Parliamentary Library was a great place to visit and I learnt a lot about their responsibility to ministers and staffers. I could imagine the researchers’ job to be quiet daunting, as they play an important part in politics. 'Summon' was a web interface that I had not seen before but can see its usefulness when you have a number of resources located in different areas. I can see its potential in my library as it works like Google searching and that is how the students are used to searching.
I thought the literacy program at the Australian National University was interesting and could see its potential in my school library. The literacy program provides IT and research skills through training seminars. I liked their survey tool 'Toast' which access a student’s prior knowledge and then can see what is lacking and recommend a certain training course. I think my school and the school library could add this type of service for students and its staff. A training program that students and teachers could sign up to when the time suits them would I think is preferred.
What I have learnt overall is that libraries come in many different shapes and sizes with many different roles and responsibilities, and they are essentially to their community and Australian history and culture. It was a great study visit to see the best libraries in Australia and to learn of libraries that I did not know existed. I did find that even these significant libraries still have to face an uphill battle in being recognised as valuable to their cliental, even the parliamentary library that plays such an important role to politicians.
I have learnt of the different possibilities I can have as a career in libraries. I enjoyed the visit as I could observe other libraries from schools to professional government libraries and take away some fantastic ideas and new knowledge that I can take back to my high school library
