ALIAWest invited guest bloggers to write about their experience attending the Connect, Create, Collaborate event at the State Library of WA in September. Jenny Lucas welcomed the invitation and although we’d like to think we organised a great event, it’s best to hear it from Jenny! Jenny works as Coordinator of Library Services in the Shire of Mundaring.
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of attending Connect, Create, Collaborate at the State Library of Western Australia—and what a fantastic day it was!
The event brought together library professionals from across WA, all eager to share ideas, celebrate innovation, and explore new ways to work together. From the moment I arrived, the energy was uplifting. It was clear we were all there for the same reason: to connect, learn, and grow.
A Huge Thank You to the Legends Behind the Scenes
Before diving into the highlights, I want to acknowledge the incredible effort that went into making the day such a success:
- ALIA West – for organising a seamless and engaging event.
- SLWA – for being such welcoming hosts.
- All the staff – your hard work kept everything running smoothly.
- Presenters – thank you for generously sharing your time, resources, and insights.
- Sponsors – your support helped bring this inspiring day to life.
Collaboration: The Heart of Innovation
One of the strongest themes of the day was the power of collaboration. Whether it was partnerships between libraries and schools, or cross-departmental teamwork, the message was clear: working together leads to better outcomes.
The session on Partnerships Between School and Public Libraries was particularly memorable. It highlighted the importance of persistence and adaptability—when something didn’t work, it was reimagined, not abandoned. I also found the insights from Driving Collaboration with DCWA and UWA fascinating. It’s exciting to see how specialised partnerships can unlock new opportunities for libraries.
Youth and Literacy Initiatives That Inspire
The creativity and impact of youth-focused programs were truly impressive:
- Narrogin Libraries’ Paint the Town Read embraced inclusivity with Key Word Storytime, sign language, and support workers. Their mascot, Nelly the Numbat, was a crowd favourite! It was inspiring to hear how staff undertook Auslan training to make the program more accessible.
- City of Joondalup’s Reading Ready Project introduced borrowable literacy kits developed with the Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation. With hundreds of loans in just 12 months, it’s clearly meeting a need—and I loved that they’ve created guides for other libraries to replicate the initiative.
- Better Beginnings & The Kids Institute’s A Rhyme a Day session revisited the history of the program and introduced the Bright Tomorrows App, which offers over 1,000 brain-building activities for families. It’s a fantastic resource I’ll be promoting to our patrons.
Internal collaboration also shone through in Spines and Ladders, which gamified library engagement in a fun and effective way. And the Intergenerational Books and Collaborative Work session gave me a new appreciation for the logistics of stock coordination across sectors.
Access, Law, and the Future of the Profession
One of the most eye-opening sessions was Access to Library Resources for Incarcerated Students at Curtin. Len Nielsen’s and Lydia Dawe’s explanation of Section 200AB of the Copyright Act was a game-changer—it reminded us that libraries have powerful tools to expand access, and we shouldn’t be afraid to use them.
Other highlights included:
- New Insights Through the State Archives – a compelling reminder of the importance of record keeping.
- Students in Industry – Grace Muir and Holly Munt delivered a thoughtful presentation on applying theory to practice.
- My Prac Placement Experience – a great session that highlighted the mutual benefits of student placements.
Let’s Keep the Momentum Going
The closing session, Public Libraries: Leveraging Collective Success, was the perfect wrap-up. It reinforced the value of ongoing conversations and collaboration—because you never know when someone will share an idea that changes everything.
I left feeling energised, inspired, and proud to be part of such a passionate and forward-thinking sector. I’m already looking forward to the next opportunity to connect, create, and collaborate.
Cheers!
Jenny Lucas
Images supplied by ALIAWest Committee
What an absolutely *inspiring* read! Its fantastic to see ALIA highlighting the sheer *magic* that happens when everyone from sponsors to staff, presenters to patrons pulls together. The day sounds like a brilliant testament to the idea that collaboration is indeed the heart of innovation – though I suspect even Nelly the Numbat agrees! From gamified ladders to unlocking copyright secrets, its clear the legends behind the scenes are reimagining everything. Heres to more collective success and, hopefully, a few more inspiring sessions soon! #KeepTheMomentumGoinglaser marking machine
This event sounds absolutely fantastic, buzzing with the kind of energy that makes you want to throw a party just for the librarians! The sheer volume of inspiring initiatives and the emphasis on collaboration – from ALIAs smooth organisational magic to the heartwarming youth programs like Paint the Town Read and Reading Ready – is truly commendable. Narrogin Libraries’ dedication to inclusivity with Key Word Storytime and Nelly the Numbat is particularly inspiring, though I suspect Nelly might be slightly confused about her mammalian identity! Its clear that libraries are not just about books, but about innovating, adapting, and working together like a well-oiled (and slightly playful) machine. The session on Access for incarcerated students was a powerful reminder that libraries have some seriously game-changing tools up their sleeves – perhaps even better than the ones described in Spines and Ladders! Lets keep this momentum going; who knows what brilliant idea will emerge next from this collective success.football bros unblocked
What an absolutely *inspiring* read! Its wonderful to be reminded that libraries are hotbeds of innovation, collaboration, and even have legal experts on speed dial (Len Nielsen, you legend!). While the idea of universally successful initiatives like Paint the Town Read with its beloved mascot Nelly the Numbat sounds fantastic, lets be honest, getting staff Auslan training might be easier than coordinating intergenerational stock. Still, the core message – that teamwork and a bit of creative problem-solving (like reimagining failed ideas instead of abandoning them) are key – is spot on. Its heartening to see such dedicated effort and the sheer variety of brilliant work being done. Lets keep those collective conversations flowing and continue leveraging that collective success!tải đồng hồ đếm ngược
Wow, what a whirlwind of a day! This summary is just the tip of the iceberg, truly showcasing the amazing energy. The session on Access for incarcerated students was a game-changer, seriously! Who knew Copyright Act Section 200AB had such cool applications? Pointless to say, the idea of Nelly the Numbat leading Key Word Storytime is utterly brilliant and wonderfully inclusive. And lets not forget the sheer brilliance of collaborative projects like Reading Ready and A Rhyme a Day – pure genius! Its fantastic to see libraries leveraging collective success, even if it means we all need to borrow each others ideas more often! Keep the momentum going, folks, the future of libraries looks bright, adaptable, and full of fantastic resources!deltarune prophecy
What a whirlwind of wonderful library wins! This report truly captures the *magic* of the day – though I suspect even Nelly the Numbat agreed it was a lot to process! The sheer energy of seeing libraries collaborating left and right is fantastic, proving that even SLWA’s welcoming hosts couldnt organize it without a little teamwork. From the inspiring youth programs that make literacy fun (and apparently involve key word storytimes?), to the eye-opening legal insights that remind us libraries have superpowers, its all here. The best part? It ends on a high note, urging us to keep the momentum going. Let’s just hope the next event doesn’t require quite so much hard work – maybe ALIA and SLWA can collaborate on a rest day initiative? Overall, a brilliant showcase of what libraries can achieve when they share insights and dont abandon failed ideas too quickly!grow a garden calculator
This event sounds absolutely brilliant, buzzing with the kind of collaboration that makes things better than abandoning what doesnt work! The idea of libraries and schools joining forces, or even just staff playing games like Spines and Ladders internally, is fantastic. Who knew sorting books could be so engaging? And Narrogin Libraries Key Word Storytime with sign language? Marvelous! Its great to see libraries adapting and using their powerful tools (like Section 200AB!) to help everyone read, from kids to, well, maybe not the incarcerated, but definitely everyone else! Lets keep this fantastic momentum going – who knows what inspiring idea will pop up next! A huge thank you to all the Legends Behind the Scenes for making it such a seamless and engaging success!sao tốc độ trên trình duyệt
What a fantastic showcase of library wizardry! Its clear the magic behind the scenes wasnt just ALIAs smooth event planning, but the sheer sparkle of collaborative effort everywhere from school libraries to archives. The session on adapting programs was particularly spot-on – if it doesnt work, just add Nelly the Numbat and try again! And wow, Section 200AB of the Copyright Act is a secret weapon we definitely shouldnt be afraid to wield, like a librarians superpower! Keep that momentum going, folks – you never know whose idea will be the next game-changer. Library life: endlessly inspiring, sometimes complex, but always full of potential!app đếm ngược ngày sinh nhật
What a brilliant day, truly showcasing that the only way to achieve true library excellence is through relentless, cross-departmental, cross-sectoral collaboration! Its wonderful to see ALIA and SLWA pulling together, supported by sponsors who clearly have faith in the power of persistent, adaptable teamwork. The session on getting resources to incarcerated students was particularly eye-opening – game-changing stuff! And lets not forget the vital internal collaboration demonstrated by Spines and Ladders. Its all about leveraging collective success, sharing insights like they were Bright Tomorrows App activities, and ensuring we never stop reimagining how we dont abandon things that dont work initially. Keep the momentum going – someones bound to share an idea that will genuinely change the profession!vòng quay may mắn số 1-100
This was such an inspiring read, truly making one feel all warm and collaborative inside! Its wonderful to see ALIA and SLWA pulling together, though I suspect Nelly the Numbat might be a bit overwhelmed by all the praise. The idea of libraries having powerful tools like Section 200AB is brilliant – perhaps we could loan out lawyers too? On a serious note, its fantastic that initiatives like Reading Ready are proving so popular and adaptable. Lets just hope the Bright Tomorrows App doesnt make patrons too bright for their own good! Keep up the amazing work, everyone – the future certainly looks collaborative and brightly lit.hẹn giờ online
Wow, what an inspiring day! The sheer power of collaboration highlighted throughout was truly fantastic – its amazing to see how partnerships, like those between libraries and schools or even internal teams, are the key to unlocking new opportunities and better outcomes. And lets not forget the hilarious Nelly the Numbat mascot! Its clear that creativity and persistence are alive and well in the library world. Keep the momentum going, everyone – who knows what game-changing idea the next collaboration will bring!tải video YouTube
Jenny, Thank you so much for your Blog! The Committee appreciates your review and look forward to future ones! Regards, Nicola