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Vote Peter Green for the ALIA Board!



Peter Green is a candidate for the 2018 ALIA Board Election. He currently works at Curtin University and is passionate about libraries and their contribution to society and culture. Peter created and moderates the WA Information Network (WAIN) mailing list, which demonstrates his enthusiasm for peer networking and communication. WAIN has over 2000 subscribers ranging from students and new graduates to experienced professionals working in all types of libraries, many located in remote regions.

As well as his communication skills, Peter will bring his many strengths to the ALIA Board, including his leadership, management, and team and community-building experience. Very aware of the rapid change impacting on libraries and the library profession, Peter maintains his strong belief in lifelong learning and continuing professional development. He keenly supports solid foundations in LIS education and mentoring, recognising students and new graduates as the future of the profession.

As an ALIA member, your vote should go to the person you think represents your interests. To assist you with this important decision, Peter’s answers to a number of questions have been provided below. You can read more about Peter on the ALIA Board Election 2018 candidates page.

What motivated you to seek election as an ALIA Director?

When I newly graduated as a library professional, I was heavily involved in ALIA. I was editor of the newsletter and sat on different committees. As my career progressed and my family grew I found less time for such contributions. I am very aware that ALIA is a member organisation and as such depends on the voluntary labour of members to survive and thrive over time. I have been reflecting recently on how I might re-engaged with ALIA and after some prompting by colleagues decided that the ALIA Board of Directors would be a good avenue for me to make another contribution.

What skills can you bring to the Board?

I have a strong academic library background and will bring that knowledge and experience to the Board. I am an experienced senior manager and will bring financial, organisational and leadership skills to the Board. I have been in a management position over a long period of sustained and challenging change and will bring that experience to the Board. I have always worked collegially in building strong coherent teams and will bring that experience to the Board. I am also passionate about libraries and their contribution to society and culture and will bring that passion to the Board.

What are the three most important issues facing ALIA or the LIS profession?

We are living in a period of sustained and rapid change which is having an ongoing impact on libraries and the library profession. ALIA as an organisation can assist members respond to and shape that change through advocacy, professional development and building communities. To do that it is important that ALIA maintains a strong and diverse membership, is responsive to the needs of the membership and evolves as an organisation if it is to be part of ensuring the future role of the library profession.

What is your involvement in peer communications and networking within the LIS profession and how will your experience contribute to ALIA?

I realised even as a library student that the LIS profession depends on connectivity and communication. I started the WA Information Network (WAIN) in 1994, in the early days of the internet, to provide a way for the library profession to connect. Since that time WAIN has grown into a valued and essential part of being a LIS professional in WA, something of which I am very proud. WAIN uses an old technology channel (mailing list) but it hasn’t been diminished by social media, which I have also embraced. The new doesn’t necessarily displace the old. Communication and connectivity is complex and multi-faceted. I will bring my experience of building online connectivity to the ALIA Board, and my passion for communication.

What have been the benefits of undertaking professional development in your career and how will this experience contribute to ALIA?

I am a strong believer in lifelong learning and that a formal education is a platform on which to build. I don’t say this lightly, as my own experience since graduating has been one of constant learning in response to change in the workplace and in society, and as I have taken on different roles and responsibilities I have had to learn new skills. I don’t expect to ever stop acquiring new skills, and I expect everything I have mastered is good preparation for what is to come. I would not have progressed in my career without regular professional development. I’ve been fortunate to have worked in an academic library where professional development is expected, encouraged and supported. As a member of the ALIA Board, I will support the many ways in which ALIA provides opportunities for ongoing skills development and lifelong learning that I think is so important especially the ALIA Professional Development Scheme.

What support should be given to students and new graduates?

The students and new graduates of today will be the future of the profession. It is important to be connected to the profession, to have personal contacts with a range of people working in the industry and to have contact with peers who can share the experience. As an ALIA Board member, I will be fully behind the decisions taken by ALIA to help students and new graduates through the accreditation of courses and the mentoring scheme as well as the Student and New Graduates Group.

ALIA has a very diverse (demographically and geographically) membership base, from students and new graduates to experienced professionals. In your opinion, what is the benefit of having a Western Australian on the ALIA Board?

Directors on the ALIA Board bring their own views and perspective to the table and it is helpful if they have a diversity of background and experience. As a member from Western Australia and with an academic library background I would complement other members on the Board. Having said that the most important thing is that the Board makes decisions for the benefit of all members based on the best information available.

For more information about the ALIA Board Elections see the ALIA voting page 
Voting opens 5 March 2018
Voting closes 13 April 2018
New directors take office 15 May 2018 at the annual AGM in Canberra

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