUM!!!

...last week of school!
Not only was it the last week of Term II, but we had the return of Victoria (from long term leave) and the arrival of the new School Services Librarian, Gus. It was also the last week at work for our dear cleaner, Dot!
The week went pretty smoothly with relatively steady levels of activity (except for the last day which seemed to drag on....).
A group used the newly revamped meeting room for the first time this week for 'census training', and the feedback from them was very positive.
We will use the school break to prepare for the next term and to consolidate the new team (with another new team member to join us in a weeks' time).

We're fenced in!
The school perimeter fence was installed this week creating access bedlam (in the eyes of some students). Actually, it went rather smoothly although some students wanted to test the resolve of some teachers and library staff by doing the wrong thing ("Why can't we cut through the library to go to McDonalds?").
The new screen and ceiling mounted data projector were installed in the meeting room, completing the changes there. And the modified wall in the new CKI room got a lick of paint (in a most interesting colour).
Nancy's last day as a contracted full-time employee was celebrated with a farewell lunch and there was a final scurry to complete the changes in the workroom prior to Victoria's return and Gus' start (next week). Next week is the last for term 2 and we look forward to the breakkkk.

Computer changeover!
During the week 10 new PC's were delivered to the library for the changeover. The circ. desk PC's (x5) were changed over on Thursday in a process that went fairly smoothly (apart from the emergency evacuation procedure during the morning). The new machines seem to be working well and we have already seen some positive outcomes (standardized desktops; no log-ins required for Citrix; etc). The other 5 machines (Opac's) will be installed this week (Thursday) and we should see improvements in this area as well. New tables were delivered for the meting room (no more heavy hauling of desks by staff) and electrical work was completed in the workroom (allowing us to plan for the completion of changes to this area). New shelf-end display stands were delivered and installed as was an additional stand-up Opac stand. Additional shelving for the toy library equipment was purchased and will be installed this week and a new stool purchased for the student access computers. Also this week we are expecting the perimeter fencing to be installed around the school which will affect library access by students - that will be interesting!

Queen's Birthday! 16 June
Yes... it was her birthday this week (no wonder she is smiling) and it was nice for us too that we didn't have to work on Monday. A nice long weekend and then the ensuing bedlam!
As it was a short week not much changed. There was lots of work in preparing the new laptops purchased by the school and then getting the city school laptops ready to go! Well done guys.
More work was done in tidying-up the counter and filling the gaps where glass was removed (and removing the bolts that were protruding from the counter). The City Services Leadership Forum was held in the meeting room as was the presentation of service awards - and all went well!
Lots of plans have been made for next week where we should see lots of action (and hopefully the selection of a new team member).
Cheers

more colour...14 June
In preparing for a new HIP terminal installation, we needed to strip the pinboard off the wall (which left the wall looking decidedly dull). The solution? More colour! It won't be long now until the installation (and the area will look great).
...other happenings?
Four new desks in the workroom; further preparation of the toy library shelving; organising the sports library equipment; moving the ref. collection; planning the reorganisation of the circ. desk functions; preparing for the CKI room to be operational - and all other usual business.
We're still in the recruiting process for the L3 position but hopefully we will have someone in place soon. That's all for now! Cheers

Check-in room closer to completion!
It's been another busy week and Dean has been working hard to complete the CKI room. The glass has been installed in the foyer, the wall painted and the internal cladding completed (apart from painting).
Toy shelving has been purchased and constructed by Ross. It looks great and we think we have room to add another bay along the wall.
May was very busy and we have recorded our highest monthly door count ever - 23, 862!
Seaford staff attended Mandatory Notification Training (all day at the Adelaide Sailing Club-great venue) so we now have updated skills and knowledge in this area.
Last week was Reconciliation Week and the school had a great performer in the library giving students a great cultural perspective of what the week means.
PixiFoto was on site delivering their program of portrait photography and raising the profile of libraries and we had the regular range of activities and services...
We are still in recruiting mode and hopefully we will soon have a full complement of permanent staff to ensure that we can continue to deliver the range of services, programs and activities that we would like to see in the library. Ciao for now!

CKI room gets started...22nd May
Well, it's taken some time but finally the CKI room renovations commenced! At the moment we have some holes in the wall in the entrance foyer (and some even bigger holes in the actual room) but soon the job will be completed. Then we will have to instal some temporary workdesks and see how we will staff the CKI function. We've also started the workstation changeover in the work room and the initial changes look promising. But that's not all... work has also been completed in readiness for the installation of the stand up computer catalogue in the adult fiction area - and we hope to have that completed early next week. On the staffing front... applications have closed for the L3 position and we are preparing for interviews soon; all staff are preparing for the MNT at the Adelaide Yacht Club next week; casuals and part-timers are snapping up extra hours as we try to manage (until the vacant positions are filled). The Drumming Workshop concluded this week (and it was juuust funtastic!) and we were all supporting the activities for Library and Information Week (which were really popular). Time to rest up for next week...

School open night @ the library - 15th May
It was a big night for the school and the library!
It was a busy day and it continued into the early evening with the library being used as a central venue for the open night. Parents and students were in attendance to see the principal (and teachers) deliver information about the school. There was also entertainment by various student performers giving the audience a glimpse of some of their skills and talents. A good open night for all!

Kim's last day! 28th April 2006
...and she was all smiles and composed and ready to leave it all behind... and who could blame her - a trip to South America starting in the next week, catching up with Victoria, adventures, excitement...and who knows what the future holds.
Farewell Kim and good luck with your travels!

It was the week of the Adelaide Cup, so naturally we had Monday off. The rest of the week was very busy because (of course) we had to pack in 5 days work into 4. Busy as it was we were able to install the new IMac and the colour printer at the front desk for students. Connie continued the good work with covering the the drab pin-up boards with colourful material and Nancy finished the changes to the PRC. Ross put together shelving for the secure store and that's looking tidier already. Angela's ordered shelving for the toys in the children's library and Kim and co. have been getting the whole 'students borrowing digital cameras' thing into a smooth system! Sally's met with the Friends and we are getting their needs met, plus all the usual business...
The Festival of Arts and Fringe are coming to a close (and those Victorian's are trying to make a big deal of the Commonwealth Games)...so there's lots happening all round!

Scones anyone?...
Yes, the day finally came where we said a sad 'farewell' to Bridget. Her last day at Seaford was a day of farewells, packing, sorting, leaving instructions and notes, and...scones, jam and cream with drinks for the students. Many students were sad that their favourite library person was leaving (but the scones made it just that much more bareable).
..we pause for a moment...
right! now into recruiting mode to find a new School Services Librarian.
Let the fun begin.

Teachers in shock at the impending departure of the School Services Librarian!
Teachers are still coming to grips with the impending departure of the school's librarian this week and were reverting to exotic foods and drinks and celebratory actions in an attempt to overcome the shock. It's been a week of emotions as both teachers and students come to the realisation that next week is the 'last week'...
For other library staff it has been a different story. Nancy started her full-time contract and it was straight into the deep end. The first week 'down and dusted', Nancy will be finding more that just her feet in the weeks to come. Designated duties have been drawn up to give her a better idea of her role in the team and expected outcomes - go Nancy! Great work is also being done by both school and library staff in the development of systems to control the issuing of video cameras (and looking at making this system easy and effective). Changes to the CNF area look great (honest! go and have a look) and should give us some shelving for the PRC collection (don't you just love the acronyms!) not to mention the shelving to be acquired for the children's library (for Toys and Sports Equipment) and the secure store. And what else has been happening?...
well, work on the phones, CS training, prep. work for the Team Coaching next week, student ID cards, further work by the Canon/Monitor crew, etc. etc.....but more on that next time!

A week of staff change news! Bridget has been successful in her bid to secure the Team Leader position at Woodcroft and Nancy secures the contract position at Seaford! So, just as one recruitment process is completed another has begun.
In our quest to be the library with the best furniture, we have ordered new 'convertible' tables for the meeting room (which should put us one step ahead of the rest). More mobile shelving has been ordered and the moving of 'fixtures' has commenced. Still not enough?...we are sourcing new shelving for the toy library collection and the purchase of more A/V equipment. Angela is plotting 'major' changes to the collection and with her collaborators will ensure that we strategically effect this change.
Next week we prepare for more customer service coaching to ensure we can become the best in customer service delivery...ah! perfection...
All this action...all this excitement...no wonder I'm turning grey!

This seemed to be the week of 'fix ups'. The airconditioning was looked at, the auto doors were repaired and minor maintenance was carried out in a few areas. Then we had hordes of students/teachers in for photos- and all of this on top of regular business (and the irregular and unwelcome loss of power). The new colour printer was installed in the workroom (which is very welcome news) but we have had less success with the student computers at the front desk (which aren't working well since the power problem). Interviews were held to fill Victoria's position and we will fill that position soon. It certainly felt like we had a lot of 'visits' this week and the library was busy and noisy. Past figures have shown that February is like that - very busy! ...only 2 more weeks to go then... :-)

Another busy week (being week 2 of school) but I think we're getting a handle on things! It was the launch of The Little Big Book Club and there was a lot of preparation to be done (not to mention gearing up for the Premiers Reading Challenge for 2006). Team coaching was delivered on Tuesday and thankfully staff from the Hub were able to deliver the Baby Storytime (thanks heaps!).
Now that most of the work is done (in terms of issuing material to staff and students for the beginning of the year, inductions and general familiarisation (for library staff and customers), we can now hopefully focus on getting other tasks on track (regroup for the next offensive!).
Hopefully, some changes to be implemented, new equipment and the appointment of new staff will help...

It was the first week of school and this is what happened:
John got really excited (and this was good because we don't like to see him grumpy).
The week started off being very busy and the 'busyness' just kept going. We had lots of casual staff to support us and through our efforts we were able to meet the demands of the staff and students (not to mention the community).
We moved the photocopiers to a new location (closer to the PAC's) and created the illusion that we had increased the Teenage Study/Lounge area (to the delight of some students). Students were also very happy that we had reinstated the lounge, together with additional PC's installed to one counter of the circ. desk - very 'spiffy'.
The PC Reservation station was dismantled with the printer and the OCR reader going to SCKO3 (allowing printing at that PC). All OPACs were converted to be able to be used as on-line PC booking stations. We're still ironing out the bugs but we will trial it for a while to see how it goes.
To finish off the week Albert, Bridget and Trish went to the school staff room to help teaching staff celebrate the 'first week' and boy! were the Margarita's good!