AIMA AURORA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE,

Thredbo NSW, 8-13 February 2001

Aurora 2001 involved 33 participants from both the public and private sector, across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Participants were drawn from public, academic, special and State libraries where they had a diverse variety of roles including, reference, management and systems.

A key aspect of the Aurora Institute is the involvement of the mentors, experienced and influential librarians from Australia and overseas. Mentors for Aurora 2001 included:

Warren Horton, (former Director-General, National Library Australia)

Derek Law, (Director Library and Information Strategy, Strathclyde University)

Sue Sutherland, (Director Christchurch City Libraries)

Nancy Tessman, (Director, Salt Lake City Public Library)

Ian McCallum, (Director, Libraries Alive!)

Leonie Blair, (Manager Training and Development, AIMA)

Titi Alexander, (Director, Library, Dept Health and Aged Care)

Mary Teague, (Executive Director, AIMA)

Brenda McConchie, (Solved @ McConchie)

All the mentors gave generously of their varied experiences working in libraries and offered enthusiasm and encouragement not only during Aurora but also on an ongoing basis. One of the highlights of the program was hearing of the mentors' different philosophies and personal styles, how these had developed, and been applied throughout their careers.

Attendance at Aurora is in many ways a personal experience, dependent on the individual's participation and interactions with others. The broad themes covered at Aurora 2001 were as follows: Know Yourself, Assess the Environment, Stand in the Future, Act with Courage, Embrace Change, Promote Individual and Relationship Power. These themes were explored through exercises and activities, which were very much grounded in the real world. I found the program challenging and thought provoking; it provided both personal and profession insights.

Another key aspect of Aurora is the opportunity to develop ongoing professional networks with a diverse group of librarians from within Australia and overseas. It was quickly obvious that we face many of the same issues despite diverse backgrounds and working environments. An email list has been established to help participants keep in touch and serve as a forum for further discussion.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to attend AURORA 2001 and would strongly urge any Library staff who may be offered such an opportunity in the future, to seize it.

Kate Elder

2 March 2001