The Riverina Association of Teacher Librarians (RIVPAT) annual conference is held at a different venue each year, and was hosted at the school for the first time.

The day featured exhibits, presentations and guest speakers on topics ranging from engaging students in reading to recovering a library after a disaster.

Organiser and RIVPAT president Liz Hammond said the conference was the result of rare collaboration between various levels of education and libraries.

“This is the first professional conference we have had here,” she said.

“It aims to provide professional development for teacher-librarians, and librarians and teachers.

“There is a local emphasis, we have local poet Sarah Tiffen, who is writing about the local region, we have local wines and we had a local dinner last night.”

Mrs Hammond said the day also gave librarians and teachers the opportunity to view education tools first-hand and discuss ideas with people directly involved in education, literacy and libraries.

About 75 people attended the conference, which include workshops and a tour of the school grounds.

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LEETON poet Sarah Tiffen launched her third volume of poetry at the Riverina Association of teacher Librarians annual conference on Friday.

Ms Tiffen said the anthology, The Light Breaks Open, Tales of a Different Dreaming, is about drought and explores themes of Australian spirituality and belonging.

“It has been brewing for a couple of years,” she said.

“I released my last anthology in 2006 so I have been working on it since then.”

One of the selected poems will appear in The Best of Australian Poetry 2008.

“I wasn’t expecting it, but it is nice to be recognised in a broader literary context,” Ms Tiffen said.

However, Ms Tiffen confessed her children would be happier if she had managed to write Harry Potter.