The most common issues and challenges related to:
 
   - Funding and budget constraints
   - Lack of time, resources, staffing and doing more with less
   - How to keep up with a changing research environment, technologies and  roles for information professionals
   - For those of us in the Polytechnics and ITO’s, the impact and uncertainty of RoVE (Review of Vocational Education)
   - Maintaining professional growth, upskilling and having access to  training opportunities
 
The ways TELSIG can help address these included:
 
   - Networking opportunities – you want more
   - Professional development, to make us better in our roles
   - Knowledge sharing, to learn new ideas from one other, share successes
   and collaborate more effectively
 
Related to this, you may have heard about an upcoming Res-SIG and TELSIG combined conference in Wellington on 29-30 June. Please save the date and we’ll inform you of more details when we can.

Our final question asked was, How can you help TELSIG? Quite a few of you said you’d be happy to help us out and wanted to do more in your region. If that was you, we’d love to hear from you. Please send an email to natalie.smith@vuw.ac.nz so we can connect with you. One current need is for people to support our Journal Discussion groups and sign up for the roster of finding an article and questions related to the Bodies of Knowledge (not an arduous task). To put your name forward and find out more please email ivy.guo@vuw.ac.nz
  
Thanks again for your comments. We appreciate you and look forward to an exciting year for TELSIG in 2020.
 
Ngā mihi
 
Your TELSIG Committee – Marisa King, Rukawai Jury, Ivy Guo, Farasat Shafi Ullah, Mojgan Sadighi, Mohan Lal and Natalie Smith 

PLNZ 2020 NATIONAL FORUM – TOMORROW’S LIBRARY TODAY
27-28 MAY, MUSEUM OF NEW ZEALAND TE PAPA TONGAREWA WELLINGTON
 
HERE ARE FOUR GOOD REASONS TO ATTEND:
​
1. We are entering a new, unexplored decade. 2020 might feel suspiciously like the last one but don't be fooled. There are significant shifts happening in the operating landscape of the public library sector. This year’s forum promises to expose you to bold ideas, challenging perspectives and answer some of today’s questions about tomorrow’s libraries.
 
2. The forum is not a conference. The speakers are friendly experts from within and outside the library sector in areas such as Organisational Leadership, Freedom of Speech, Visitor Experience, Digital Fusion, and Transformative Management. The mornings are dedicated to quick-fire presentations then you select your discussion focus for the rest of the day.
 
3. The programme offers a new format and retains old favourites: Library Tours – the new Johnsonville hub and urban pop-ups, the stand-up regional reports – find out what other libraries are doing around the country, and the Mayor’s Breakfast (only in this case it is entitled the Future Mayors’ Breakfast) introducing some of the youngest councillors to enter local government. What is their vision of the future? And updates and insights into PLNZ’s strategic direction and programmes.
 
4. From developing your unique leadership style, managing your people, your Council, and your community, to strengthening your resolve to face the future, there is something for everyone, regardless where you are in your career. The 200 National Forum is a calendar highlight for all public library executives, senior managers, team leaders and emerging heads of service.
 
Full programme available: early March.
Early Bird registration opens:  mid- February.
 
We look forward to seeing you there.
 
Ngā mihi
Hilary Beaton, PLNZ
​

On March 4, 2020 the 16 finalists of one of the most important literary events of the year – the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards – will be announced – and we’d love the support of libraries in promoting these wonderful New Zealand books and their talented authors. You can look at the long list now, which was released last week. 
 
Here are eight things you can do to get involved:

1. Order promotional material (displaying the finalists) for your library.  You can order 20 bookmarks at no charge, or a full pack containing 50 eight-page booklets, 50 bookmarks and two A3 posters for the very reasonable cost of $30 plus GST, including cost of delivery. Just complete this form by 5pm, February 10, 2020.
2. Download a finalist poster from March 4, 2020 from http://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards/resources/
3. Create a finalist book display. Any promotional material orders will include a free allocation of finalist stickers to put on your books.
4. Connect on social media https://www.facebook.com/NewZealandBookAwards/ and https://twitter.com/theockhams using the hashtag #theockhams
5. Watch out for news items about the shortlist announcement from March 4, 2020 and share them on your facebook page.
6. Organise a finalist author event
7. Read and review shortlisted titles
8. Share book reviews on your social media pages/web-sites

Get in touch with Helen at LIANZA or Belinda at the New Zealand Book Awards Trust if you have any questions.