INCITE Magazine Volume 44 | Issue 4

Volume 44 | Issue 4

The magazine for the library and information sector

Connoisseur of colour

A conversation with Bowerbird Blues author and illustrator Aura Parker

First Nations

First Nations representation and consultation in libraries

Sustainability

Driving sustainability for library communities

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CONTENTS

22

24

28

32

Columns From the editor

4

From the president

5

Library stories: Nikki White

6

CPD Spotlight: Ellen Coates, Michael Barry and James Baker

8

From the archive

10

ALIA News Think globally, act locally

14

Introducing the First Nations Collection Description Guidelines

17

Introducing the ALIA Framework

of Skills, Knowledge and Ethics for the Library and Information 18

Services Workforce Library Lovers’ Day update:

20

It’s over to you!

Let Libraries Transform your summer INCITE is the magazine of the Australian Library and Information Association.

It presents perspectives on issues relating to library and information science. © ALIA 2023 Subscription enquiries subscriptions@alia.org.au

Features Connoisseur of colour: A conversation with Bowerbird Blues author and illustrator Aura Parker

24

Talking to the storyteller: An interview with Stuart Kells

28

First Nations representation and consultation in libraries

32

A change is as good as a holiday: moving sectors

36

Driving sustainability for library communities

38

Safe, open and relaxed: Creating space at the University of Newcastle 40 22

Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of research or study, reproduction of this material in any form, for public or commercial use is prohibited without permission from the publisher. Contributors assert their moral rights to be identified as the authors of their works.

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Editor: Liz Bradtke incite@alia.org.au Design: Coretext www.coretext.com.au Advertising: Liz Bradtke incite@alia.org.au Events: Zola Maddison zola.maddison@alia.org.au

ALIA EXECUTIVE Cathie Warburton, CEO cathie.warburton@alia.org.au Kylie Fiddy, Chief Operating Officer and Company Secretary kylie.fiddy@alia.org.au Zola Maddison, Director of Events and Training zola.maddison@alia.org.au Trish Hepworth, Director of Policy and Education trish.hepworth@alia.org.au

Cover: Rowan, Ellis. (1917).

Golden bowerbird Retrieved December 11, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla. obj-138738260

Contents | INCITE Magazine 3

FROM THE EDITOR

By Liz Bradtke Editor

Welcome to the fourth and final INCITE for 2023. Since redesigning the look and feel of the magazine late last year, it has been a pleasure to act as editor and to see it grow and evolve from issue to issue.

This December issue is a bumper one, and a great read as we enter the holiday period. Not only is it one of our longest yet, it also attracted the highest number of submissions to date, so thank you to all those who were willing to share their research, initiatives, ideas and stories. INCITE only continues to grow, so for anyone who missed out or who might be mulling over an article idea, there will be plenty of opportunities in 2024.

There is lots to explore in this issue. In our ‘From the archive’ section, renowned library scholar Emeritus Professor W Boyd Rayward explores the life and career of John Metcalfe (1901–1982), pioneering librarian, educator and author. The piece culminates in an extract from Metcalfe’s rousing address in support of public libraries to the second General Conference of UNESCO in Mexico City in 1947 — an address that led to the development of the IFLA–UNESCO Public Library Manifesto.

We have reflections from recent recipients of IFLA honours Janine Schmidt and Christine Mackenzie and celebrate Nikki White of the National Library of Australia on her 50-year career in the sector.

From your submissions, we have articles exploring the evolution of library marketing, how one university library is ensuring student

safety in innovative and consultative ways, and case studies of two libraries taking meaningful steps towards redressing the lack of representation of First Nations peoples in their collections and work practices. We have an article from Public Libraries Victoria on its new sustainability portal, perspectives from two ALIA Members on moving sectors, and two interviews: one with National Simultaneous Storytime 2024 author Aura Parker and one with author, academic and bibliophile (and library tourist!) Stuart Kells. And all of this is in addition to the usual updates from ALIA, our ‘CPD spotlight’ feature, and much more.

In my very first ‘From the editor’ introduction in the March edition, I wrote that INCITE is your magazine and we want it to foster and amplify your voices. This is still and will always be the case. If you have any ideas or feedback you’d like to share on how INCITE can continue to evolve in 2024 in ways that benefit and promote the sector, please drop me a line at incite@alia.org.au.

I wish everyone a safe and restful holiday period and look forward to sharing more library content with you in 2024.

Liz Bradtke, Editor incite@alia.org.au

Acknowledgment of Country The Australian Library and Information Association acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to lands, waters, cultures and communities.

We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; and to Elders past and present.

Artwork: Richard Allan Jr. 4 INCITE Magazine | From the editor

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Jane Cowell AALIA (DCP) ALIA President

Welcome to the final edition of INCITE for 2023, and my third introduction as ALIA President. As is always the case, it has been a huge year for our sector with a number of wins and challenges — many of them chronicled in this very magazine. With this in mind, I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you all about my time at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Rotterdam from 21 to 25 August. This was an example of the strength that can be derived from coming together as a global sector to share, celebrate and strategise for the future.

It was inspiring to be one of over 3,000 library professionals from over 100 countries coming together in Rotterdam to discuss all things libraries. ALIA hosted an Australian Reception, with the Australian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Dr Greg French, delivering an opening address and staying to network with the attendees. It was a wonderful opportunity showcasing ALIA and what we achieve in Australia and connecting with key IFLA Governing Board Members and to congratulate the Australian incoming IFLA President Vicki McDonald, CEO State Library of Queensland.

As the incoming Chair of the Public Library Section, I chaired the in-person Public Library Section business meeting where the key challenges facing public libraries in the 15 countries represented at the meeting were shared with the audience and each other. One of the strong commonalities was the challenges to the ‘Freedom to Read’, particularly focused on LGBTQIA+ collections, being experienced by all countries. The other was the role public libraries are playing to strengthen democracy at the community level. ALIA is also working at the national level with the Australian Government’s Strengthening Democracy Taskforce, showcasing how libraries are building community resilience and fostering participation in civil society and working with state-based library associations to build resources for libraries to be able to defend the ‘Freedom to Read’ right. The IFLA Public Library Section has also created a working party on Libraries for Democracy to develop a project and work package to support public libraries in the essential work to strengthen democracy and civic participation at the community level.

The WLIC opening ceremony had keynote presentations highlighting the importance of libraries for learning, community and democracy. My highlight from the opening keynotes was her Royal Highness Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands telling delegates that libraries create a world that is the opposite of loneliness – a world where we can all feel we belong. It was a wonderful endorsement of what we do every day. The IFLA Public Library Section hosted two sessions at the Congress. The IFLA/Systematic Public Library of the Year Award session was a fantastic testament to public library buildings responding to community needs. From the very large to the very small, the shortlisted libraries each had an amazing presentation and the judges need to be commended on finding a winner as, for me, they were all winning entries. The 2023 winner is the Biblioteca

Photo: Johannes Mandle

It was inspiring to be one of over 3,000 library professionals from over 100 countries coming together in Rotterdam to discuss all things libraries.

Gabriel García Márquez and you can read more about this amazing library here. The IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto toolkit session was a work session where all attendees contributed to building on the draft manifesto toolkit, which supports public libraries and library associations to use the manifesto as an advocacy tool. It was a very hands-on session with all those in attendance offering ideas, case studies and constructive feedback to the draft.

The IFLA Public Library Section working group is collating this feedback to incorporate into the new toolkit, which will be published soon. You can find out more about the IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto here.

And no recap of WLIC 2023 can be complete without mentioning the controversy surrounding the announcement that WLIC 2024 would be held in Dubai. A significant number of library associations making up IFLA, including ALIA, objected to this decision and debate on this issue dominated the General Assembly (similar to an AGM), which was held on the last day. ALIA has since been notified by the IFLA Governing Board that there will be no WLIC held in 2024 as the offer to host in Dubai has been withdrawn. The Governing Board is going to review the WLIC model and all IFLA sections will get to participate.

Jane Cowell AALIA (DCP) ALIA President From the President | INCITE Magazine 5

LIBRARY STORIES

50 years and counting: celebrating Nikki White’s career at the National Library of Australia By the National Library of Australia, media@nla.gov.au

Some INCITE readers will remember the year 1973 — the Sydney Opera House opened, Helen Reddy was in the popular music charts, and Patrick White won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Library stories Nikki White

‘Don’t pass up opportunity for growth (within reason!)’

6 INCITE Magazine | Library stories

It was also a memorable year for ALIA Associate Member, Nikki White, who commenced her almost-50-years-andcounting career at the National Library of Australia.

‘When I started ... I just assumed I was going to Asian Collections,’ said Nikki, who is currently Collection Data and Description Manager.

At the time she joined the library – on 3 December 1973 – Nikki was a recent graduate of the University of New South Wales with a Diploma of Librarianship, and the year before, of the Australian National University (ANU) with a Bachelor of Arts, Asian Studies, majoring in Japanese. She had responded to an ad for a position in the Asian Collections team.

‘I had to do the induction thing ... and when I was finished I was sent down to the ISSN unit,’ Nikki continued bemused, ‘I was a “Librarian Class 1” ... and I was the ISSN Agency.’

At the beginning of 1974 though, Nikki moved into a new role in charge of the Japanese unit, cataloguing material in Japanese language.

‘The first time I catalogued anything in English was in the early 1990s, apart from serials,’ she said, ‘Firstly I catalogued Japanese collection material, then went onto Italian and French material before getting to English.’

Talking to Nikki, you get a sense of how cataloguing has changed over the last five decades.

When she first started cataloguing, information used to be typed up on something called a duplimat, and if you made an error, you used a blade to scrape things off the page. When that was finished, the information was sent down to be run off on special card photocopiers and cut up into about 16 iterations. When the cards were ready, staff would go into the reading rooms before they opened and file the updated cards into the catalogue.

The different stages of card cataloguing took quite a long time. Waiting time to use the catalogue is also something today’s library user doesn’t have to contend with.

‘If you were looking at the card catalogue, if somebody’s in the drawer you want to look at, you have to wait. With an online catalogue, that’s not an issue,’ Nikki said.

Electronic cataloguing started in the early 1980s, but if the catalogue ‘fell over’ (as Nikki puts it), they’d wheel out the microfiche version of the online catalogue.

Nikki’s career has since spanned many areas of the library including: Asian Collections; General Cataloguing; Gift & Exchange; Overseas Selection; ISSN, Australian Serials; the Australian Serials Conversion Project; Overseas Serials Conversion; Monograph Conversion; Rare Books; and Music.

When looking back at some of the highlights of her career, Nikki said they were ‘anything that provided an intellectual challenge, and I could use some of my

LIBRARY STORIES

Nikki in the music stack at the Library with one of her favourite collection items – ‘Compositions for Goethe’s Faust’ by Prince Anton Radziwill, complete piano reduction by J. P. Schmidt (note the catalogue entry is in German – nla.cat-vn2097253). This music is bound in purple velvet with embossing on the front and back cover, with gilt-edged paper.

Photo: Supplied

languages. And making discoverable previously uncatalogued large collections such as the Rare Books Kashnor Collection of books on British economics and politics from the late 16th century to the 20th century, or the Symphony Australia Collection of music scores’.

Other career highlights include: • running the Australian Serials Conversion Project from 1996 to 2001, which worked to bring all Australian serial records still in card catalogues online • cataloguing the French Revolution pamphlets and French Resistance posters • being a trainer on the Resource Description and Access (RDA), a new cataloguing standard from 2012 • making many long-standing, undescribed collections discoverable.

In addition to her other roles, Nikki has also spent considerable time in the reading rooms, assisting students and researchers alike to find what they need.

‘Some things haven’t changed at all,’ Nikki commented when reflecting on visitors to the reading rooms over some 50 years.

‘You’ve got the genealogists who want to check things, some of them are just starting out … that hasn’t changed. There’re also students who come in and want some help,’ Nikki continued. ‘People do tend to need less help with things now though, because they are a bit more familiar with searching online and doing things for themselves.

‘What they don’t know about so much are our online databases, because they are not freely available in most instances, so are not visible in a Google search.’

The online catalogue has been a big change. Digitisation of parts of the collection, including manuscripts, oral histories and music, has also made the collection more accessible remotely.

‘The library has always had a goal of trying to make its collections more open or accessible to people, and as the technology has changed, it’s made it easier and easier to do that.’

As a cataloguer, Nikki also finds the idea of linked data very useful.

‘I always said that AACR2 [AngloAmerican Cataloguing Rules 2] was an electronic catalogue card but RDA [Resource

Description and Access], if we ever get the technology to display it as it should be, is a big ball of string with everything connected and leading to each other.’

‘When I was training people, I had a picture of a Chinchilla Giganta breed of rabbit and St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

They’re connected, and it’s this sort of thing that can be put into the catalogue record so people can find all sorts of connections through dedications, inscriptions, notes that something is based on or inspired by something else,’ Nikki said, ‘Not necessarily the obvious.’

We’ll leave INCITE readers to find that connection themselves, but will take this opportunity to offer our congratulations to Nikki on her career and achievements. We’re looking forward to seeing what collection connections will be made next and following the next steps of her career.

Nikki White

ALIA Associate Member

Library stories | INCITE Magazine 7

CPD SPOTLIGHT For this edition of ‘CPD spotlight’, we have not one, not two, but three leaders in the sector who have shown remarkable commitment to the scheme, recently achieving Distinguished Certified Professional ALIA (DCP) status while managing professional commitments and leadership roles in one of our most active ALIA regional groups. Ellen Coates, James Baker and Michael Barry have been on the ALIA Victoria Committee since 2017 and been involved in the CPD program as individuals for about the same period. Here, they share their insights into both the advantages of the CPD program professionally and what it takes to run CPD activities.

Ellen Coates, Michael Barry and

James Baker Ellen Coates AALIA (DCP) Collections Librarian/Volunteer Coordinator PMI Victorian History Library Inc. For me, the CPD program has opened a world of opportunities — both through organising events as part of ALIA Vic and in attending opportunities myself. From an ALIA Vic perspective, we try to organise events that are accessible to everyone regardless of where you are in your professional journey. It’s always interesting to find new ways for everyone to explore libraries, and I really enjoy working with our committee, including James and Michael, to come up with opportunities for professional development (PD).

The diversity of PD opportunities that can be part of the CPD program is truly wonderful and reflects the diversity of the library experience. For my own PD, I find that the CPD program gives me a focus, and a push to seek out opportunities and to distil what I have learned from them.

I get close to my 30 hours each year from ALIA Vic meetings and a conference or two alone, but I always try to work PD into my life, or in some cases work my life into PD. Working in a specialist history library, I can register many of the talks and writing events that I would be attending regardless as PD. I take learnings and apply any new thoughts and any new book discoveries to my work as a collections librarian and volunteer coordinator.

Additionally, I find that visits to galleries and museums are invaluable PD opportunities as I learn so much about how stories are told visually and about areas of history that are deeply relevant 8 INCITE Magazine | CPD spotlight

to my work. The CPD program encourages the flexibility that is inherent in a librarian’s working life, and in doing so acknowledges that there are so many ways to learn. It’s also just really nice when you are able to add ‘Distinguished Certified Professional AALIA (DCP)’ to your email signature.

Michael Barry ALIATec (DCP) Library Technician Camberwell Primary School I have always been a believer in lifelong learning and improvement, so joining the ALIA CPD Scheme was one of the first things I did after finishing my diploma, along with signing up for the mentoring scheme. I’ve found that the CPD scheme is a great way to keep track of what I’ve done, and it has motivated me to seek out new professional learning opportunities. It has also encouraged me to be more mindful and reflective of what I’ve learned, by requiring a written reflection of each PD event I attend. As a member of the ALIA Vic Committee, I have the amazing opportunity to plan and run PD events on topics that especially suit my interests, from discussion panels with leading industry figures, to workshops, conference wrapups, and some truly memorable special events like a backstage tour of the National Herbarium of Victoria.

Even though my career is focused on school libraries, I never know when something I’ve picked up from a seemingly unrelated PD event suddenly becomes useful, so I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting opportunities for learning.

CPD SPOTLIGHT

Above Ellen Coates Photo: Supplied

Right Michael Barry (top) and James Baker Photos: Supplied

James Baker AALIA (DCP) Librarian Melbourne Athaneum Library Being able to ensure that opportunities for PD are available through my involvement with the ALIA Vic and ALIA Graphic Committees has been important and rewarding to me because I feel that I have been able to get so much out of the CPD program. Creating opportunities through the events, activities and distribution of information that the two groups undertake is an effective and easy way to give back to the profession that has supported, and continues to support, me through my own PD. In addition to this, reflecting on the work that I do with the two groups, contributing to the organisation and running activities, collecting and distributing information, and the work of communication generally, both within the committees and with external parties is interesting and useful PD in its own right – I would highly recommend joining a group in this capacity if you are looking for additional PD opportunities.

Personally, I find the most useful aspect of the CPD program is that it makes me specifically reflect on the things I do and how they have or haven’t contributed to my PD. It is very easy to finish an activity and move on to the next without taking the time to learn from what I’ve done but the PD program ensures that I take the time to give my learning and understanding the attention it deserves.

“For all three of us, the CPD program has given us the opportunity to extend ourselves professionally into a variety of new areas.

And, in encouraging reflection, the program has given us new avenues towards thinking about our professional lives. In running CPD activities together for the last six years, we’ve experienced so much more of the diversity and amazing depth that the library world has to offer. We’ve run everything from subject and classification panels, to craft workshops, to library tours, conference wrap-ups, trugo networking and book fair visits. We look forward to offering an exciting calendar of events into 2024 as part of ALIA Vic, kicking off with our tour of Bendigo GLAM organisations in March. Keep an eye on ALIA News and our socials.”

– James, Ellen and Michael

CPD spotlight | INCITE Magazine 9

FROM THE ARCHIVE

Larger than life: revisiting the life and career of John Metcalfe

John Metcalfe — librarian, author and passionate advocate for public libraries — is widely regarded as one of the most important Australian librarians of his generation.

Principal Librarian at the Public Library of New South Wales (now State Library of New South Wales) from 1942 until 1958 and University Librarian at the University of New South Wales from 1959 to 1966, Metcalfe was integral

By W Boyd Rayward, Emeritus Professor, University of Illinois and UNSW

to the establishment and development of the Australian

From the archive

scholar and biographer Professor W Boyd Rayward takes

Institute of Librarians (AIL).

For this edition of ‘From the archive’, prominent librarian,

Above

Portrait of John Wallace Metcalfe, Sydney Riley Studios, c. 1943 Photo: State Library NSW

10 INCITE Magazine | From the archive

us through Metcalfe’s remarkably productive life and career, with a particular focus on his rousing address in support of public libraries at the second General Conference of UNESCO in Mexico City in 1947 — an address that led to the development of the IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto.

John Wallace Metcalfe was born in 1901 in England. His family migrated to Australia when he was a young boy. Educated in local public schools, he later attended Sydney University where, on graduation, he received the University Medal in history. In 1923, he joined the staff of the Public Library of New South Wales (now the State Library of NSW), then indisputably the largest and most important library in the country.

He became Deputy Principal Librarian in 1932. Ten years later, he became Principal Librarian, relinquishing this position in 1959 to become the first full-time librarian of the relatively recently established University of NSW and Director of its Graduate School of Librarianship. He retired from the university in 1966 and died in 1982.

Metcalfe was perhaps the most important Australian librarian of his generation. As a personality, he was ‘larger than life’, a powerful, quirkily articulate, vivid, public and, as the years went by, increasingly eccentric figure. His vision and drive, often controversial, animated every important development in the professionalisation of librarianship in Australia during its formative period. He was a leader among those who created the AIL in 1937, a professional body for librarians. He was one of those responsible for its transformation in 1949 into the Library

Association of Australia (LAA) with wider objects and which was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1963.1 He was General Secretary of AIL from 1937 to 1938 and of LAA from 1950 to 1953. He was unique in serving two terms as President, 1946–48 and 1957–59, of this body.

He was also responsible for ensuring that a journal, the Australian Library Journal (now the Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association), was established in 1951 and accepted as one of the professional obligations for communication of the new LAA. To establish the journal, he edited it from its creation in 1951 until 1953 and wrote much of the copy in these early years – and continued frequently to publish articles in the journal throughout the length of his professional life.

Metcalfe pioneered education for librarianship in Australia. He became a Fellow by examination of the Library Association of the United Kingdom (FLA) in 1935. In 1937, he established in the Public Library of NSW the first formal Australian library school. He helped introduce and oversee the development of a national program of professional examinations operated by the new LAA he had helped to create and was 1 The name was changed to Australian Library and Information Association in 1989 and in 2000 the association was incorporated and the Royal Charter abrogated..

FROM THE ARCHIVE Right John Metcalfe with Sir Laurence Olivier and Lady Olivier on a visit to the Shakespeare Tercentenary Memorial Library, 1948 Photo: State Library of NSW

[John Metcalfe] had a particularly strong belief in the social importance of public libraries. He was a major figure in the movement that ... was responsible for creating a modern, free (that is, rate- or tax-supported) public library system in NSW and in several other Australian states.

Chairman of the LAA’s Board of Examiners from 1943 to 1958. He wrote textbooks, unforgettably distinctive mimeographed quartos, for the students in the school and for others sitting for the LAA’s examinations. His A General Introduction to Library Practice appeared in 1940 with new editions in 1943 and 1955. To this was added more specialised works, with the participation of others, such as Reference Work, Book Selection and More Advanced Reference Work, Cataloguing and several more. The latest of these texts, now published by the Sydney bookseller James Bennett, suggesting how long they were in demand and use, were Subject Arrangement and Indexing of Information: notes for students (1966) and Book Production and Reproduction: notes for students of librarianship (1968). Finally, in this context, he was one of those centrally responsible for the transformation and upgrading of the system of professional education he had pioneered by setting up in the University of NSW in 1960 the first university-based school of librarianship in Australia in which was offered first a postgraduate Diploma in Librarianship (DipLib) and then, in addition a little later, the degree of Master of Librarianship (MLib).

He was also perhaps the first Australian librarian to earn an international reputation

as a library theorist and critic, though he is better described as a polemicist. Between 1957 and 1976, he published three widely reviewed, frequently cited and much-criticised books on the theory and practice of cataloguing, classification and indexing. His other writings were extraordinarily varied and voluminous.2 He had a particularly strong belief in the social importance of public libraries. He was a major figure in the movement that, as a response to the damning Munn–Pitt report into library service in Australia,3 was responsible for creating a modern, free (that is, rate- or tax-supported) public library system in NSW and in several other Australian states. As Secretary of the Libraries Advisory Committee set up in 1937 by the New South Wales Government, he drafted its report and the bill that eventually was to become the Library Act 1939, though this was not implemented until after the war.

In 1947, Metcalfe was designated an official Australian delegate to the second General 2 Margaret Miller, “John Wallace Metcalfe: A bibliography of writings by and about,” In The Variety of Librarianship: essays in honour of John Wallace Metcalfe, edited by W Boyd Rayward. Sydney: Library Association of Australia, 1976, pp. 218-235.

3 Ralph Munn and Ernest R Pitt, Australian Libraries: a survey of conditions and suggestion for their improvement. Melbourne: Australian Council for Education Research, 1935.

From the archive | INCITE Magazine 11

FROM THE ARCHIVE Conference of UNESCO, which was held in Mexico City. He was elected to chair its Working Party on Libraries and was praised for the businesslike way he conducted its meetings. In the final days of the conference, in presenting the Working Party’s recommendations to the conference, Metcalfe seized the opportunity to address it in his always rather tortuous style, on the nature and importance of public libraries.4 ‘The Constitution of UNESCO, Article 1, Purposes and Functions, speaks finally of the maintenance, increase and diffusion of knowledge, in effect at the high levels of science and culture, those of original work.

In a long-term view this is all important and in a short view it is all important for reconstruction …

‘I want, however, to urge, at least in a short view of peace, understanding, and the acceptance of UNESCO itself by the peoples of the world who do not get to these conferences, [that] so far as the people are concerned in themselves and in their relations to UNESCO, we must look to a realisation of the first part of Article 1 of the Constitution. This speaks of peoples, of nation talking unto nation through all means of mass communication … The public library, the popular library, to which a session of our working party was devoted, is such a 4 “UNESCO Diary, Mexico, 1947,” Chapter 2 in Developing a Profession of Librarianship in Australia: travel diaries and other papers of John Wallace Metcalfe, edited by W Boyd Rayward. Canberra, ALIA Press, 1996.

Public libraries are not popular in the sense of dealing with a few popular subjects in a popular way. They are not confined to what is vaguely referred to as education or culture. In its vocational application and the application of its method, science can only reach many people through the public library.

12 INCITE Magazine | News

Left

IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 25th Anniversary Poster Photo: International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

means of communication to the people in the mass. But it is a different means: it is not communication in a mass way and not only communication at the level of the lowest common average, to which some means of mass communications are restricted. It is a public means of communication at all levels of understanding, education and background in the reader, at all levels of difficulty in the subject matter, over the total range of subject matter. It is a flexible instrument and … it offers not a limited but an infinite choice of program. Public libraries are not popular in the sense of dealing with a few popular subjects in a popular way. They are not confined to what is vaguely referred to as education or culture. In its vocational application and the application of its method, science can only reach many people through the public library.

‘The minorities who move majorities at the local government level, at the provincial level, at the national level, at the international level, often find their learning only in public libraries, no matter what other media they use to diffuse it. … And the popularisations of culture, of arts and the sciences, which [these minorities] attempt, can often only be seriously and reflectively studied in books, which the people are only able to use through free public libraries.

‘Knowledge is best [made] available in books read by the individual at his leisure, without the addition of the outside emotional pressures or influences so often

associated with other mass media, which allow little quiet reflection and comparative study of the good with the bad and the better with the best. Books in public libraries are each a corrective of the other, and public libraries under some national plan are collectively not instruments of cultural penetration. They are free of commercial and even political exploitation, compared with other media.

‘On these grounds we think, therefore, that public libraries should have a high place amongst UNESCO’s interests. In the past the word ‘library’ has been freely used in its documents. But until this year, the public, the popular, the people’s library has had little distinct plan. This year we have a public library program, quite a modest one …

It is a program which we hope will be built on in future years. We believe it must be, because we believe the public library [to be] an essential instrument of fundamental education and one essential to all the other instruments for the achievement of UNESCO’s objects.’

Eventually, UNESCO in cooperation with the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), did as Metcalfe had hoped, accepted the fundamental importance of public libraries in its programs and captured the underlying philosophy of this aspect of its work in the development of the IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto, now available in 18 languages, the latest version of which was published in 2022.5 5 IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 2022 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/ pf0000385149 and https://www.unesco.org/en/ articles/updated-public-library-manifesto-2022generates-global-and-national-impact-publiclibraries

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ALIA NEWS

Think globally, act locally:

Left Christine Mackenzie FALIA Photo: Supplied

Janine Schmidt FALIA

Christine Mackenzie and Janine Schmidt on their recent IFLA Honours and their careers in libraries During the closing session of the 2023 International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress in Rotterdam, two ALIA Fellows — Christine Mackenzie and Janine Schmidt — were recognised for their significant contributions to the international LIS sector. Here they tell us about what that recognition meant to them as well as some high points of their illustrious careers.

Christine Mackenzie AM, FALIA, IFLA ILFA Honorary Fellow I was delighted to be awarded an IFLA Honorary Fellowship in August and to finish my professional life in such a prestigious way. I have often said there is no other career that would have suited me better than librarianship. It has provided me with a lifetime of meaningful employment, numerous opportunities and great enjoyment and satisfaction.

To be part of a profession that celebrates and honours the sharing of knowledge and experience, and makes information available to all, is a blessing.

It has been quite the journey since I got my first library job at the PMG Library on Collins Street, Melbourne in 1973. It was a vacation job prior to starting a Graduate Diploma of Librarianship at RMIT in 1974. I certainly never dreamt then that I would grow up to manage three library services and be the President of ALIA and IFLA! Looking back, there are particular 14 INCITE Magazine | News

events that shaped my professional and personal life. Participating in a six-month job exchange to Baltimore County Public Library in 1990 was a revelation of what public libraries could be. Being selected to be part of the Bertelsmann Foundation’s Network of International Public Libraries in the early 2000s led to lifelong friendships and an incredibly valuable network.

Likewise being involved with ALIA and IFLA was rewarding and satisfying. I was quite active in ALIA during the 1990s into the 2000s and I started my IFLA involvement over 20 years ago by joining the Metropolitan Libraries Section. I have met many clever and generous people along the way who have significantly influenced the continuing growth and development of libraries in their own countries and internationally.

My two years as IFLA President (2019– 2021) occurred over a very strange time, full of uncertainty and fear as we were caught up in the global pandemic. I am proud that we were able to deliver the governance review and use all the new opportunities that emerged for consultation and participation.

IFLA has had some significant challenges over the past couple of years, and I sincerely hope and wish that the momentum, enthusiasm and energy built during creation of the global library vision will not be lost. There was something very special about this movement to strengthen the global library field and to broaden the reach of IFLA. I know, for example, the impact of belonging to an international federation has had on Pacific libraries and the visibility and opportunities for

Photo: McGill University

participation that this has brought.

I am most reassured that IFLA is currently being led by our wonderful colleague Vicki McDonald.

Ever since the World Wide Web emerged in the 1990s, there have been dire predictions about the future of libraries. But they continually reinvent themselves, and time and again have proven their value and importance to the communities they operate in. Here in Australia, we are amply provided by a network of relatively well-resourced and appreciated academic, special, school and public libraries. I am confident that the energy and commitment of our current and future leaders and practitioners will ensure a bright and positive future for our libraries and our profession.

Janine Schmidt AM, FALIA, IFLA medallist In 1988, the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) of IFLA was held in Sydney.

I attended the combined closing session of the ALIA conference and the opening session of the WLIC, but my IFLA odyssey began with the 65th Congress in Bangkok in 1999. It has been an enormous privilege to work with various IFLA sections including Academic and Research Libraries, Management and Marketing, and Library Buildings and Equipment (LBES), and to be the Series Editor of the IFLA/De Gruyter Publication Series.

IFLA gets in your blood. Through participation in congresses and visits to libraries all over the world, committee membership, event planning and

ALIA NEWS involvement in IFLA’s outreach and networks, I have embraced and adopted the IFLA vision of a strong and united global library field powering literate, informed and participatory societies. I have taken IFLA’s mission to heart and sought to inspire, engage, enable and connect the global library field.

On a personal note: je m’apelle Janine; ich heisse auch Schmidt; I was born in Australia, a country with thousands of years of Indigenous culture and heritage; I have lived and worked in Australia and Canada with senior roles in the State Library of New South Wales, the University of Queensland in Brisbane and McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and have undertaken projects in countries ranging from Brunei to Western Samoa; I have sought to learn and understand other languages and cultures; my professional colleagues are scattered across the globe; and like Erasmus, my personal mantra has been that the whole world is my homeland. I am the very model of a modern multinational librarian.

Working worldwide with librarians has been personally and professionally transformative. Gaining the insights, wisdom and knowledge of others has been enriching and empowering.

Librarians who share experiences and work together advance their professional cause, ensure the delivery of highquality library and information services to the communities they serve, and provide universal and equitable access to information, ideas and works of imagination for individual and collective wellbeing. It is together through fierce collaboration that librarians change their own and other people’s lives.

I was overwhelmed, humbled and enormously honoured when awarded

the prestigious IFLA Medal in 2023. My role has been in the background, assisting, encouraging, supporting, influencing and learning from others. I am extremely grateful to the IFLA Governing Board, headquarters and staff; the many colleagues who presented my candidacy for the award, particularly colleagues from ALIA, of which I have been a member for over 50 years, and Canada; members of the LBES; and all the members of IFLA. Merci beaucoup, danke schön, terema kasih, spacibo, grazi, gracias, ευχαριστώ/ efcharistó, kiitos, dank je, takk, salamat, ‫اركش‬/shukraan - thank you.

And my message to others? Work within ALIA and IFLA; understand and learn from the perspectives of others; and lead others to effective innovation in the delivery of library and information services.

Think globally and act locally.

Please contact education@alia.org.au if you would like to discuss any of our advocacy efforts, we are always happy to hear from you.

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ALIA NEWS

Groundbreaking collaboration leads to Guidelines for First Nations Collection Description

By Phoebe Weston-Evans, ALIA Senior Research Coordinator

We are excited and delighted that the First Nations Collection Description Guidelines are now published and available to everyone in the sector, to support the creation of descriptive metadata and item records for First Nations collections.

This collaborative cross-sector project began in October 2022. The First Nations Collection Description Guidelines were officially launched on 14 November 2023 in an online event that brought together a panel of sector experts, members of the project working group and the lead author.

The recording is available on the NSLA website.

Download the guidelines here.

The guidelines are intended for librarians, library technicians, archivists, publishers, vendors and all those working with First Nations materials in libraries, archives, information services and publishing sectors.

The aim is that these guidelines will support the crucially important cataloguing work of creating descriptive metadata and item records for collections created by or containing information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.

The guidelines ensure a more equitable representation of communities’ perspectives and experiences by: • ensuring that descriptions are respectful, accurate, consistent and considerate of historical biases • supporting people to identify offensive language • using language and place signifiers or thesauri • adopting consistent wording for collection materials with restricted access.

The guidelines will hopefully help those involved feel more confident and capable in their descriptive metadata methods, which will in turn enhance the safety, discoverability and set appropriate access levels. This contributes to a wider shift to

transform our approach to reparative practices, better representation of First Nations collections and creating safer digital and physical spaces for all communities.

For those who have been following the project’s progress, you may already know the guidelines’ lead author, Tui Raven, a Yamaji/Noongar consultant, writer and curator. Tui has not only been working tirelessly to develop these guidelines over recent months, but she has also made a big interstate move from Boorloo/Perth to Naarm/Melbourne to take up a role at Deakin University Library. Tui is also a PhD candidate at Curtin University, reimagining First Nations collection description, and archival and cataloguing practices using First Nations knowledge systems.

Background In 2021, the National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA) conducted an audit of contemporary Indigenous collections, which resulted in 32 recommendations.

Of these, four were considered most suitable for collaborative action, and the highest priority was the development of a set of guidelines for description of First Nations materials.

The project team was formed in October 2022 to progress this work, with representatives from ALIA, the Council for Australian University Librarians (CAUL), CAVAL, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), NSLA and the ALIA Community on Resource Description (ACORD).

Representatives from these organisations made up the working group and additional members made up a wider advisory group that provided invaluable expertise and support throughout the project.

The first main objective was to better understand current practices in First Nations collection description and to get a sectorwide picture of current needs, strengths

and resources used across Australia.

This was done through a survey, which received 179 responses for all states and sectors. The second and most substantial objective was to develop sector-wide guidelines, informed by the survey responses, that would result in greater understanding, sensitivity, consistency of practice, higher levels of staff confidence and, ultimately, better-quality item records.

We found, unsurprisingly, that there is a great diversity of confidence and knowledge levels around descriptive practices of First Nations collections across the sector. Many survey respondents reported that they really want to do the right thing, but were unsure where to start, and were anxious about getting it wrong.

Project co-lead Sara Davidsson (CAVAL) stated that ‘it is better to start somewhere than not at all’. The guidelines are designed to help those working in cataloguing and description at all levels in libraries and other collecting institutions to make those first steps and to feel better equipped and more confident.

The guidelines are not intended to function as a set of strict rules, or the only resource required for cataloguing materials. Rather, their purpose is to provide support in developing and implementing internal cataloguing practices. To provide additional practical support, Tui has developed a set of training videos to support those interpreting the guidelines in their particular context. These training resources are freely available on ALIA’s Vimeo channel.

We’re optimistic that the guidelines and accompanying resources will enable the adoption of improved description methods, and we hope that this will instil greater cultural safety, cultural awareness, respect and understanding.

News | INCITE Magazine 17

ALIA NEWS

Introducing the ALIA Framework of Skills, Knowledge and Ethics for the Library and Information Services Workforce

By Trish Hepworth, ALIA Director of Policy and Education

From 2020 to 2023, a significant workforce project led by ALIA brought together diverse library and information service (LIS) sectors across Australia to develop an approach to ensure a resilient, diverse workforce with the skills, knowledge, professionalism and ethics required to navigate our rapidly changing workplaces.

The heart of this work is the people of the LIS workforce, and the central component the ALIA Framework of Skills, Knowledge and Ethics for the Library and Information Services Workforce (‘the Framework’) launched on 28 November 2023. This cross-sector, industry-endorsed framework is a resource for individuals and workplaces, as well as the foundation for ALIA’s ongoing work in areas such as education accreditation and professional recognition.

The Framework is designed to be used at all levels and across different roles in the sector. The Framework is split into three domains, which are described further below.

•C ore domains: three universal knowledge, skills and ethics areas applicable for all roles across the LIS sector.

•P rofessional Knowledge domains: eight key areas of LIS knowledge.

Associate and LibTec members of ALIA would be expected to have knowledge of all domains.

•A ctive Professionalism domain: the professional mindset and the behavioural skills that are critical for the successful application of the Core and Professional Knowledge domains in the workplace.

Each domain provides an overview of the knowledge and skills in that area, 18 INCITE Magazine | News

which can be applied more practically to different sectors and roles. For example the ‘Communities and Stakeholders’ domain includes skills and knowledge relevant to all library and information services, but the specifics of who those communities are, their information needs, the relationships with stakeholders and what kinds of stakeholder engagement are applicable will be different according to each sector, institution and role.

As an Australian-based framework, it was important to ensure that the Framework accurately reflected the skills, knowledge and ethics required for work with First Nations collections and communities. The Framework has two First Nations domains. The Core Domain Respect and recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges, cultures and Country embraces the need to embed an acknowledgment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in practice. The Professional Knowledge Domain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts encompasses specialised professional knowledge areas required for working with Indigenous information and knowledge systems. Both the First Nations Domains are intended to develop pathways for professional practice for all Australian library workers, with a recognition that Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander workers will bring their lived experience to the domains.

The Framework was developed in close consultation with sector representatives, practitioners and educators, under the oversight of a cross-sectoral industry advisory board and the ALIA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Expert Advisory Group. Hundreds of people contributed thoughts and feedback that have guided refinements to this final version.

The launch of the Framework marks the end of the Professional Pathways Project, but not the end of the work. Over the next 12 to 18 months, ALIA will be: • consulting on an Australian Code of Ethics for the LIS sector • supporting continuing professional development (CPD) by opening the CPD scheme to all personal members and aligning it to the Framework • working with universities and TAFEs to strengthen existing LIS courses and explore options for further training • working with First Nations experts to develop training for the Core Domain Respect and recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges, cultures and Country • exploring options to recognise exemplary employers and create a way to certify those that follow best practices and invest in staff development.

The heart of this work is the people of the LIS workforce ...

This cross-sector, industry-endorsed framework is a resource for individuals and workplaces, as well as the foundation for ALIA’s ongoing work in areas such as education accreditation and professional recognition.

ALIA NEWS Left ALIA Framework of Skills, Knowledge and Ethics for the Library and Information Services Workforce.

Source: ALIA 2023

Ongoing Pathways Projects To guide this ongoing work, the Professional Pathways Advisory Board will be renamed the LIS Workforce Advisory Board and will continue to play an important role in crosssectoral consultation for these next steps.

Australian Code of Ethics •A n Australian Code of Ethics will be developed with broad cross-sector consultation. We aim to have a first draft ready by March 2024.

ALIA values statement • Embracing the call for greater clarity around our shared values, the ALIA Core Values Policy Statement, which was last updated in 2018, will be updated to better reflect the central importance of respect and recognition of First Nations’ priorities in the LIS sector.

First Nations core domain course • There was overwhelming support for the core domain ‘Respect and recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges, cultures and Country’. To support competency

in this crucial area for current and new entrants to the sector, ALIA is working with First Nations LIS experts to offer a training course that addresses this domain and will be available in coming months.

Continuing Professional Development • Tracking your skills development will be streamlined through the mapping of the Framework domains to the CPD scheme. These will be closely aligned, so that you can connect your professional development to corresponding key knowledge domains in the Framework.

• The CPD scheme has historically only been open to some membership categories of ALIA. We received feedback that many ALIA Members who were currently excluded from the CPD scheme would greatly benefit from the scheme, including student and general Members. To address this, the CPD scheme will be open to all ALIA Members.

• Because all achievements are worthy of recognition, ALIA will be consulting broadly, including with educators and

employers, to develop guidelines on how to recognise competency against the Framework domains and subdomains.

Universities and TAFE • At ALIA, we will continue to work with university and TAFE educators to ensure that the ALIA-accredited LIS courses align with the Framework. This means that we can move forward together with a shared vision of the sector’s skills, knowledge and ethics.

• Because the sector and its individuals need skills that respond to a fastchanging professional landscape, we are working with universities, TAFEs and training providers to develop new courses targeting specific areas such as digital and AI literacy, open licencing, access and science, github for libraries.

Employer recognition • We heard your calls to recognise excellent employers and create a way to certify those that follow best practices and invest in staff development, and we will begin this project in 2024.

News | INCITE Magazine 19

ALIA NEWS

Library Lovers’ Day update: It’s over to you!

By Liz Bradtke

In 2024 Library Lover’s Day is heading back to the libraries to shape for their communities. In a new approach, ALIA is making available customizable resources, drawn from the most popular resources in previous years.

Since its inception in 2006 by the State Library of NSW, and throughout its tenure at ALIA, Library Lovers’ Day has grown exponentially. As of 2016, the campaign has yielded over 100,00 visits to the Library Lovers’ Day page on our website, 10,000 newsletter click-throughs, 200 news and media articles, 65,000 downloads of resources and a massive 190,000 instances of social media engagement. The day is celebrated in libraries not only around Australia but also all over the world.

We’ve seen some fantastic and

innovative Library Lovers’ Day initiatives through the years: everything from blind dates with books and speed dating events, love letters to libraries, events at Parliament House, community library book sales and author talks and many, many more. The themes have encouraged us to rediscover our childlike wonder, celebrate our favourite books and stories, spotlight the unique services and programs offered by the sector and, following the height of the pandemic, to return to our libraries.

What this level of engagement tells us is that Library Lovers’ Day has a robust and self-sufficient life within the sector. This is why we feel confident handing over the reins to our members and others in the sector to devise themes of their own while also supporting the campaign through

The themes have encouraged us to rediscover our childlike wonder, celebrate our favourite books and stories, spotlight the unique services and programs offered by the sector and, following the height of the pandemic, to return to our libraries.

20 INCITE Magazine | News

access to resources and promotion as required.

We also believe that, by stepping back from devising themes each year, we can better enable libraries to use this campaign to cater to their specific communities and more easily channel our energy and resources into further advocacy activities on behalf of the sector.

We will continue to promote the event and share all your posts, activities, stories and displays in the lead-up to and on the day. Additionally, we’ll be encouraging libraries to integrate the Libraries Transform campaign and toolkit into their Library Lovers’ Day messaging.

Head to the Library Lovers’ Day hub for more information — a one-stop spot for all the information, resources and activity ideas you’ll need to celebrate this day on 14 February each year.

We are and will continue to be immensely proud of this campaign and its capacity to engage the sector and communicate the value of libraries to the broader community.

N AT IO N A L 20 24

C O N F E R E N C E

6 – 9 May 2024 Adelaide Convention Centre

TRUTH AND DARE

PROGRAM RELEASED Workshops, presentations and events drawn from the insights, experience, and commitment of library and information workers from multiple sectors across the country — all connected by the common theme Truth and Dare.

Explore the program and register at alianational2024.alia.org.au/ program/

ALIA NEWS

Let Libraries Transform your summer Earlier this year, ALIA, in conjunction with the ALIA Australian Public Library Alliance (APLA), launched Libraries Transform — a campaign designed to increase public awareness of the value, impact and services provided by libraries and library professionals around the country.

By Liz Bradtke Photo: Marissa Daeger 22 INCITE Magazine | News

The campaign is built around a series of ‘because’ statements. Libraries transform because: • discovery is always on the menu • age is no barrier • they close the digital divide • they welcome anyone from anywhere and many, many more.

We have been delighted with the uptake by public libraries so far. Visits to the website have continued to increase beyond expectation, and the toolkit — which allows libraries to create their own custom ‘because’ statements — has been downloaded over 2,000 times. And in an exciting development, Libraries Transform messages will be included as part of ALIA’s entry in the 2024 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade.

ALIA NEWS

With the early days of summer already here and school holidays fast approaching, we are reigniting the call for libraries to use this campaign to remind their communities what they can offer to help transform our summers.

But, as ever, there is always an opportunity to do more.

The success of Libraries Transform depends on the participation of libraries around the country. With the early days of summer already here and school holidays fast approaching, we are reigniting the call for libraries to use this campaign to remind their communities what they can offer to help transform our summers. Some key messages might include: • Your card will never be declined For many, the current cost-of-living crisis is creating significant financial and emotional stress and the holiday period can be particularly draining on the bank account. This is where your public library can help. Let patrons know what they can borrow from your collection, whether it be toys, DVDs, emagazines and ecomics, video game consoles, musical instruments … the list goes on and on.

• You can recharge your brain and your phone Did you know that Australians made 56 million physical visits, enjoyed nearly five million hours of internet and Wi-Fi access and booked over half a million hours in meeting spaces in public libraries from 2021 to 2022? This summer, let your patrons know about the spaces and services they can use for meetings, projects and creative pursuits – or even just that nice air-conditioned spot to cool down!

• You are given the freedom to read Our public libraries are committed to the core library values of access to information and respect for diversity.

Remind members of your community that the library is a place where they have the freedom to read what they want to read, and that a library’s

collection is curated to promote the free flow of information and ideas through open access to recorded knowledge, information and creative works.

How else can my library contribute to the Libraries Transform campaign?

• That’s easy! First and foremost, create your own ‘because’ statement that reflects your library and the services you offer. You can do this by downloading the toolkit on the Libraries Transform page.

• Print your ‘because’ posters and post them around your library. Think about putting them in unexpected places.

• Include Libraries Transform messaging and graphics in your community newsletters, enewsletter or regular email blasts to stakeholders.

• I nvite your community members to share

their stories of how ‘libraries transform’ on your social media platforms.

• Host an event to build community awareness of a new creative service at your library (such as a maker space, new collaborative work spaces or a new digital collection).

• Use the Libraries Transform brand on flyers and brochures to promote special programs and services at your library.

And don’t forget to …

• Share your most innovative and impactful services on social media using #librariestransform.

• Keep us up to date on your Libraries Transform events, programming and advocacy efforts.

• Send examples of advertising, posters, videos, social media efforts and more.

• S hare stories of transformation you are gathering through your community.

MORE INFORMATION The Libraries Transform campaign was originally created and developed by the American Library Association and we thank them for their permission to use and adapt it for Australian public libraries.

Right Libraries Transform tiles News | INCITE Magazine 23

FEATURE

Connoisseur of colour: A conversation with Bowerbird Blues author and illustrator Aura Parker

Aura Parker has always been a writer.

The author of Bowerbird Blues (Scholastic Australia), which is next year’s National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) book, has seven children’s books under her belt and is known for her vibrant and captivating illustrations. Yet her books also demonstrate a keen command of language, especially when it comes to rhyme and lyric, and a deft hand at creating stories that are engaging for her young readers with a deep compassion for and curiosity about the natural world at their core. These are skills honed through a childhood spent writing diary entries and stories and being introduced to the joy of books and reading at a young age by her school librarian.

Coupled with her background and professional experience in visual and graphic design, these skills have made Aura one of Australia’s most celebrated children’s authors.

24 INCITE Magazine | Feature

We caught up with Aura to hear her thoughts on being selected as next year’s NSS author, her inspiration for creating Bowerbird Blues, her creative process and what libraries mean to her professionally and personally.

Firstly, congratulations on being selected for next year’s National Simultaneous Storytime. Can you tell us how you felt when you heard the news, and what it means to be selected?

Well, my publisher called and I had no idea what was coming. She asked me how I would feel about reading the book to 250 people and I said ‘Yes, of course’ because I do school visits and read to large groups quite often.

And then she said ‘How would you feel about reading it to 2 million people?’ and I didn’t quite believe it, so I was really, really surprised. I am so excited. It is wonderful to have a book shared so widely. It blows my mind. You know when you were little and you

FEATURE

Above Aura Parker Photo: Honey Blue Photography

Left Bowerbird Blues excerpt by Aura Parker, Scholastic Australia, 2023

The story is about searching for something meaningful and that’s what I hope readers focus on, as well as fostering a curiosity and interest in protecting the wonder and beauty of our environment.

learn about infinity and outer space. It’s a bit like that — WOW! And NSS is something I have always admired. It is an honour to be part of this dearly loved event.

What initially inspired you to write Bowerbird Blues and what do you hope readers take away from the story?

Bowerbirds are the most fascinating, weird and wonderful birds. They’re foragers — they love the colour blue, they’re connoisseurs of colour. In nature, bowerbirds would be attracted to blue flowers and berries and would build their bowers (nests) to attract a mate, but with all the plastic in our environment, they end up building bowers out of artificial items. I hope the environmental message in my story stands out, as the plastic pollution in my illustrations highlights the need for change.

Our bowerbird is attracted to all these material things, but ultimately that’s not

what he’s looking for, he’s looking for real connection. So, the story is about searching for something meaningful and that’s what I hope readers focus on, as well as fostering a curiosity and an interest in protecting the wonder and beauty of our environment.

The ‘blue’ of the title works on a couple of levels in this book. As you’ve explained, bowerbirds collect blue things, but the blue also refers to the sadness of knowing that something is missing in your life and your environment. Can you talk a little bit more about this?

Yes, it’s an intentional play on words. At the time that I was working on the sketches my father had just passed away and the bushfires were in full force. When you’re working on a book, it’s like when you listen to a song from your past — all the memories of that time get absorbed into the process. There is sadness in the grey page, our bowerbird has Feature | INCITE Magazine 25

FEATURE

all this space around him, which conveys his isolation, footsteps showing how time has passed. The grey is metaphorical. It could be a bushfire, it could be something else — different readers will come to the story with different ideas about what that sadness or space could be. Without being a complete spoiler, I promise the book is heartwarming, joyful and uplifting and I am excited for us to get through the ‘wanting and wandering’ together and come out the other side. I think it’s a great choice for an early childhood audience because they are complex and emotional creatures too. We all have our grey days and this book doesn’t talk down to our youngest readers. I think it’s going to be really special.

You’re an author/illustrator; can you talk a little bit about your creative process?

Do the illustrations and text develop in tandem or does one inform the other?

It varies, but usually the illustrations are guided by the story. With my rhyming texts — which this one isn’t entirely — I feel like I have to craft the text before I do the illustrations. That’s just to get the beat and rhythm right, as the rhyming couplets are trickier to edit later. With Bowerbird Blues and my first book, Twig, the text and pictures evolved together. I started with the idea and then wrote the text, but all the time I knew what I wanted it to look like. The tricky part is trying to make it look as good on the page as it does in my imagination.

During the final art phase, I asked Bruce Whatley (an amazing and very talented illustrator) if he would do some mentoring with me. I didn’t want the bird to be photorealistic, and I have an art style where I like to make things pretty and patterned, yet real bowerbirds have a harshness to them.

Bruce really understood what I was trying to do. We talked on Zoom and I showed him the artwork and he made some encouraging comments that were really helpful, especially because my illustrations are a mixture of digital and traditional techniques, all created by hand. And so, the nickname that I give to my bowerbird is Bruce, and to the female bowerbird Rosie (Bruce’s wife and also an author).

26 INCITE Magazine | Feature

Left Bowerbird Blues cover by Aura Parker, Scholastic Australia, 2023

You mentioned that Bowerbird Blues isn’t a rhyming text, strictly speaking. But there are moments of rhyme and the subtle use of other poetic devices, all of which work beautifully to convey a sense of movement in the text. Can you expand on this?

It never occurred to me to write Bowerbird Blues completely in rhyme, although it does slip in and out of it. I love rhyme, it can add fun and energy to the reading but this story needed quietness in places so the intensity could shine through too. I can’t remember deciding though, it’s more just the way it came out. Young readers who attend storytime might not know the names of the literary devices just yet, but they can feel the language, the rhythm and the effects of how things are put together.

I’d like to pivot to libraries now as they are central to NSS’s aim of getting more kids reading, and raising awareness about the importance of literacy of all kinds and at all ages. What role have libraries played in your life as a reader and as an author?

I visit lots of school libraries for Book Week to get kids excited about reading. I have a lot of love for libraries, and librarians have always been great allies to children’s authors in campaigning for literacy. I think librarians are a bit like bowerbirds, they collect and curate things! I have vivid memories of our school librarian reading aloud to us with such energy and passion in her voice, and she gave me a love of stories, an appreciation of language as well as encouragement and

access to all the mystery and joy within those printed pages. When my children were young, our local library was a sanctuary, and we spent lots of time in the reading nook.

I just think libraries are wonderful places and I am grateful for all the great unseen work librarians do. NSS is a great opportunity for us to read together, share our love of books, celebrate our libraries and focus on the fun of storytime. I have always thought enthusiasm can be contagious!

Will it always be children’s books for you? Or are you interested in moving into different genres or age groups?

Children’s books are where my heart is, especially picture books as an art form. I hope children can explore Bowerbird Blues in print, because although it’s great we can read it on screen, it looks so much better on paper as it was intended to be and my endpapers are full of little things to find.

I’m trying to write a longer story and illustrate it, too. My books, even though they’re only about 300 words can take a long time to craft, so writing something that is say 20,000 words with sub-plots and lots of characters, I need a bigger block of time to sit and work on it. But I would like to write for older children too.

MORE INFORMATION For more information, our range of resources and to register, visit the NSS page on the ALIA website.

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Adeline Regnault NSW/ACT 0434 605 960 adeline.regnault@cengage.com

To learn more email anz.gale@cengage.com

As regular INCITE readers will know, INCITE has a dedicated ‘Library stories’ feature to showcase those members of the sector with a story to tell about their journey in the library workforce. But what of the libraries themselves? Who tells their story?

Talking to the storyteller: An interview with Stuart Kells

Words Liz Bradtke Pictured Stuart Kells Photo Sarah Walker

28 INCITE Magazine | Feature

This is what ran through my mind as I was putting together the December issue, and I thought there was no better person to chat to than author, scholar and bibliophile Stuart Kells.

Stuart has written on a wide range of subjects including libraries, and his book The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders, (shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s literary award and the NSW Premier’s general history prize), is ‘a fascinating and engaging exploration of libraries as places of beauty and wonder’.

I sat down with Stuart to find out about how he came to libraries as a field of research, how he approaches the topic in his books, and what he sees for the future of the sector.

Left Cover of The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders, 2017 Photo: Text Publishing

Welcome to INCITE, Stuart! Many of our readers will be familiar with your work, especially The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders (2017), but could you start by telling us what drew you to libraries as one of your many areas of research?

Thanks Liz! Great to be with you and INCITE to celebrate libraries!

I’ve always had a love of libraries, right back to when I first started school. My primary school had a good library, and I also made regular use of a small community library (in the local shopping centre), which was run by the town council.

Then in high school I spent a lot of time in the library as well. And at the University of Melbourne, when I started my tertiary studies, the Baillieu Library blew my mind: much bigger than I was used to, with deep holdings in fascinating areas that lined up with my various academic interests.

I’ve always thought of libraries as welcoming and useful spaces. And because they come in many different forms, and because they have such a rich history and an important social purpose, they were a natural focus of my writing and research.

In The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders, you create a history organised around ideas, concepts or even metaphors about libraries,

rather than present a strictly chronological narrative. How did you arrive at the decision to shape the story in this way, and secondly, in your view, how can libraries harness that historically embedded love for them into even greater recognition of the essential social infrastructure they provide?

You are right, The Library has an idiosyncratic structure, more thematic than chronological,

The rich history of libraries is important today in many different ways. It means there is a strong constituency of library lovers and supporters; it means the funders and managers of libraries should approach their work with confidence that they are doing something extremely worthwhile and important…

and bringing together real and fictional libraries. This suits how my mind works; it tends to wander and make strange connections.

Writing the book thematically allowed me to highlight recurring patterns in the history of libraries; how similar goals, characters and challenges appear again and again over time.

It also enabled me to call out strange parallels and connections, such as between Arts End at the Bodleian and Bag End in the Shire.

My goal with the book was to celebrate the richness of libraries and their history, and to encourage people to look with fresh eyes at the concept of a library. One very powerful consequence of that: locating the oral library of Indigenous Australians as one of the world’s oldest, richest and most intriguing libraries.

The rich history of libraries is important today in many different ways. It means there is a strong constituency of library lovers and supporters; it means the funders and managers of libraries should approach their work with confidence that they are doing something extremely worthwhile and important; and it should embolden them to protect their libraries from the various anti-library forces that have been a constant since ancient times. Those forces include physical risks as well as political ones such as censorship.

Your 2018 book Shakespeare’s Library: Unlocking the Greatest Mystery in Literature presents your search for this elusive collection and in so doing calls into question how we can understand or even define a library when it is dispersed or absent. What drew you to this sometimescontested area of enquiry, and how do you see it connecting to your other work?

As you can see from Shakespeare’s Library, I had a lot of fun with that book. I’m attracted to topics that are contested and contentious, and the idea of Shakespeare’s personal library is certainly that. The size of his library is related to the size of his authorial achievement. In the unlikely event that he is shown not to have written the plays and poems that bear his name, then his library would become a phantom. The idea of imaginary and illusory libraries is fascinating; something that you would encounter in a novel by Murnane or a short story by Borges.

Feature | INCITE Magazine 29

FEATURE The fate of Shakespeare’s books also speaks to the fluid and dynamic nature of libraries, and to the strange connections that link distant libraries over time.

Shakespeare’s books are very likely sitting quietly on library shelves all around the world.

In this context it is worth saying something quickly about Shakespearean authorship. In mainstream Shakespeare studies, even mentioning the so-called ‘authorship question’ is generally taboo, but that should not be the case. Beyond the field of Shakespeare studies, it is entirely legitimate and routine to explore questions of authorship and authorial achievement; take Homer for example, or the recent books that reappraise George Orwell’s achievements. No one gets in trouble for asking about Homeric or Orwellian authorship, and the same should be true of Shakespeare.

Granted, most of the existing work on Shakespearean authorship is nonsense. But that should not preclude asking the question.

I think there are productive lines of research inquiry in the Shakespearian authorship domain, such as with respect to how the posthumous First Folio was assembled.

In the present era of AI and political populism and so-called ‘fake news’, all kinds of libraries have an even more important role to play as reservoirs of truth and as instruments of rationality.

I understand you’ve done writing for and have been appointed editor of Library Planet — a crowdsourced travel guide for libraries — particularly on the subject of academic libraries. Could you tell us a little bit about Library Planet for those who don’t know about it, your interest in and use of academic libraries, and the rise in ‘library tourism’ that you cover in your contributions?

Yes, I love a bit of library tourism! I’ve visited libraries around the world, and I enjoy making libraries a focus of travel.

Hence my interest in Library Planet, which as you say is a crowdsourced travel guide to libraries. It was founded in 2018 by two Danish librarians, Marie Engberg Eiriksson and Christian Lauersen. In October last year I gratefully took over as editor. In that role I’ve continued Library Planet in the mode that Marie and Christian established, while adding more libraries from this part of the world, as well as topical bibliographical pieces.

What does the future of libraries look like to you — both in terms of the role they will play in our communities and what they will be able to keep and curate (and how)?

The role of libraries as a welcoming ‘third space’ in communities is only getting stronger and more urgent. Libraries are adapting in all sorts of ways, including by providing services that increase social access and workforce participation.

A major risk for libraries is the idea that traditional books and other physical media are obsolete. Compared with many contemporary digital technologies and formats, printed books are much more resistant to obsolescence. Libraries need to continue in their roles as storehouses and access points for physical media.

Having said that, libraries cannot keep everything, and conservation is not the sole purpose of all libraries. But libraries that do have a conservation purpose need to be funded and protected, and we need to trust

30 INCITE Magazine | News

Right Cover of Shakespeare’s Library: Unlocking the Greatest Mystery in Literature, 2018 Photo: Text Publishing

librarians and archivists to make sound choices about what to keep and how best to keep it. If we do that, the future of libraires should be bright.

Are you working on anything at the moment that you’d like to tell our readers about?

Yes, I’m working on a few books; I feel anxious if I don’t have a draft manuscript in my satchel!

My book about the ‘Alice’ market invention (in which the author Kate Jennings features prominently, along with the inventor Ian Shepherd) is due for publication early next year.

I’m also working on two longer-term projects: a history of the Mildura region, and a history of La Trobe University. And I’m contributing to a few other volumes, including an edited monograph on aspects of Australian publishing.

In addition to books, I have a few shorter pieces underway, including book reviews — and of course some posts for Library Planet.

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FEATURE

First Nations representation and consultation in libraries: Case studies from Holmesglen TAFE and Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries

ALIA’s vision is for an Australia where library and information services are fully inclusive of Australia’s First Nations’ cultures and perspectives, where truth-telling is supported, and where First Nations people are an integral part of the Australian library services workforce. Libraries around the country share this vision and have taken meaningful steps to make their libraries and collections culturally safe and ensure that they can engage meaningfully and productively with First Nations staff and patrons in the library and information sector.

Below, Kirsten Boxall from Holmesglen TAFE and Kate Finn and Lynne Siejka from Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries tell us what has been happening in their libraries to improve representation and agency for First Nations peoples when it comes to collections, programming and training.

Creating the first First Nations Guide at Holmesglen TAFE

By Kirsten Boxall

It began at a liaison training day in September last year. Our Indigenous Representatives, Luke and Kaycee, came and addressed us, talking of the need for more inclusion and representation for First Nations people in the sector. The library was and is always looking for ways to collaborate with other departments at Holmesglen, and 32 INCITE Magazine | Feature

this was a perfect opportunity to do so and to redress the lack of visibility of First Nations people in our collection.

We decided to highlight First Nations resources within the library collection, which turned into creating and promoting a First Nations LibGuide. Three library staff members, one from each campus, volunteered for the task. We held a meeting at which the terms of the LibGuide were discussed and agreed upon, and then we started collating the resources.

It continued with the ‘Mighty Spreadsheet’. This aptly named tool became the repository for all the titles we could find, as we ran search after search with various terms, truncating and extending, using the ‘what’s next to this item?’ tool, and occasionally wandering over to the shelves and looking. We were occasionally surprised by finding gems in our collection that we hadn’t realised were there — for example, a copy of the very first report from the Australia Aboriginal Land Rights Commission from 1973!

We had decided to organise the ‘Mighty Spreadsheet’ into rough categories: one sheet with everything, one for ebooks, one for DVDs and one for our streaming videos.

We also decided to highlight resources with First Nations authors.

As we combed our collection, we agreed to cull certain resources that were acceptable at

the time of publishing but had since become either outdated or offensive. I enjoyed the collaborative process and learned a lot from my colleagues, especially our different search strategies. We invited Kaycee and Luke to provide input and review the guide, as it was very important to us that they were involved, and we were delighted by their enthusiasm.

Once the guide was launched during Reconciliation Week, we generated a QR code linking to it and displayed prominently with our Reconciliation Week displays and First Nations maps of Australia, we added a slider at the bottom of our website, and we wrote a blurb to be used in the Holmesglen Online Community and the Student LIFE newsletter.

To make searching for our First Nations collection easier, we decided to go through and add one unique subject heading to every item in Sirsi. There was much debate as to what it should be; eventually we used the subject heading ‘Indigenous peoples – Australia’. With a week of solid effort, every single First Nations Collection resource that has a Sirsi record is now searchable via this tag. All new items added to the First Nations Collection will be tagged.

What The Future Holds. We’ve kept a keen eye on what others in the sector are doing in this area. CAVAL has put out its Indigenous Knowledge Attribution Toolkit; YPRL has launched its Deadly Collection; there is

FEATURE

collaboration and promotion and new ideas happening all over the place! We continue to promote our guide wherever possible.

It’s beyond time that First Nations people and resources are given appropriate and comprehensive recognition.

‘Participation isn’t enough’: First Nations-led co-design at Yarra Plenty Regional Library

By Kate Finn and Lynne Siejka

Yarra Plenty Regional Library (YPRL) has been rolling out co-design training to our staff over the last few years, and the results of previous co-design workshops with local First Nations community showed that YPRL still had a long way to go in this space. So, when we were selected for co-design champion training last year, we discussed what approaches we needed to take for our work with First Nations people. Firstly, we connected with local Elders and Leaders from the First Nations community in the Banyule area and formed a consultative group to co-design and we also had additional input from other key First Nations locals along the way.

Photo:123rf Feature | INCITE Magazine 33

FEATURE

Deadly Collection Photo: Supplied

The co-design process was important in enabling us to achieve our outcomes.

It gave us permission to spend time to establish relationships and experiment with diverse ways to connect. Our meetings were informal, either online in Teams or in person, sometimes at cafés. We were never able to have everyone together at the same meeting as we were dealing with extremely busy First Nations community leaders. This required us to take detailed notes and persist in communicating with members who were not present. This enabled the feedback to be added in layers to build a more complex picture. It was remarkable how much agreement we discovered.

Meetings with the consultative group were held over several months and the feedback was shared with the broader library service and suggestions were made about how the library could reach out to the community and what the First Nations community would like to see happening in our spaces. There were a few topics that were mentioned consistently. Firstly, we needed to make First Nations cultures visible in the libraries. The group highlighted the importance of being able to see themselves 34 INCITE Magazine | News

To make searching for our First Nations collection easier, we decided to go through and add one unique subject heading to every item in Sirsi ... With a week of solid effort, every single First Nations Collection resource that has a Sirsi record is now searchable via this tag.

and their culture reflected in collections, programming and library spaces. The other key point raised was that to grow trust and develop a sense of welcoming, YPRL needed to commit to ‘more than just words’.

During this process, we learnt that missteps along the way would occur but were not damaging with active listening

and respectfully trying to improve our responses and build our relationships with First Nations communities. Some of our early attempts certainly misfired, but we discovered that working on small, more easily achievable improvements helped, as it showed that we could progress and displayed a commitment to the suggestions that had come from our sessions. Importantly, it also showcased that the co-design process is an ongoing one. Even once relationships are formed and trust is built, we have continued to check in and ask questions or float ideas with this group.

Throughout the year, we implemented a range of ideas that had come from our group, which included public programming such as author talks, yarning circles, Aboriginal heritage walks, First Nations film screenings, as well as educational talks and conversations. We also focused on the education of children and young people by hosting regular First Nations storytime sessions and embedding First Nations events into our school holiday programs.

Internally, the education of staff has become a key focus. YPRL has introduced cultural competency training for all staff developed

FEATURE by the Koori Heritage Trust. A keynote presentation on YPRL’s staff development conference was delivered by Banyule City Council’s First Nations Lead, Zali Mifsud, and focused on Banyule City Council’s support of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and inspired staff regarding their ability to contribute.

It has been through our growing relationships and connections with First Nations people that we have been able to launch the Deadly Collection on SNAICC Children’s Day on 4 August. This project began with identifying items in our children’s collection from First Nation creators and will expand to cover all items in our collection over the next 12 months.

The aim is to make material created by First Nations creators highly visible and easily accessible. This has involved consultation through co-design with various local First Nations people and groups. The process of strengthening our relationships with local First Nations

communities has ultimately led to the YPRL Board’s endorsement of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. We now have Deadly Collection displays across all nine of our branches and our Mobile Library, and banners showing YPRL’s support of the Uluru Statement from the Heart at the entrances of all our locations.

To truly effect change through a co-design process, management needs to be open and supportive, otherwise initiatives will slip off the surface of the organisation, as key staff leave or disengage, and learnings are forgotten over time. What emerged in our case, as the co-design outcomes reached up into management levels, was that management committed itself to organisational (structural) change and deep learning, which was profoundly appreciated by the First Nations community leaders.

This is only the beginning of progress in this space for YPRL.

Kate Finn Coordinator Programs & Engagement Ivanhoe Library Yarra Plenty Regional Library Lynne Siejka Coordinator Programs & Engagement Watsonia Library Yarra Plenty Regional Library

Join the hundreds of facilitators delivering stimulating playful experiences that develop children’s confidence, communication, collaboration, creativity and a can-do attitude in your library with our programs.

Our library-centric STEM-based programs include: y Little Bang Discovery Club y Storytime Science y Big Bang Science Workshops y Spark! STEM loan sets for ages 3 to 12

childrensdiscovery.org.au News | INCITE Magazine 35

FEATURE

A change is as good as a holiday: moving sectors Change is inevitable, and often daunting.

As we approach the New Year, a time when many people take stock of their professional and personal development, we’re using this edition of ‘Library stories’ to profile two ALIA Members who have made significant career changes in, out and within the sector. Sandy Ullrich (Librarian and Educator, EQUALS International) and Lori Korodaj (Senior Client Services Librarian, Canberra Health Services (CHS) Library and Multimedia) share what prompted their decisions to make a change, how their skills honed in other professions informed their career in libraries, and tips for those considering their next all-important move.

Sandy Ullrich Librarian and Educator, EQUALS International Photo: Supplied

Lori Korodaj, Senior Client Services Librarian, Canberra Health Services (CHS) Library and Multimedia Photo: Supplied

36 INCITE Magazine | Feature

Sandy Ullrich, Librarian and Educator, EQUALS International I’ve worked in many professions and vocations, from nursing to tertiary education, research and an amazing 15 years in the primary industries as a beekeeper. In late 2020, while working on a cherry orchard in the Adelaide Hills, I decided to study creative writing and applied linguistics — I love writing and this, I felt, was a natural progression. The decision-making process that led me to study Information and Library Management was rather nebulous but, in my mind, there is an inherent connection between all my previous work experiences and my interest in how we communicate, whether written or verbal, and facilitating learning to empower individuals and communities to grow and thrive. I am fortunate to be working as librarian in an independent, dual-sector organisation. Here, I can apply all my knowledge and skills to provide meaningful and sustainable support to students and staff.

The library sector is a wonderfully diverse community and, for me as a novice in information and library management, the challenges have been immense and very rewarding. I’m learning a new language specific to the profession, which is in stark contrast to the language of nursing, education and research (and beekeeping)!

I’ve also had the opportunity to translate my knowledge into practice by working at a public library and an independent higher education and Vocational Education and Training (VET) provider. It is the latter sector that has sparked my particular interest and curiosity as a researcher. In particular, I’m curious about the nature of independently owned VET organisations and librarians who work in this sector. Who are they? Where are they? What similarities and differences exist

FEATURE in this somewhat elusive sector?

I work as a librarian and educator at EQUALS International, which is an independently owned VET provider founded 32 years ago. EQUALS Library has evolved over time and is underpinned by the organisational values, which include equality, the development of human and spiritual potential, decision-making through consultation, ethical business practices, social responsibility and values-based leadership. My role in this independent VET organisation is ‘organic’, developing and evolving in response to student, educator and organisational needs. This flexibility and accessibility to management has enabled me to rapidly implement initiatives to support teaching and learning, and working with a diverse student cohort has given me many opportunities to look at andragogy in a completely different way.

My preliminary exploration into the VET sector has found that Australia has more than 4,000 Registered Training Organisations that are publicly and privately owned (Vocational Education and Training International Engagement Strategy, 2025).

The TAFE sector contributes significantly to Australia’s economic and social prosperity and it is anticipated that by 2026, 47% of new jobs created and 64% of total employment will require qualifications from a TAFE provider (Australian Education Union, 2023).

The TAFE system has also experienced significant funding pressures and the effects of change on systems and human resourcing have been documented in a few Australian peer-reviewed and grey literature sources.

However, there is no information about private VET libraries in South Australia and how students and educators access resources and support to enable effective and lifelong learning. I put on my sleuthing cap and called 19 privately owned VET organisations in Adelaide to connect with fellow librarians.

I found none. Only one managing director of a privately owned VET organisation reported that collaboration existed with his organisation and a higher education library.

There is a practical gap in the challenges that may be experienced by private VET librarians who work independently and within unique organisational systems. There is also a knowledge gap because there is no current peer-reviewed literature available.

As part of my exploratory research into the private VET sector, I would like to connect with other librarians who work in the private VET sector. If you are interested in connecting with me and possibly participating in future research, please contact me at sullrich@equals.edu.au Lori Korodaj, Senior Client Services Librarian, Canberra Health Services (CHS) Library and Multimedia Many folks in my sphere are making a change — moving house or jobs, retiring early or altering work/life balance for a healthier lifestyle. I never thought I would be one of these people — until I was! So, why the change?

The library sector is a wonderfully diverse community and, for me as a novice in information and library management, the challenges have been immense and very rewarding.

I’m learning a new language specific to the profession…

I had been a teacher librarian (TL) for most of my 30-year career, with breaks for family and a move to another city, where I worked in student administration at a regional university. Recently, I started looking for a new challenge outside of education. I didn’t have capacity to start again at another school library and my energy was drained. Even with the best school library team, and students, my ‘spark’ was gone. My relationships and health were suffering.

This is what I did to change sectors.

Consider why you want to change. Write down your reasons: financial, health, challenging your skill set, being closer to home etc. Then list your skills and knowledge.

Decide which skills are transferable, skills

that other library specialties or other industries are looking for right now.

From thinking to action: I looked for an expert to work with to make my transition possible. I recommend finding someone who will offer a short session to discuss your needs first, and then commit to further sessions if you are comfortable with their approach. I was lucky enough to find someone who specialised in supporting women making career changes (CV update, new job requirements, writing pitches to meet selection criteria, interview techniques).

I’ve landed a great job in health librarianship and found a welcome challenge!

I’m a ‘stranger in a strange land’ and there is so much to learn: new research tools, medical terminology (feeling like a first-year medical student!) and needing to build networks/ relationships from scratch again (I thrived on my TL networks built up over many years).

My Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) membership provided the resources I needed. They have the amazing Health Libraries Australia (HLA) specialisation! This section linked me to the Hospital and AI in Health Libraries CoPs and suggested groups to follow on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms.

I’ve also engaged with their myriad of CPD events and started building up my hours for ALIA’s CPD Scheme.

Take advantage of all learning opportunities. My team is keen to develop a program for new medical librarians and I’m taking part in its development alongside my director and other experienced colleagues.

This has resulted in active encouragement to attend any professional development the team can find to build my capacity in health librarianship, while also recognising the transferrable skills I bring from teacher librarianship.

Finally, some sage advice. My director said to me last week, ‘Give yourself a year to really know your job.’ When you’re driven to know everything all at once — this is tricky! But it’s true. Be patient, ask the questions, jump in, and give things a go to see if they work and go from there.

Feature | INCITE Magazine 37

FEATURE

Driving sustainability for library communities During the 2021 Shared Leadership Program, some may say destiny led Jessica and Rachel, both librarians working at Public Libraries Victoria, to become not only walk-talk partners to digest the program learnings, but also partners in purpose to find ways of supporting sustainable development in libraries.

They tell us more about this experience below.

Despite our diverse backgrounds, one from a regional setting and the other from a metropolitan one, we found ourselves sharing a deep commitment to the future of the public library industry.

This connection took a meaningful turn when we joined a project group focused on exploring how Victorian public libraries could promote environmental sustainability within their communities. As we delved into this research, it became evident that remarkable sustainability efforts were underway across Victorian libraries. However, a common challenge emerged – the need to facilitate the sharing of this valuable information between library services. In response to this need, our 38 INCITE Magazine | Feature

project group (Jacqueline Auhl, Elizabeth Payne and Jac Torres-Gomez) took the initiative to establish a Sustainability Special Interest Group (SIG) under Public Libraries Victoria (PLV). The SIG, which we now coconvene, hosts eight meetings annually and has grown to include membership of more than 60 dedicated Victorian library and information professionals.

In an era marked by unprecedented global challenges, libraries have positioned themselves as dynamic catalysts for change.

They no longer simply curate and disseminate knowledge; they actively shape a sustainable future. Within this context, Victorian libraries have made significant strides to support

communities with sustainability. The SIG encourages library services to integrate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their service offerings and is there to offer advice, resources and a commitment to ongoing SDG discussion.

One exciting initiative in this journey is the development of the new PLV Sustainability Portal (www.plv.org.au/sustainabilityhome/). This portal is the result of many hours of collaboration between PLV staff, Sustainability SIG convenors and BSO Digital, a Melbourne-based web development agency using a grant from Royal Society of Victoria.

This innovative platform is a testament to the commitment Victorian libraries make to have a meaningful impact on sustainability, all while fostering a culture of awareness and action among their communities. The key goal of the portal? To support the library industry and communities to increase their knowledge to become more environmentally sustainable, and to spotlight library services that make a positive impact in this area. The site features an explanation of the SDGs with reference to public libraries, an interactive map that pinpoints key sustainable initiatives, and a bank of case studies to inspire new

FEATURE sustainable programs and partnerships.

The United Nations SDGs are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all by 2030. They provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. Victoria, with its rich and diverse library network, has taken up the mantle to promote these goals, make them accessible to the public, and build widespread awareness for library and information professionals.

The Sustainability Portal is a comprehensive platform that brings the SDGs to life. It does this by breaking down the goals into digestible, engaging content that resonates with library users and the broader community by displaying how they relate to everyday life. We decided to highlight the sustainable initiatives introduced across Victoria with an interactive map. The map amplifies the innovative solutions libraries have put into practice in an answer to today’s environmental and societal challenges.

The eight initiatives (community gardens, plant and produce swaps, community pantry, community lunches, energy saver kits, library of things, seed libraries, and the provision of e-waste bins) outline the impact of sustainable approaches. The initiatives provide tangible examples of how individuals, communities and libraries can contribute to a more environmentally conscious and socially responsible world. We aim to track further sustainable initiatives as more practices are

The portal acts as a hub of sustainability education for library communities. By providing valuable information and resources, it empowers individuals and services to act on issues that matter most to them.

put into place. Services can contact convenors when they launch a new initiative so it can be added to the map.

The portal acts as a hub of sustainability education for library communities. By providing valuable information and resources, it empowers individuals and services to act on issues that matter most to them.

Whether you’re interested in environmental conservation, poverty reduction, climate action, or any other SDG, you’ll find accessible, informative content on this platform.

The website’s commitment to science education extends beyond mere information dissemination. We feel it serves as a platform for local libraries and communities to collaborate, share insights and implement projects that align with the SDGs. Victorian libraries are inspiring positive change on a personal, community and global level. They are helping people understand how individual actions contribute to the larger global agenda.

By providing access to the site, which we believe is the first of its kind nationally, libraries promote the idea that every action counts, every voice matters, and collective efforts can bring about profound change.

The Sustainability Portal is not just a static information repository; it’s a living, evolving testament to the commitment of Victorian libraries to make a positive difference. In the true spirit of the SDGs, it is a platform for learning, collaboration and transformation and a shining example of how libraries in Victoria are leading sustainability efforts in the community. To quote the International Federation of Libraries Association (IFLA) 2016, ‘The consideration of the role of humanity in climate change and the notion of sustainable development are core concerns of society, and consequently of libraries.’

Victorian libraries are demonstrating that they are not just places to consume knowledge; they are places where knowledge is transformed into action, where citizens are educated and mobilised, and where positive change is born. This digital platform is a vibrant testament to the power of libraries to shape a brighter, more sustainable future for all.

Jessica Anderson Branch Coordinator – Goulburn Valley Libraries, PLV Sustainability SIG Co-convenor, jessicaa@gvlibraries.com.au Rachel D’Arcy Library Team Leader & Portfolio Lead – Brimbank Libraries, PLV Sustainability SIG Co-convenor, racheld@brimbank.vic.gov.au Feature | INCITE Magazine 39

FEATURE

Safe, open and relaxed: Creating space at the University of Newcastle The open, self-serve nature of libraries reflects our role as community spaces full of community-provided resources. At the University of Newcastle, we have five libraries, all with daytime access and some with 24-hour access. Our patrons (staff, students and community members) are encouraged to use the spaces as they wish; for study, meetings or just hanging out.

Tucked away on campuses, we may not have the same safety issues that city centre community libraries encounter, but sources such as the National Student Safety Survey tell us that safety on campus is still an extremely important issue to solve, including in our libraries.

Left Patrons can borrow a yarning mat kit.

Photo: Supplied 40 INCITE Magazine | Feature

A simple solution might be increased surveillance, controlled access and security wardens, but our aim is to make our libraries as welcoming and safe as possible while also being relaxed. We have found that the more successful solutions result from connecting and engaging with a range of partners to help us deliver the right balance of messages and mechanisms.

‘The University Library is the students’ space. We give them freedom to use it however they want to, whilst reducing opportunities for unsociable or unsafe behaviour. The key to this is in sharing — we do our best work in partnership,’ said Matthew Davis, University Librarian.

In reviewing our approach, we partnered with students for insights into their safety concerns and to co-design solutions. We also gathered ideas from other university libraries via information-sharing site visits, and together these led us to introduce the ‘active concierge’ as a preventive measure.

We have several students employed as Student Peer Support Assistants, who are encouraged to rove the library in their bright turquoise shirts, actively engaging with patrons. They act as a mobile help desk — answering questions, offering assistance or just being a friendly face and an opportunity for conversation. Some are bemused at first that they are being paid to just amble and chat! Other staff are rostered throughout the library and encouraged to wander through

FEATURE Left Look for a Lanyard campaign reminds patrons that they can approach staff members for any kind of support.

Photo: Supplied

Far Left Active concierge is both a customer service and a safety measure.

Photo: Supplied

different spaces as they go about their work.

This not only provides timely, convenient customer service, it also spreads the presence of staff as precluders. Our ‘Look for a lanyard’ campaign reminds patrons that they can approach staff members for any kind of support they need. One idea we have for the future is to have QR codes on desks so that students can request support directly wherever they are in the library.

Library visits and partnerships have also helped to inspire space design changes to avoid any hidden or dark corners. All our group study rooms now have patterned vinyls on clear glass walls and there is clear line of sight through each area, particularly for roving staff. In their 2023 article ‘Safety in a public library: the perspective of visitors and staff’, Vania Ceccato and their team showed that carefully designed furniture and lighting not only improves safety by allowing staff to see patrons but also that the staff become more visible themselves.

Another aspect of safety is that of cultural safety. In a recent UX interview with students, one described the library as feeling ‘like home’, which is a feeling we hope is shared by all students who enter the library. We provide a range of study environments to suit diverse preferences, including yarning mat kits if patrons want to escape the rigidity of chairs and tables for a traditional yarn. We have been upskilling staff through training, such as ACON’s LGBTQIA+ Ally training and neurodiversity awareness training. We have several signals to our patrons of our commitment to being a safe space — from the rainbow staircase up to our main library to gender neutral bathrooms and our recent Drag Queen Storytime. Many staff choose to wear affirmative lanyards and pin badges. Our only dilemma in this area is to find a neat way to differentiate allyship from membership of particular communities for patrons looking for specifically like-minded support.

The University Library is the students’ space. We give them freedom to use it however they want to, whilst reducing opportunities for unsociable or unsafe behaviour. The key to this is in sharing — we do our best work in partnership.

– Matthew Davis, University Librarian

This year the university has had a particular focus on understanding and mitigating psychological safety risks. We have partnered with different areas to provide training for library staff such as mental health first aid, ‘accidental counselling’, and responding to disclosures of sexual violence.

We have offered stress reduction activities for patrons including chill out zones, affirmation walls, MakerSpace craft, yoga and an extremely popular petting zoo!

Like everything, this is a process and a journey. Our biggest challenge is probably shared with many libraries — that we are leading change and therefore often alone out in front. The rest of the university is equally committed to student safety and success, but they are not always ready to run beside us — providing the training, resources, facilities or expertise when we are ready to deploy it. That leaves the library in an exciting, dynamic place of experimentation and innovation, but not always moving as fast as we would like to.

Jemma Bowman, Manager, Student Engagement and Partnerships, University Library, University of Newcastle jemma.bowman@newcastle.edu.au

Feature | INCITE Magazine 41

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Nominate yourself or encourage one of your peers to nominate, open to all personal financial Members of ALIA. More information at alia.org.au/elections

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