Discussion Groups helping users come together as a community

One of the most popular aspects of the Oliver v5 Community Portal are the many Discussion Groups there are available to join.

Library staff from around the world are joining Discussion Groups as a way to e-meet with colleagues and share ideas on topics that are of interest to them.

We all know that collaboration is important and Discussion Groups are enabling Oliver users to communicate and share ideas with library colleagues on the other side of the world just as easily as they would with a library colleague down the road.

Library staff in remote locations are getting a huge benefit from Discussion groups as they are finding that they feel more connected to the Oliver Community.

Angela, from Red Cliffs Secondary College, shared how

“Being somewhat isolated, in North West Victoria (very close to the South Australian and New South Wales borders), I have found the Oliver v5 Discussion Groups to be very helpful. My knowledge of the Oliver system has improved through my involvement but it’s the connection to other customers that I really enjoy. I love reading what’s happening in other libraries and seeing how they’re connecting with their readers.”

Popular Discussion Groups

The Library Display Discussion Groups is one of the most popular groups in the Oliver v5 Community Portal. Library staff regularly post photos of library displays that they have created.

Not only is this group a great way to share your work but it’s the perfect location to visit if you are struggling to think of an idea for your next display. Everyone is happy to
share ideas with each other and as Charles Caleb Colton said

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”.

Sue from Loreto College (Brisbane, Australia) recently shared photos of their display ‘Celebrating World Bee Day’.

Sue said

“There was a real buzz in the Library to celebrate World Bee Day. Throughout lunch, students admired the BEEautiful displays, made their own bees to put in the hive and tasted delicious Brisbane honey straight from the honeycomb.”

‘Blind Date with a Book’ was a simple but effective display at Red Cliffs Secondary College (Victoria, Australia). Books were wrapped in colourful paper to create an air of mystery and students were encouraged to step outside of their reading comfort zone.

Angela shared how

“This week I was assisted in the library by a student doing Work Experience. Along with completing our normal duties we put together a ‘Blind Date with a Book’ display. It’s been very successful, with a large number of students borrowing, including one boy who was borrowing for the first time this year!”

I don’t know about you but I find it impossible to ignore a mysteriously wrapped package!

Madelon from the European School Bergen (Netherlands) shared

“A small display for the Dutch Remembrance Day (May 4th), with emphasis on the Holocaust.”

Another popular Discussion Group in the Oliver v5 Community Portal is called Engaging students & the school community.

Library staff from St John’s College, Lismore shared their ‘Woodlawn in the World’ display.

“To show the school community the achievements by both students and staff (current and previous), the library has we created a ‘Woodlawn in the World’ Display. Updated regularly and placed above the regularly used printer, we try to add articles that recognise both the achievements and the events that publicly appreciate members of our community.”

New Discussion Groups

A recent new addition to the list of Discussion Groups is the Music Library Discussion Group. This group is aimed at schools who catalogue their musical instruments and sheet music.

If this is something that your school does then you might like to join this group to share ideas.

Another recent new group is the Oliver v5 Updates Notification Group. Signing up to this group will mean that you will receive an alert message a few days prior to an Oliver update being made available.

If you haven’t already done so, join a Discussion Group and get to know your colleagues in the Oliver v5 Community.

Read the blog post here to find out how to join a Discussion Group in the Oliver v5 Community Portal.

If you have yet to register for the Oliver v5 Community Portal, you can email our support team to get your registration process started.

Read more blog posts about the Oliver v5 user community

• Oliver v5 support and resources
• Showcasing the Oliver v5 Community Portal
• Tips for hosting a local user group