Janet Reads

As we move towards March 2023 and Tasmania Reads ALIA Island decided to ask our members to share their reading tastes. Today we speak to ALIA Island member, Janet Thorp . If you’ve been reading this series you’ll have an ah-ha moment when you realise that two of our interviewees have been reading the same book! Hopefully Janet will have some new reading under her tree tomorrow morning.

We’d love to hear from you! Let us know about your reading style. Hope Santa finds you!

What type of reader are you?
My taste in books is a bit eclectic in that I read mysteries, thrillers, Irish, Australian and American chick lit, humorous stories and I have started reading Tasmanian authors but the light ones, I am too tired to read heavy novels.

I am of an age where I am happy to not force myself to read a book that doesn’t interest me. I always read the first couple of chapters and then the last page. If it is really interesting I might read the last couple of pages. If it is really, really interesting I might read the last pages, some middle pages while still reading from the beginning. I like to know what is happening, hate suspense.

What are you planning on reading next? Why?
I probably read a book each week so I have too many to recommend. The ones I have enjoyed lately are The angry women’s choir, The mistake, The accident and With love from Wish and Co. – possibly because they are set in Hobart.  If you want to be disturbed by a book read the ones by Alice Feeney, they are twisted. What I read next will probably depend on what’s in at Big W or on the book sale trolley at Kingston

Scenario: You open up your beautifully wrapped Christmas present and discover it’s a book. What would your reaction be, and why? (Does it depend on which book you get?)
The dogs always give me books for Christmas so I love opening those presents because I know they have chosen well. They go to the bookshops with money and buy them specially for me, that is my explanation.

Janet Thorp is the Manager of Kingston Library/Libraries Tasmania.

Sonya Moon

As we move towards March 2023 and Tasmania Reads ALIA Island decided to ask our members to share their reading tastes. Today we speak to ALIA Island member, Sonya Moon. We’d love to hear from you! Let us know about your reading style.

What type of reader are you?
If I read a book, I absolutely love I will tell everyone, even people in queues at the doctors or airport. I can’t really read more than one book at a time, but I do have a load of unread books on my bookcase, and they do stress me sometimes.

What was the last book/current book you’re reading?
I read Shuggie Bain.  It was a fantastic, moving book, and I would definitely recommend it. A story of devoted love of a boy for his mum. I enjoyed it very much. 

What are you planning on reading next? Why?
I am currently supposed to be reading You Need to Know by Nicola Moriarty, one for Book Group. I will probably read it the day before. Book Groups is great as it forces me to read at least a book a month. I absolutely LOVE books and reading, but for some reason my brain isn’t settled enough to read regularly at the moment.

Scenario: You open up your beautifully wrapped Christmas present and discover it’s a book. What would your reaction be, and why? (Does it depend on which book you get?)
I just hug any book someone buys me and am very appreciative and excited.  I LOVE books as gifts.   Even more special if there is a particular reason why it has been given.

Sonya Moon is Community Learning Coordinator at Kingston Library | Libraries Tasmania

Jan Richards

As we move towards March 2023 and Tasmania Reads ALIA Island decided to ask our members to share their reading tastes. Today we speak to ALIA Island member, Jan Richards. We’d love to hear from you! Let us know about your reading style.

What type of reader are you?
Like everything I do I am a ‘multi’ person – so squillions of quilting projects, professional undertakings, gardening jobs and many ‘reads on the go’. What I pick up to read ( or listen to) depends on what I’m doing so if I’m driving up to Hobart it will be an audio book downloaded from Libraries Tasmania and usually fairly light, If I’m travelling it’s more likely to be a focussed read as I know I’ll have plenty of uninterrupted time.

What was the last book/current book you’re reading?
I have just finished The Oyster Girl by Wren Fraser Cameron. It’s set in the far south of Tasmania in the last years of the 1890s. Provides a real sense of place and I’ll be heading down there to explore when I get a chance. I’d totally recommend it if you want to know more about Tasmanian history told through historical fiction.

What are you planning on reading next? Why?
Other Peoples Houses  by Kellie Hawkins – an airport novel which I picked up ( at the airport) a few months ago only reading a couple of chapters. Brought it with me to Bali (where I’m writing this) to finish. It’s a good poolside read but will stay behind for someone else to enjoy when we return home.

Scenario: You open up your beautifully wrapped Christmas present and discover it’s a book. What would your reaction be, and why? (Does it depend on which book you get?)
Joy. I always get at least one book for Christmas and have dropped some heavy hints about a couple I’d like but there will be a surprise in there too. The delight of sitting down with your new book on Boxing Day can’t be overestimated.

Jan Richards is a consultant working in the GLAM Sector (Jan Richards Consulting). She is also a member of the Tasmanian Library Advisory Board.

Jen Johnson

As we move towards March 2023 and Tasmania Reads ALIA Island decided to ask our members to share their reading tastes. Today we’ve posed the question to Jen Johnson. We’d love to hear from you! Let us know about your reading style.

What type of reader are you?
I read one fiction book at a time and read non-fiction at the same time. If a book doesn’t grab me I ditch it – life is too short to read books we don’t like. When I’ve finished a book, especially one that has really grabbed me, I need a break before I start another one, although I will read short stories.

What was the last book/current book you’re reading?
I’m currently reading The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth, I’m only 50 pages in but am enjoying the storyline so far. Sometimes I tell people about what I’ve read, especially if I think it would appeal to them.

What are you planning on reading next? Why?
My next book will be Wildflowers by Peggy Frew because it’s from the library and I’ll have to get it back.

Scenario: You open up your beautifully wrapped Christmas present and discover it’s a book. What would your reaction be, and why? (Does it depend on which book you get?)
Opening a book on Christmas Day is always a delight, mainly because I write lists about what I’d like Santa to bring, so I get books that I want to read.

Jen Johnson is well known for her role in school libraries. She is currently working for Libraries Tasmania and is based in Hobart.

Libby Levett

As we move towards March 2023 and Tasmania Reads ALIA Island decided to ask our members to share their reading tastes. Our first post is from ALIA Island Convener, Libby Levett. We’d love to hear from you! Let us know about your reading style.

What type of reader are you?
I used to read everything beginning to end. Not anymore. If I can’t find value in it, I leave it behind. Doesn’t mean I have to LOVE it, it just has to give me a glimmer of hope that by the end of reading it I will feel transformed in some way or grown (whatever that means). Sometimes the simplest stories or parts of stories can do that.

What was the last book/current book you’re reading?
I have just finished Any Ordinary Day (Leigh Sales), Silkworm (Robert Galbraith), Flames (Robbie Arnott) and Treacle Man (Alan Garner). The first because my sister told me to read it; the second because someone I admire raved about it; the third because I wanted to know what the fuss was about; and the fourth because the person I am today was formed in part by reading and absorbing the folklore of the Owl Service and Red Shift and The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and I wanted to know if there was something else, another part of the puzzle, I could find in this ‘grown-up’ book.

What are you planning on reading next? Why?
I think I’d like to try another Cormoran Strike (Robert Galbraith) novel. Not the first though because I’ve corrupted my reader’s mind by watching it on television first. But I’d like to try another because I’d like to find-out if I eventually think he’s as good as other people tell me he is – we’ll see.

I’ll definitely read The Rain Heron (Robbie Arnott) because Flames left me with a lot of half-spotted truths and I kind-of like that. Then I’ll try a yet-to-be-decided Scandinavian noir novel because I find the brutality and inevitability of the crimes simultaneously reassuring and shocking.

Libby’s favourite reading spot.

Scenario: You open up your beautifully wrapped Christmas present and discover it’s a book. What would your reaction be, and why? (Does it depend on which book you get?)
If I get a cookbook I’m not so interested. My experience is that cookbooks are often on the sale table around Christmas and so I tend to think the giver has gone ‘That’ll do. She likes cooking. She likes books. It’s on sale. Done’. I know, that’s very judgmental of me and Scrooge-like. Mostly though I’m very pleased especially when it’s clearly been chosen because they understand me and my abiding interest in human beings and the world we live in – even if that means challenging me and almost certainly making me cry or laugh or talk out loud (because yes, I’m THAT kind of reader).

Elizabeth (Libby) Levett is Library Services Coordinator, Policy and Strategic Improvement Unit | Libraries Tasmania. She is also Convener of ALIA Island.

April News

A big autumn hello from the ALIA Island Organising Committee!

At our April committee meeting we went ‘retro’ and met in person at La Sardinia. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone. And the food is great!

ALIA Island in Conversation

Thank you to Jacqui Lucas (Learning Services Coordinator, ALIA) and Amy Rake (Convenor, ALIA Disability Group) for joining our first ALIA Island in Conversation, and Libby Levett for stepping in to speak about the  ALIA Adult Literacy Group. It was a small group of attendees but everyone agreed that joining special interest groups is an easy way to broaden, and at the same time focus, professional skills and interest and be part of a network of likeminded people.

If you would like to catch up on the session you can watch here   https://youtu.be/ZuoIjk8MAOI

Some ideas for future topics/speakers include:

• Blue Shield
• Booktok
• The new ALIA CEO Cathie Warburton
• The new Executive Director Libraries Tasmania, Sue McKerracher
• The Sustainable Development Goals
• IFLA

View From My Desk

In our April 2022 ‘View from my desk’ we would like to introduce you to Jen Johnson, a Library Technician with 18 years’ experience in high school and college libraries, currently between workplaces due to a recent redundancy. Jen’s is a great story.

Networking

We confirmed that we want to reach out to other LIS associations in Tasmania e.g. ASLA to share information, build understanding and look for ways to share resources and work together.  

Events

• Save the date!!!! Tour of new UTAS library at Inveresk. Saturday 16^th July 11 – 11.45 am. Come for the tour and stay for lunch! More details soon.
• LIW is 25 -31 July. Do you have suggestions that will bring people together in your community? Can you spare some time to pull an event together for your fellow library lovers and LIS professionals? Let us know if you’d like to talk through an idea or would like us to promote it on our social media and elist.

We also started throwing ideas around what we can do for LIW and we’ll share more information soon.

We talked briefly about a Tasmania Reads campaign happening next year and that we agreed as a committee to support it in principle and will consider how ALIA Island members can contribute to it when more information is available. We’ll also be engaged in the Reading Hour later this year.

Well, that’s it from us. Have a happy and safe Easter and we hope you find time to read a new book (or re-read a favourite) and maybe listen to a podcast (because, apparently, podcast listeners are more curious and less neurotic than the rest of us). And if you can do anything to support the fundraising efforts for the recent floods or Ukrainian libraries, please do.

Kind regards, your ALIA Island Organising Committee.

Australian Reading Hour

ALIA Island celebrated the Australian Reading Hour on 14 September with a Zoom discussion on the theme ‘Stories that Matter’: life-changing books; favourites; or the book they were currently reading. It was wonderful to get so many perspectives and to hear stories of how different books made an impact on participants at different stages of their lives.

Special guest and librarian, Rauri Murphy, spoke about his newly published Two Sets of Books which is set in Hobart Public Library. It looks like a wonderful read and profits from the book sales will be used to purchase books and eResources for Libraries Tasmania Literacy Service and 26TEN. Available from good bookstores – check on line.

Why not check out our list of must reads