Wednesday 9 January 2008

Liaison Planning Day January 2008

It would be great to have some post-planning day discussion on the blog

8 comments:

Chris said...

Maybe, from now on, the apprehension I feel in anticipation of a Liaison Day will not recur! Yesterday's planning session left me feeling calm and comfortable - primarily a reflection of Karmen's open and friendly style but also due to the capable leadership being demonstrated by our new Senior Managers. The "good will" and support between all liaison librarians is evident and I feel positive about the teamwork we have ahead of us. Finally, it is a big relief that the functional roles have been bundled together by Karmen, to be managed and reviewed under her guidance - thank you!

Miss Cackle said...

Hi all,
Just a bit of feedback on today's activities:

1. I enjoyed the discussion very much and found the slightly informal nature encouraged open and honest communication. It was fantastic to get the points of view of various librarians, from the branches, Launnie and to meet Andrew and hear his "side of the story". Andrew, I'm sure we all look forward to working more closely with you in the future. I really appreciated the honest way everyone approached the day, and engaged in discussion without the feeling that there would be negative repercussions because of any of our comments.
2. Karmen "chaired" the day admirably. She and Wendy kept us in check without inhibiting the spontaneous turns our conversations took. The relatively unstructured format of the day was a nice change from previous similar sessions.
3. It was heartening to hear the positivity in many comments, and the enthusiasm for making positive change. Nobody approached the discussions with a negative outlook.
4. A recognition that we all have a complicated and demanding role was appreciated and the commitment of everyone to work together to make a supportive environment in light of this was great.
5. On a personal note, I really appreciated the positive feedback and comments regarding the Liaison A framework. It is nice for Vanessa and I to know we are supported in our efforts and that people see the framework and our roles as important.
6. Roger, Anna and Susan - the work you are doing is so impressive and I enjoyed your sessions thoroughly. Innovation is great and very much needed in the current climate.
7. The gluten free muffins were delicious and I enjoyed rediscovering the joy of the smartie. They're still not as good as Perkynanas though (Cherie and Vanessa might know what I'm talking about - NZ choccie)!

Karmen, I hope this is what you wanted!
Kate

KP said...

First of all, thank you to each of you for your contributions to making this Liaison Planning day a positive one. Your willingness to participate and your dedication to the work you do is totally admirable. What really impressed me too was how supportive you are with each other too - and this comes from understanding the demands of the work you do.

I felt, overall, that you had given me a very "fair go" and I thank you for this too. I shall work hard for our team and to promote information services.

It is really important that we get the portfolio plans - CD, Research, T&L, International and Reference - in place and I also need to write up the notes from the day with an Actions List.

Vanessa said...

In addition to those points already mentioned (which I wholeheartedly endorse)...

- I felt like I knew where we were going after this meeting, which was not a feeling I had with the previous meeting. Last time discussions and plans seemed to be contained within the day and didn't extend beyond the conference room. I think this momentum will be important to maintain for future meetings.

- I am always really glad of the opportunity to spend time with librarians from the other campuses - to that end I might suggest that we actually meet more often than every six months, and to rotate location? This might give Cathy more of an opportunity to participate; she has been unable to attend both the last liaison days, which means she has effectively gone a year without being able to take part in our group discussions and planning. I feel it would also help to maintain the momentum mentioned above, especially if we are going to look at a different theme each time we meet - twice a year might not be enough to explore everything currently on the table. What do others think?

Thanks for a great day Karmen, I'm looking forward to the next!

P.S. Kate - I don't remember Perkynanas at all! They must be a new invention!

Juliet Beale said...

I thought it was a very productive day. I feel very positive about Karmen taking a leadership role with the portfolio positions - I think this will help us all to prioritise and focus our liaison activities

Katrina said...

Hi everyone

I enjoyed Liaison Day last week. I think its very valuable to get together and share experiences and ideas. I find the liaison group very supportive. I think our team will go from strength to strength with Karmen and Wendy at the helm. One of the main things I took from Liaison Day was the chance to see everyone, especially meeting Andrew who I had previously only met virtually. The other major point from the day was the feeling that we were listened to. The environment that Karmen and Wendy created enabled us to speak freely and I certainly felt that our opinions were heard and validated. Thanks for all the hard work that went into organising the day!

Ian Ba said...

Yes, certainly a more encouraging liaison day. Well done organisers.
Portfolios ? mm.. well you know my thoughts !
The big one still to address is strategies for managing ever increasing work loads and stress in Semester 1.
Perhaps after Sem.1, we could look into this more thoroughly.
That said a good day with clearer directions.

Heather said...

Thanks Karmen & Wendy- Right now I am happy (not only because I just remembered my gmail password) but because I genuinely enjoyed this Liaison Day. It is great to have Karmen & Wendy creating such a positive atmosphere.
Thanks !
Heather