City tour of Noumea on Le Petite Train
The tour of Noumea was quite fun and very informative. The tour guide had great stories and provided insight to the history of the country. The driver would toot the whistle from time to time and people would wave – this was especially fun when little kids would wave!
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This morning, we had a panel discussion about the history of IAMSLIC with a summary of the 2014 membership survey. That led to a discussion around three themes. Under each, the participants suggested actions that we could take to make IAMSLIC thrive.
1. Communication
The Pacific Islands Regional Group need a discussion list to improve communication within the region.
We all need to contribute to the IAMSLIC blog and discussion list. Posts to the blog automatically go to the discussion list.
Posts can include projects that individuals are working on, descriptions of the work we are doing locally as well as regular updates from regional group coordinators.
The blog is a way to share training ideas and resources.
2. Professional Development
ASFA is working on short interactive training videos.
We should have a spot on the IAMSLIC web site for training materials. This could be something of a ‘tip’ box and a listing of useful resources from YouTube videos to our own local training materials.
Suggested topics for workshops and training were disaster management and digitization procedures.
3. Resource Sharing.
Almost everyone at the conference uses the Z39.50 Library. Several had suggestions and questions. Steve Watkins gave a demonstration after lunch for those who wanted a refresher who had questions.
If you have suggestions for training topics or anything else under these categories, let me know. I’ll be writing up a report for the IAMSLIC Executive Board.
Janet Webster
Oregon State University
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Day 3: Tuesday September 16
Back at it, starting on time. Â Today’s presentations are sort of a mixed bag of topics useful to librarians everywhere. Uh, true confession, I did arrive early enough to puruse the items in the Guin auction. Â There were some new additions that tempted me to add a bid. Â And those ketchup potato chips are still hot item. Â I was chastised for not mentioning that the chips are from CANADA!! This is the official notification to IAMSLIC members that Canada’s contribution to our world good include: potato chips (ketchup and dill pickle are my favs), maple syrup, moose, squirrels, Mounties, and hockey (a sport which can not compete with rugby so Fiji and New Zealand remain vital to us as well).
David Baca was lead off speaker and told us about how their library provides writing assistance to students on his campus. Â They do this by having student counselors do peer-to-peer training. Â They use the TutorTrac software (http://www.tutortrac.com/subpage.php?go=tutor)
to track the service. It makes monitoring the counselors easy. Â Counselors are offered flexible schedules and giving lots of training. Â They take referrals from faculty and as a bonus the program helps build personal relationships with faculty. Â They really promote the program and they have been successful In improving the writing and have the documentation to prove it. Â Would be something to look into for those of us concerned about retention on our campus.
Next up Steve Watkins generated a discussion about about how to deliver digital content to those with poor or no internet access. Â Besides rural Pacific Islands, research vessels were identified as experiencing such difficulty. Â Steve talked about LibraryBox which consists of a portable wireless router and a USB stick to hold the data (aquatic Commons doc files =31GB and metadata records were harvested from the repository to create user interface tools). Cost for router and 64GB USB was about $70US. Â He then did a trial where he had two routers and had half the room link to each. Â We were able to link up. The data Steve had loaded was the contents and interface for Aquatic Commons and we were able to do searches and download articles. Â Router could be used at any remote site and any updates could be mailed or carried on USB whenever needed. Â Very Cool!! Ah the potential!!!!
Samuela Nakalevu instructed us next on the value IAMSLIC adds to our libraries. Â I loved his explanations to understand the Pacific regions. Â The ocean and the land are the drivers of life! Â Travel is always a challenge but that too is part of life. Â Open willingness to provide service to clients. Â IAMSLIC has added networking opportunities, sharing resources, financial and technical assistance, participation increases visibility of home institution = customer satisfaction!
Tea break! Â Excuse me, I need to go shop the auction! Â BTW food was as good as yesterday, instead of pizza there were squares of egg & ham quiche. Â I’m much revived by two cups of coffee as well. Â Refrained from more bidding until lunchtime.
Now for a panel on IAMSLIC’s 40th anniversary! Â Janet Webster, Joe Wible and Steve Watkins made up the panel. Steve opened with a presentation that mapped its way through the conference locations over the years. Â Interesting to see how the organization started on US east coast and then expanded across country, on into Canada and then truly international. Â Joe then gave a personal account of what IAMSLIC has meant to him over the years. Â Janet spoke about the 2014 survey of the membership – we want to remain viable and useful and vibrant. Â Then a challenge went to the group to throw out ideas on what we can do to stay viable but also to better at serve members. Â If you have ideas you can contact any of the officers or post something here on the blog. Â Looking for ideas regarding communication, training, capacity building, and resource sharing.
Auction!!!! Â Gotta go push up price of those chips and whatever Joe is bidding on…
Lunch: Â oh my goodness, I’m so full!! Â Let me just start with dessert because it was awesomely delicious! Â Light creamy dreamy puff of delicate mango yummyness with a few sliced almonds on top. Â It followed stir fried mixed veggies, sliced pork, sashimi, shrimp, sliced meats, pickles, rolls and butter…all I can say is OINK!
Group photo taken, always a test of herding cats! Surprise surprise this was actually the most organized photo in IAMSLIC history! And you will be able to see everyone.
You all missed it! Â We got to tour the city on “Le Petit Train”. I may have additional comments later.
Humbly submitted by Kris Anderson
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Dear IAMSLIC Members,
The IAMSLIC Resource Sharing Committee is pleased to announce that a new step-by-step ILL Tutorial Brochure is available in the IAMSLICÂ Â Website at
http://www.iamslic.org/member-access/members-area/resource-sharing (log-in required). A direct link to this ILL Brochure is available at:
http://www.iamslic.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ResourceSharing_ILL_Brochure_2014_SW.pdf (log-in required).
This brochure was prepared to facilitate the use of the Z39.50 when initiating an interlibrary loan request.
The Committee invites all the IAMSLIC Members to consult this new brochure and encourages everybody to search the Z39.50 Catalogue first when requesting items from other libraries.
Finally, remember that you should post ILL messages to the IAMSLIC discussion list (IAMSLIC@ucdavis.edu) only for items which are not available in the Z39.50 Distributed Library.Â
Jose GARNICA
IAMSLIC Chair of the Resource Sharing Committee (2013-2014)
http://www.iamslic.org/activities/resource-sharing
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For you old timers, you may remember the flamingo shower curtain that was the hot item in the Guin Auction when IAMSLIC met in Iceland. This year the hot item looks like it will be the bag of ketchup potato chips.
It has been suggested that we allow proxy bidding for Guin Auction items.
Joe Wible
Hopkins Marine Station
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Day 2 – Monday September 15
Opening session in SPCÂ
After opening remarks, welcomes, and thank yous by Mary-Clare, Sally, and Guillermina, Franck Magron, SPC IT technician, spoke about the difficulties of managing and distributing fisheries information to the fisheries managers in Pacific Island nations. Â While a site might have a library they may not have a librarian and many have no catalog. Â So the researchers working there don’t even know what they have. Â Proposing online storage and dessimination to fishery officers but have to consider copyright and limits on public release. Â Questions centered on how to make the metadata publicly available and how/who outside SPC might access the documents.
Kathy Heil then explained the Guin auction, distributed secret names, discussed payment (Kristen LaBonte thinks she may have PayPal set up by conference end – we are so progressive!) and opened the auction. Â Some fun and interesting items appear to be available. Â First big bid was on small bag of ketchup flavored potato chips – 1000 cfp or about $10US!
Morning break: coffee, tea, orange and mango juice, platters of pizza and small pastries (Danish, croissants, and chocolate croissants). Yum!! Â No need eat breakfast if can wait for morning tea…
Next session begins! Â Lead off speaker is Stephanie Watt of SPC. Â Great description of SPC library and their charge and accomplishments.
Stephanie was followed by Ataban Kapule from Solomon Islands, Ministry of Fisheries library. Â Ministry of Fisheries mostly concerned with inshore fishery. Â Ataban talked about how difficult it is to run a library in the Solomon’s as there is little internal support. They are currently having problems with their Koha catalog but are being assisted by technicians from SPC. Â Their library burned but PIMRIS is their backup and has been assisting them with replacement of their collection.
Hannah Russell from NIWA, New Zealand was last of morning speakers. Â In 2011, a review of NIWA focused on centralization. Â All physical services and collections were moved to Wellington and admin staff at other sites were delegated to serve as library liaisons. Â Staff now reduced to 3 and changed the LMS from Sirsi/Dynix to Koha with Ebsco discovery layer. Ah, the demise of our libraries…
LUNCH! We sure are being fed well! Â Served buffet style on a covered outdoor deck: lovely whitefish in a light sauce, saffron rice with pineapple and golden raisins, coleslaw, a ceviche, rolls and butter. Â There was a light cream cake was offered for dessert. Â Burp
Afternoon session started off with description of the current platform for the digital platform Univers NC and the problems faced and dreams for future. Â Isabelle Gasser and David Aymonin also talked about importance of collaboration. Â Startling number of scientific organization in a country of 300,000. Â
I’m very interested in PIMRIS so I was quite looking forward to Susana Macanawai’s presentation. Â She didn’t disappoint. Â PIMRIS is regional network of marine/fisheries libraries or information centers. Â The library is a branch of USP Laucala Library in Suva. Â Major partners are USP, SPC, FFA, and SPREP. Â Foster collaboration! Â Funding is from USP and proposals written by Susana to international donors. Job is communication & delivery. Staff in various countries are employees of their ministries of fisheries. Â The collaboration with PIMRIS is above and beyond their regulR work. Â Funding raised is used to train these people. Â Opportunities to contact people, deliver materials, invigorate the network are identified by knowing who is traveling where or who is working where that the PIMRIS staff and members can contact to continue the work to strengthen the network throughout the region. “Better together”
 Break time!  What’s not to like?  More tea… And oh my, cookies (aka biscuits) but I’m still full from lunch!  David Baca is not what one might call adventurous as he wouldn’t try a cookie until someone else tried one and gave him a taste description.  All I can say is, ” Mr Baca, I’m done being your canary!”
Dorene Naidu from SPC brought us back from break with an explanation of the library twinning project that brought some specialized knowledge training to participants from Pacific libraries by librarians from various Australian libraries. Â Training included new computer skills, repositories, disaster planning and visits to major Australian libraries. Â Great experience for everyone involved.
Last of the day but certainly not least, Lyra Pagulayan who, while working on her library degree, is the sole source maintaining Fishbase. Â She did a study to see which organizations in Phillipines are sharing resources collaboratively. Â Results: libraries usually collaborate, join partnership on project basis, limited sharing resources, limited level of trust, and low level of communication. SEAFDAC is only institution really in a position to share. Â Really well designed study!
PIRG meeting and dinner in the evening.
Brought to you by Kris Anderson
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For most members it’s quite a trip to arrive at the 2014 conference city of Nomea, New Caledonia. Â However, it’s always worth the trip! This year appears no different as on arrival, all registrants received the gracious and exuberant welcome for the opening day events. Â The SPC planning crew led by Mary-Clare Ame greeted us with Bon Jour and Bula!
Many joined the optional tour to the Jean Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center. Â A short bus ride from SPC, we arrived at a gorgeous architectural tribute to the circle of life based on the 3 local regions and the 28 local dialects. Â It was fascinating to see local agricultural resources, medicinal plants, and building styles and techniques. Â The stories our guide Jorge added greatly to our visit.
Back to SPC, found a place for lunch and then I attended the first executive board meeting. The day ended with the opening reception at Chateau Royal where we had beverages, assorted hor d’oeuvres (I was most intrigued by the use of slices of pink and green jello as toppers on some of the tiny sandwiches as well as decor on platters. Â I sampled both but sad to say they just tasted like sugar.), and a lively introduction party. Â We were divided into teams of 3 and directed to find out enough information about our teammates to introduce them. We then gathered in a circle and introduced one another. It was quite fun and funny.
This report brought to you by Kris Anderson
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