Building excellence: Global and Indigenous trends in library design

By Philip Kent, AALIA, Margie Kirkness, AALIA

In March 2023, an international seminar was held in Sydney to coincide with the half-yearly meeting of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Library Buildings and Equipment Section (LBES). The event opened with Craig Madden from the Metropolitan Land Council welcoming delegates to the sacred land of the Gadi people. Marian Morgan-Bindon, IFLA LBES Chair, set the scene for the Building Excellence seminar welcoming speakers from Germany, China, Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia to enlighten 100 delegates about international trends and case studies from inspirational library projects.

The morning keynote, Annie Hensley, principal at FJMT Studio, challenged the audience to contemplate the concept of commodification, particularly as applied to some larger library buildings and including the rise of ‘starchitects’ and signature projects. This was contrasted with the concept of hyper-local, exemplified in a range of projects, where strong grounding and connections to local community and Indigenous cultures has ensured the success of the library building as a community space.

Providing further insight into international trends, Dorothea Sommer’s German examples included redevelopments of heritage buildings, as well as an impressive variety of new projects, large and small. Foster Zhang highlighted significant investments and large-scale developments in China, demonstrated by architect Chris Hardie’s presentation on the dramatic 115,000m2 Shanghai Library East project.

The afternoon session focused on projects inspired by Indigenous design principles in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. The afternoon keynote, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Shannon Foster, provided an authentic and powerful introduction to connecting with Country, challenging colonial spatial practices to achieve workable solutions that respect Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander peoples and cultures. This theme was carried forward by Kim Taunga, president of the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA) through whānau (family) centric library and community hubs in Auckland. Māia Abraham’s presentation on the Tūranga cultural narrative provided insight into the landmark project that arose from the devastation of the Christchurch earthquake.

Janette Burke outlined how the university connected with the local Indigenous community in northern Tasmania with thoughtful outcomes and connections with the local environment. Janet Fletcher, IFLA

LBES secretary, delivered an insightful summary of key themes from the day. The seminar was generously sponsored by seven companies and the State Library of New South Wales. It was the climax of a busy program over four days to introduce our international visitors to leading public and university library developments in Sydney, Wollongong and Shellharbour. LBES Committee members were delighted to see some of Australia’s award-winning public libraries in person, including Green Square Library and Marrickville Library, which were shortlisted in the IFLA/Systematic Public Library of the Year Awards in 2019 and 2021, and Shellharbour’s City Library, which won the ALIA Australian Library Design Award for public libraries in 2019. University projects profiled during the study tours included Sydney, Wollongong and UTS, which won the academic section of the ALIA Australian Library Design Awards in 2021.

IFLA LBES members, speakers and sponsors bade farewell on the roof of the State Library of New South Wales, delighted to coincide with fireworks on Sydney Harbour. The seminar was recorded and will be available from the IFLA LBES YouTube channel shortly.

Philip Kent, AALIA University Librarian, The University of Sydney, philip.kent@sydney.edu.au

Margie Kirkness, AALIA Manager Libraries and Museum, Shellharbour City Council, margie.kirkness@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au

Monsoons, floods, cyclones and other emergencies are part of life in many parts of the country. If not managed effectively, these events can cause severe damage to library collections and communities. In this feature article, we hear from Dr Heather Brown – Librarian, Education and Sector Standards at ALIA – about safeguarding heritage collections from disasters and the resources ALIA has developed to aid in prevention and preparation. This is followed by case studies from the Northern Territory and Queensland outlining what libraries in these regions do to prepare for an impending emergency, and the lessons learned in the aftermath.