On the shoulders of giants: Empower, enact, impact

Contributed by Lori Korodaj, Teacher Librarian and SLANSW Member

For the majority of my career, I have had a number of mentors who provided guidance to shape and progress my TL practice. Both local (ACT) and national "giants" gave me the confidence to try new things and step into roles I never thought I could manage . They provided those strong shoulders for me to stand on to see into my TL future.

To read the Top Ten Tips for Mentoring and the full blog post by Lori Korodaj, click here and login to your Member Portal.

Commencing on October 17 and concluding on December 2, this course focuses on Undertaking Action Research in Your School. Over the seven-week course, participants will be provided with access to SLANSW restricted and member only videos and professional readings to support you through the process of undertaking action research in your school. Participants will work at their own pace to complete the viewing and reading of resources. An optional online meetup will be offered for participants, however attendance at this meetup is not compulsory to meet the course requirements. Participants will be asked to post a reflection on their learning at the end of the flexible blended learning course. 

For further information or to register, visit: Flexible Blended Learning Course 2, 2022

Please note: this course is available to SLANSW Members only. Not a member? See how you can join here: Join SLANSW

Join our special guests, author Zana Fraillon and manga artist Matthew Lin for an evening exploring the creative process. Bring along some paper and pens as Matthew just might get you drawing! 

About Matthew Lin

An experienced graphic designer and illustrator, Matthew’s passion for drawing and art began at an early age. He holds an Associate Diploma in Graphic Design and has worked across various organisations, including Scholastic Publishing and Horwitz Publications. In 2004 he went freelance and has since been busy designing and illustrating books for publishers in the USA and Australia, illustrating Marvel trading cards, creating t-shirt labels (B24FLAK and Robotcack), painting murals, and running workshops in libraries and schools. Amongst other achievements, Matthew has won two mural submissions – one for Concord Library and the other near the children’s playground at The Entrance. He was also a finalist in the 2008 Gosford Regional Gallery Art Prize. Tin Tin is one of his favourite comics and his interests are an eclectic mix that include Medieval fighting, West African dance and drumming, and gardening.  

About Zana Fraillon

A multi award-winning author of books for children and young adults, Zana’s books have been published in over 15 countries and are in development for both stage and screen. She has degrees in History and Teaching, and is currently in the midst of a PhD in Creative Writing at LaTrobe University. Most of us will be familiar with many of her titles including The Bone Sparrow, chosen to represent Australia for the International Board on Books for Young People and a plethora of other awards including the Amnesty CILIP Honour Award, ABIA Book of the year for Older Readers, Readings YA Book Prize, and IBBY Australian Award. A few of Zana’s other titles include The Lost Soul Atlas and picture books Wisp, and most recently, The Way of Dog, a touching verse novel.

Register now via An Evening with Matthew Lin and Zana Fraillon

Kellie Nash shares some of the reading skills required to compete in the North West Equestrian Expo with SLANSW members. 

To read the full blog post by Kellie Nash, click here and login to your Member Portal.

How do you connect with other libraries?

Members are reminded that if they can not attend 'free-to-members' professional learning events, these events are recorded and available in the Member Portal, 7-10 days, post event.

Members are asked to check their email for details about an exclusive offer from Wheelers, valid during Terms 2 & 3, 2022.

Will Kostakis is a passionate advocate for young readers and writers. He released his first novel, Loathing Lola, when he was just nineteen. There's a typo on the first page. It's equally a source of pride and shame. His second novel, The First Third, won the 2014 Gold Inky Award. It was also shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year and Australian Prime Minister’s Literary awards, among others. The Sidekicks was his third novel for young adults, and his American debut. It went on to win the IBBY Australia Ena Noel Award. Most recently, Will has applied his trademark style to the fantasy genre, with Monuments and its sequel, Rebel Gods. Will was awarded the 2020 Maurice Saxby Award by the School Library Association of New South Wales for service to children’s and young adult literature.

Will is presenting his keynote "Embracing diversity re-engages readers" at the next SLANSW Professional Learning Summit. To find out more visit: Professional Learning Summit: Representation Matters (19 March 2022)

Dr Kay Oddone has over 20 years of experience in the fields of education and information management and has taught at all levels from Prep through to Post Grad. She has experience as a Classroom Teacher, Assistant Principal, Teacher Librarian and Learning Designer. Currently she holds the position of Lecturer in the MEd: Teacher Librarianship at Charles Sturt University. You can find Kay on Twitter as @KayOddone, and read more about her work on her online portfolio at www.linkinglearning.com.au

Kay is presenting her keynote "Active, Informed and Critical: Creating an Environment of Digital Inclusion" at the next SLANSW Professional Learning Summit. To find out more visit: Professional Learning Summit: Representation Matters (19 March 2022)

Katya Johanson is Professor of Audience Research at Deakin University. She researches the ways that the work of creative industries impacts on people’s lives. This includes the impact of transnational productions on audiences’ cultural and political beliefs, the impact of publishing on teenagers’ reading behaviour, and the impact of arts production on local economies and community wellbeing. She is an editor of the forthcoming Routledge Companion to Audience Research and the Performing Arts, and The Audience Experience (Intellect 2013). Her work is published in the International Journal of Cultural Policy, Poetics and Cultural Trends. Katya often works with Federal, state and local government arts and cultural policy agencies to develop strategies that increase inclusivity and diversity amongst creative producers and audiences.

Leonie Rutherford (PhD, Australian National University) is Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Creative Arts at Deakin University where she leads the Teenagers Reading and Digital Practices research program. In addition to textual criticism in print and media, her work is intensively engaged with interdisciplinary investigation of youth cultural participation, with a special focus on media (including print and book culture), digital literacies, media policy, and audiences. Her current research project – ‘Discovering a “Good Read”: Pathways to Reading for Australian Teens’ — partners with stakeholders in the library and book industry sector, investigates the ways in which traditional and new cultural intermediaries and the digital ecology in which books are embedded enable young people’s participation in reading cultures.

Katya and Leonie are presenting their workshop "Negotiating the Challenges of Diversity in YA Publishing and Bookselling in Australia " at the next SLANSW Professional Learning Summit. To find out more visit: Professional Learning Summit: Representation Matters (19 March 2022)

Helen Caple is Associate Professor in Journalism at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Her research interests centre on visual representation and diversity, news photography, text-image relations and discursive news values analysis. Helen has published in the area of diversity in children’s picture books, photojournalism and social semiotics. Her latest monograph with Routledge is Photojournalism Disrupted: The View from Australia (2019).

Ping Tian is an Honorary Associate in Linguistics at the University of Sydney, Australia. Her research centres on the application of linguistics and semiotic theory and analytical framework in various contexts. Ping has taught and published in the areas of children’s picture books, multimodality, discourse analysis, media studies and business communication (organizational studies).

Helen and Ping are presenting their workshop "Building a Diverse Picture Book Collection" at the next SLANSW Professional Learning Summit. To find out more visit: Professional Learning Summit: Representation Matters (19 March 2022)