INCITE Magazine Volume 44 | Issue 1

Enrich your LIS career and build connections by participating as a mentee or mentor

• 12-month structured program for ALIA personal members

• One-to-one mentor-mentee matching

• Monthly webinars, discussion forums and resources

• Suitable for all career stages and sectors

• Free for mentors, $175 for mentees

• Contact pd@alia.org.au for more information

Applications open 15 May

alia.org.au/mentoringscheme

© ALIA 2023

Subscription enquiries subscriptions@alia.org.au

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.

ALIA

ABN 40 090 953 236 ALIA House, 9–11 Napier Close Deakin ACT 2600

PO Box 6335, Kingston ACT 2604

Ph: 02 6215 8222

Fax: 02 6282 2249 enquiry@alia.org.au www.alia.org.au

Editor: Liz Bradtke incite@alia.org.au

Design: Coretext www.coretext.com.au

Advertising: Liz Bradtke incite@alia.org.au

Events: Christina Granata 02 6215 8214, events@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

Christina Granata Director of Conferences and Events christina.granata@alia.org.au

Trish Hepworth Director of Policy and Education trish.hepworth@alia.org.au

Cover: Louisa Anne Meredith, 1860, Some of my bush friends in Tasmania: native flowers, berries, and insects, drawn from life, illustrated in verse, and briefly described, Plate 4, National Library of Australia, nla.obj-39158480.

And so begins the very first edition of INCITE published on 25 January 1980. This quote captured my interest for two reasons. First, as the new editor of a new INCITE, I cannot help but admire this succinct – and certainly tongue-in-cheek – acknowledgement of the effort that goes into launching a new or revised publication. We’ve been working hard over the past few months in partnership with our wonderful client publisher Coretext to bring you a cleaner, fresher template that can accommodate and reflect the new directions the library and information services (LIS) workforce continues to head in. The template has also been designed with the digital-only format in mind and can be read and enjoyed on any device.

Second, the enthusiastic invitation for readers to send their ‘raspberries and bouquets’ reminds me that, to echo our 1980 editorial team, INCITE is your magazine – not only in terms of the submissions (and yes, feedback!) we seek from you but also in terms of a conversation. We want INCITE to foster and amplify a genuine dialogue between ALIA and the sector. We want submissions that express what is important or exciting to you, what is urgent and what you think ALIA and your colleagues need to know. To this end, you will also be seeing more interviews and Q and As in the coming editions as we work harder to get to know you and to hear your stories.

Keeping our conversations as open as possible is also one of the reasons that we moved away from ‘themed’ editions. We loved having the themes as they let us cover certain topics comprehensively. In this next phase, however, we want to broaden the pool, hear from more voices on more topics all year round.

Nonetheless, a number of themes have emerged from the pieces in this first edition. We have success stories from two major campaigns –Public Libraries Victoria’s Big Summer Read and the State Library

By Liz Bradtke Editor

of South Australia’s Public Library network rebrand – that focus on the importance of partnerships and collaboration in achieving the end result. Two pieces – one from Wyndham City Libraries and the other from Holmesglen TAFE – that detail how the use of space and design in a library is essential for student wellbeing, whether by enabling and encouraging ‘play’ in younger students or by providing state-of-the-art facilities and resources for students at the tertiary level. And on the topic of students, an article by Trent Hennessey and Kylie Tran from the University of Melbourne describes the role libraries play in creating a sense of community and belonging for international students, especially as they return to campus in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, an article from Anne Reddacliff at the State Library of Queensland tackles the issue of librarian identity and identification through the framework of pop stars – as she puts it: ‘are you a Taylor or a Katy?’

You will also find the usual round-up of news from ALIA and the sector as well as new features such as CPD spotlight, Library stories, From the archive and Pop culture corner.

Keep your eye on our website, social media channels and ALIA News for details on how to submit to the next edition, and enjoy the new-look INCITE!

Liz Bradtke, Editor

Liz.bradtke@alia.org.au

Acknowledgement 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.

Welcome to the new-look INCITE. ALIA is very excited to present the premier magazine for the library and information services sector in this new digital format, with a refreshed look and feel, and a new publication schedule of four issues per year. You may also have noticed some changes to our other communication channels including ALIA Weekly (now ALIA News), CPD Digest and Recruit LIS, which were rolled out at the beginning of the new year.

On the theme of new beginnings and ‘refreshment’, I am currently finalising a new library build at Springwood Library, NSW. While on the existing footprint, this reimagined library will span two floors with a dedicated research and study space downstairs, and the traditional library space with shelves, lounges, internet access and a podcast room with sound equipment upstairs. The shelving has been ordered, the carpet has been laid and the joinery is being finalised, and it has been wonderful to see the original concept coming together in real life.

What I love about new libraries is that they become destinations in themselves. For example, the Green Square Library in Sydney has a reading room with a whole wall of weeded books that form part of an art installation. I have heard that this art wall of colourful books is one of the most popular library spaces featured on Instagram.

The new City of Parramatta library, which opened in November 2022, is part of a whole new precinct. Over six levels, PHIVE (5 Parramatta Square) features a library, studio spaces, meeting rooms, customer contact centre and visitor services, and the Council Chambers. As the anchor within community facilities, libraries further align themselves as free, accessible and inclusive spaces.

While the future of libraries and library services is still being written, I believe the virtual presence of libraries will continue to increase. People have become very used to downloadable content and reliable online information provided by libraries, and this could lead to new and diverse jobs in libraries that we have not even thought of yet. Specialised online librarians, customer experience and marketing or social media librarians may become commonplace in the workforce.

I would love the trend of destination libraries to grow and expand – and if you continue to create vibrant and wonderful spaces for your communities, I am sure that library tourism will become the norm.

Vicki Edmunds AALIA (CP) ALIA President

Vicki Edmunds AALIA (CP) ALIA President

Above Springwood Library NSW. Photo: Supplied

The beginning of a new year is always full of possibility, and this is certainly the case for ALIA this year. I have spent my first ten months as CEO getting to know you and the library sector, and gaining a deeper understanding of the role played by ALIA within the library and information services (LIS) landscape. A number of key projects were already underway, examples being the Professional Pathways project and the Innovation and Leadership Roundtables. Other internal reviews were kicked off in 2022 around ALIA’s Membership model and offerings, ALIA’s Advisory Committees and Groups, and ALIA’s suite of training and events.

Directline

By Cathie Warburton ALIA CEO

Looking forward

ALIA Members will already be aware of some of the outcomes of this work with the release of the report on the Innovation and Leadership Roundtables and with the changed model for regional engagement that focuses on increased opportunities for face-to-face get togethers across Australia. This year you will also be consulted on the proposed model to come out of the Professional Pathways project, and we will share with you the results of the membership survey.

As you can read about in more detail in this edition of INCITE, ALIA’s Groups and Committees will be a key focus for us in 2023. Our Advisory Committees and Groups are a valuable resource for engagement and innovation, and they are critical in informing ALIA’s advocacy efforts – an area where we know you want us to continue making ourselves heard. This year we will make it easier to join Groups and make the administration more streamlined.

As you know, we had a number of nominations for the ALIA Board in January. I am encouraged and inspired by the energy and goodwill shown by ALIA Members who continue to volunteer their time to the industry, and I look forward to meeting and working with more of you this year and sharing your stories in ALIA News, the upcoming ALIA podcast and INCITE. In the meantime, please enjoy this inaugural edition of the new-look INCITE and the window it offers into the wonderful, creative and future-focused initiatives our industry is undertaking.

Cathie Warburton, ALIA CEO cathie.warburton@alia.org.au

I am encouraged and inspired by the energy and goodwill shown by ALIA Members who continue to volunteer their time to the industry, and I look forward to meeting and working with more of you this year.

VOTE IN THE

ALIA BOARD ELECTION 2023

Read about the candidates at alia.org.au/board-candidates

Voting closes 7 April 2023 5pm AEST

At ALIA, we are fascinated by the stories of our colleagues in the sector: where they’ve come from, how they got to where they are and the professional journeys they wish to embark upon in the future. Library stories is a new feature in INCITE that allows us to share these fascinating and varied accounts with our readers. For this inaugural edition we thought we thought we would treat you to not one but two tales from people in the sector and how they found their pathways into and through LIS.

Library stories

Damian Garcia and Zoran Opacic

First, we caught up with Damian Garcia, Unit Manager – Libraries at the City of Marion in South Australia. We asked Damian about his current role, his professional background, and how skills gained from his work in finance and youth work equipped him for a career in libraries.

Hi Damian! Thank you for speaking with us. Can you tell us a little bit about your current role?

I am currently the Unit Manager – Libraries at the City of Marion in South Australia. We have three library branches, a Home Library service and also a local Heritage Research Centre. The City of Marion has over 95,000 residents with approximately 30% of those being library members. With over 675,000 circulations and 300,000 visitors last year, we are incredibly busy and well loved by our community. I am also the President of the Public Libraries Association of SA (PLSA), which represents and advocates on behalf of all 130+ public library outlets across 69 council districts.

Where did you work prior to this?

I started my career in banking and worked there for 13 years. I had a real desire to work for a values-based organisation so moved into the not-for-profit sector working in

youth work. I did that for a number of years, working in different roles, and then got an opportunity to work for World Vision Australia. After working there for a number of years, an opportunity came up in local government working in libraries, which I was fortunate enough to be given. I have been in libraries now for six and a half years.

Which skills from your previous workplace experiences and training do you use as an LIS professional?

I think the skills I’ve learned in previous roles that have been the most valuable in my current role are strategic thinking and planning, and also being able to analyse and use data to both tell a story and make decisions. In relation to strategic thinking and planning, this isn’t just about having a great vision for the future, it’s also about putting actions in place today that will eventually lead to the bigger picture. Having a plan that is active and flexible is just as important as having a grand vision for the future. In relation to data, we are fortunate as a sector to have so much data available to us. What has been really valuable in my role is being able to analyse that data and turn it into a story that people can relate to and using the data to make informed decisions for change.

What would you like to see change in the LIS workforce over the next few years?

I actually think we are in a very good position overall, so I don’t see the need for too much change. It is important that we keep working to make it an attractive proposition for people to either start their career in or, as I have done, to join from other professions. The way we can do that is to stay innovative and progressive, and to keep pushing the boundaries on what library services look like in our communities, while making sure not to dilute our reason for existence by trying to do too much.

What advice would you give to someone looking to enter the LIS sector?

The only advice I would give to anyone looking to join the LIS sector is to simply do it. It’s an amazing network of passionate people who are highly skilled and deeply connected to their communities. In my experience it’s a unique blend, which isn’t easily found in other professions and industries.

Damian

Manager

Australia

Left Damian Garcia

Photo: Supplied

Garcia, Unit

– Libraries at the City of Marion, South

What has been really valuable in my role is being able to analyse that data and turn it into a story that people can relate to and using the data to make informed decisions for change.

Second, we share with you a moving first-hand account from Zoran Opacic, Services Innovation Officer, State Library of South Australia, of his journey ‘from bombs to books’ as a child in the Serbian-Croatian war zone.

My great escape: From bombs to books

When you can’t escape from bullets and bombs, you escape into books. From age eight to 12 I was in the Serbian-Croatian war zone. Where I read. And read. Books saved me.

While some fled to safer shores, my family stayed home in Croatia and Serbia and survived. I did escape to Australia but not until 2010. And not from war but for love. I met the love of my life in primary school back in Croatia. We saw each other again in 2010, when she was visiting from Australia. Romance began and soon we were married –which meant me moving to the other side of the world.

Moving to a new country is hard. I was without family. I had to learn new ways, whole new systems. I had studied English in high school and university, so my conversation was passable. However, I knew if I wanted to study here and work in a library, I had to refine my English skills fast. One way I did this was by reading children’s and teen’s books, which really fast-tracked my English. Adult fiction and non-fiction came later.

I arrived holding a Bachelor’s degree in professional management from Belgrade University, but I began work in Australia at the Coles Group at customer service level. Determined to succeed, I quickly worked my way up to store manager. Fortunately, my degree from home was recognised by the Australian Department of Education, allowing me to study towards a Master of Business Information Management at the University of South Australia. This was

pivotal in attracting my first library role as a casual at Port Adelaide Enfield Public Library Service. My studies enhanced my digital literacy, which led to a project developing a website with a digital map for South Australia’s ‘One Card’ library network, now available for future ICT professionals on the Libraries of SA Catalogue website.

My work sharpened my ability to assist customers with whatever they needed, and the experience from my studies allowed me to quickly understand and adapt to new systems. Combining these experiences with my strong motivation led to my first permanent contract in a public library. After graduating, I secured a position with Adelaide City Libraries working in

the Customer Service Team. Here I gained significant ongoing experience working with the new Library Management System and RFID technologies. I also assisted library staff with consortium online resources, program and event development, and delivery.

Upon graduating, I became an ALIA Member. In 2021 I gained my ALIA Certified Professional Certificate and participated in the ALIA Mentoring Scheme. Working at the Town of Walkerville Public Library in 2020 saw me rapidly becoming a skilled library professional, with extensive technical and customer service experience.

In 2022, I was offered a position at the State Library of South Australia, revitalising services on how we interact

with our customers and the community. It is an exciting place to be. My international background has become an advantage, rather than something to overcome. It has given me capacity to identify and assist vulnerable groups in the community. They say, ‘information is power’. And what better job is there than to bridge information to everyone in our community? The ability to empower others is our greatest gift. I’ve never felt so fortunate.

Zoran Opacic AALIA (CP) Services and Innovation Officer State Library of South Australia

zoran.opacic@sa.gov.au

MARCH NEW RELEASES

Continuing professional development (CPD) is an essential part of keeping your skills and knowledge up to date in any profession.

Basiliou Holly

To explore the enduring value of CPD, each edition of INCITE will put the spotlight on a member of the LIS community to hear about what they’ve learned, what they hope to learn, and the role that professional development has played in their career to date. Meet Holly Basiliou – a recent ALIA student award-winner who is just embarking upon her professional development journey.

Hi Holly. As this is the first edition of the new-look INCITE, we wanted to feature someone brand new to ALIA and our CPD scheme. Can you tell us a little bit about how you came to be a Library Technician Member of ALIA and what you’re hoping to cover in your professional development journey?

When I completed the Diploma of Library and Information Services at TAFE Queensland in June 2022, my lead teacher (Anita Deo) advised me that I would be awarded the ALIA Student Award 2022 for academic excellence. I was surprised and very excited to receive this honour from ALIA! My membership was included in the package, which led me to discover the fantastic CPD scheme. As someone new to ALIA, I think this is a great program to continue your learning journey in the LIS profession. I am interested in self-improvement, online learning and further education. I have enrolled in the Copyright 101 training course as I believe this is an important area to fully understand.

Do you have a particular specialisation that you’re hoping to focus on in your CPD (eg data, heritage, government)?

I am interested in archives and recordkeeping, so the heritage specialisation would be something I could focus on in my CPD. Luckily, I have time during this first year to think about particular specialisations.

CPD takes a multitude of forms – everything from research, attending workshops and webinars to volunteering and more. Do you have a favourite type of engagement when it comes to learning and development?

I am currently volunteering at a school library, which I find very enjoyable as it puts into practice what I have learned. I am fascinated with the digital world, and workshops in this area grab my attention, so I enrolled in the ALIA ‘Visual design made easy (with Canva)’ workshop. I like attending webinars because you are not constrained to a particular location, which allows you to hear from industry professionals and meet interesting people through the convenience of your device.

I also hear that you have started your studies at the University of South Australia. Which part of the LIS profession intrigues you the most and where are you hoping to go in your career?

I have just started my Bachelor of Digital Media, which explores the GLAM [Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums] sector and how digital media is making these industries accessible to more people. I want to finish this degree and then maybe complete a Graduate Diploma in Information Management (Uni SA). I am hoping to combine digital media and information management in some way, but I still have so much to learn … As a 20-year-old, I am excited about what lies ahead of me.

Above Holly Basiliou

Photo: Supplied

As we announced late last year, each edition of INCITE will now include a regular ‘From the Archive’ section, focusing on a person, topic, issue, text or event that impacted the sector in some way large and small. In this first run of the feature, I address the ‘why’ of the matter: Why turn to the archive? And why now?

I know our readership includes a number of highly skilled archivists and librarians for whom the answer to the question ‘why the archive?’ will be clear: the past teaches us about the present; it can inform the future; it preserves and it can also create.

But I also drew inspiration from a previous role of mine that involved advocating for the humanities disciplines. In this role, I reached out to a number of high-profile practitioners from the arts and culture sector for their reflections on the value of the humanities and its disciplines (including research and archival work). One of the responses stood out. Biographer and novelist Nicholas Shakespeare described the act of ‘looking back’ in dynamic, purposeful and mobile terms:

‘More and more, our view of the past and present is all too easily fogged up, so that we

From the archive

By Liz Bradtke

can’t see ourselves. To study the Humanities is to rub away this patch of mist. They make clearer where each and every one of us has come from. They put into perspective where we stand now. On top of everything, the Humanities light the way to where we’re going – at their best, in such a way that we are excited, even impatient, to get there.’

Clarity of vision

I see the archives in much the same way. We don’t turn to the archive to view things as quaint or frozen in time, we turn to the archive to clarify our vision, to free ourselves from the fog, to see where we’ve been and where we are now.

A good example of this can be found in the very first edition of INCITE (which you can read more about in the Editor’s introduction on page 4). Published in newsletter form,

this early incarnation of the magazine is a comprehensive (dense, even) walk through the library and information services sector as it was then.

Throughout the edition the usual evocations of the past reveal themselves. Advertisements for catalogues ‘now available for the first time in microfiche’ place us at a particular point in the technological evolution of our industry. So too does the regular feature entitled ‘Baudy Bits… Column of Online News’ – a round-up of the latest news in software development and digital services for libraries.

In some cases, we see the beginnings of what have now become parts of core business: details of an annotated corpus of women-authored or women-related texts to support women’s studies courses in Australia (still relatively new to universities) and

the early stages of the establishment of an International Relations Group within ALIA, for example.

The more things change

More striking, though, is what has remained the same in the industry from 1980 to now. The pages are full of updates on topics like part time work and job sharing, freedom of information, special interest groups, inter-library loans, education department consultations, student recruitment, the latest from Australian librarianship journals and more. The pages dedicated to events feature details on seminars on government publications, a working group on multicultural library services, and a workshop on librarianship for handicapped users.

Any of you who subscribe to ALIA News might recognise these topics as they appear

again and again. Of course, that’s not to say that there haven’t been changes and advances – some of them transformative – in these areas, but to return to that quote from Nicholas Shakespeare, these recurring issues can help give us a new perspective on where we currently stand.

And now it’s over to you. We know there is an enormous amount of expertise and historical knowledge in our community, so if you have something from the archive you’d like profiled, please get in touch by emailing incite@alia.org.au

Professional pathways: A global perspective

A linear career path, though not completely relinquished to days of yore, is increasingly the exception rather than the rule. Today’s career pathways are dynamic and fluid, and we are increasingly switching careers multiple times throughout our lives. This is due to a multitude of factors, including changes in the economy, developments in technology, and shifts in values and expectations. More than ever, we are seeking value and purpose in our work and want our jobs to reflect our values.

Skills shortage

The Great Resignation, or the Great Reshuffle as it’s also called, saw waves of people quitting their jobs and rethinking how, why, and where they work. In the US, half of those who left their jobs made a career change, a trend even more pronounced for young people.

On the heels of the pandemic, concerns about skills shortages continue to make headlines across the world. In Australia, the most recent Skills Priority List revealed shortages in 286 occupations (compared to 153 in 2021) and a 42% increase in advertised jobs. It’s a similar story in the US, with one survey reporting that 69% of employers are struggling to fill positions – up from 14% in 2010.

Jane MacMaster, Chief Engineer at Engineers Australia, recently spoke to Radio National about possible ways to address the declining number of engineers, embracing the fact that people are shaping their careers differently and creating more flexible and fast-track pathways. ALIA’s 2022 Professional Pathways Technical Report found similar themes across multiple sectors in Australia, with professional associations and industry bodies exploring new and additional pathways in areas as diverse as accountancy, architecture and data management.

The library and information sector is not immune to these global headwinds. Library leaders across the globe are working with positive disruption culture. Serious work also remains to address ongoing issues with equality, diversity and inclusion

In the Australian library and information sector, ALIA’s Professional Pathways initiative has provided a platform for the sector to come together to discuss, research and build pathways to support a diverse, valued and supported library and information sector workforce. The initiative aims to develop a comprehensive framework of the skills, knowledge and ethics needed to deliver high-quality library and information services that anticipate and meet the needs of the population.

Through focus groups, workshops, consultation and desktop research, the project team has amassed a wealth of information, through which some common themes are emerging. These are being shaped into a report, which will be released for consultation in 2023.

The Professional Pathways team invites people from across the Australian library and information sector to contribute to the consultation process and be involved in shaping the future.

For updates please visit: professionalpathways.alia.org.au or get in touch at professionalpathways@alia.org.au

Photo: Hafeisi/Pexels

How to speak up for Trove

On the eve of our holiday shutdown in December last year, ALIA released a statement on the need for secure and ongoing support for the National Library of Australia’s Trove database.

The statement expressed our deep concern over reports released that day of potential budget cuts to this invaluable piece of critical infrastructure. We were heartened to see the groundswell of support from members, colleagues and the broader community on social media and sincerely thank everyone for their support to date.

Following the release of the statement, our Director of Policy and Education, Trish Hepworth, hit the radio waves and ALIA has continued to speak on the issue in a number of radio interviews.

As most readers will know, Trove is Australia’s national portal offering free, public access to Australia’s history and culture. The service connects people with collections

across the country. Used by writers, researchers and students to everyday people exploring, Trove offers the ability to search more than six billion digital objects that tell the story of Australia.

Hundreds of organisations contribute to Trove, ranging from national bodies through to local groups such as the Deniliquin and District Historical Society. Thousands of individuals contribute their time and effort each year to support Trove, and the people using it.

The National Library of Australia (NLA) only has funding to run Trove until July 2023. Without further funding the Library will be unable to maintain Trove as the service we know and love. If that happens people would no longer be able to use Trove to search the collections, and access to the objects that tell Australia’s story would be out of reach for most Australians.

In the new year, as part of our advocacy

We encourage you to take action to secure sustainable funding for Trove, now and into the future.

efforts, we pulled together a range of resources to support individuals to advocate for secure and adequate funding for this essential service. It is very important that we come together as a community to support Trove and advocate for the funding it needs to continue its work. You can see the full list of resources on our website, but key suggestions include:

• writing to MPs and Senators to help them understand the issues and the importance of secure, ongoing funding for this essential infrastructure

• encouraging other people who will be

impacted and/or care about Trove’s funding to write and talk about the issue

• sharing local news coverage or other activities that call for ongoing funding for Trove

• sending media coverage you come across through to media@alia.org.au as we will be collating the stories.

We also encourage you to write a good, old-fashioned letter. Letters that have the strongest cut-through are those written from personal experience. So if you have a Trove story to tell, if Trove has been important to your work, your community or your family,

please put that in. Any letter is better than no letter! Letters can be physical or email, and you can find the contact details for your local MP, Senators and Ministers on the Parliament of Australia website.

Trove is an essential part of Australia’s cultural infrastructure.

Trove needs secure and adequate funding into the future so that we don’t lose access to Australian stories.

We encourage you to take action to secure sustainable funding for Trove, now and into the future.

Each edition of INCITE this year will feature an image from the Trove collection on its cover to further highlight the richness of this worldleading collection.

Towards a sustainable library field in Asia-Oceania

In November 2022, ALIA Vice-President Clare Thorpe attended the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Regional Workshop: Towards a sustainable library field in Asia-Oceania held at the National Library of Thailand in Bangkok. This international gathering of library and information sector leaders was an opportunity to discuss the key things that we need to do to ensure we can continue to support the development of our societies into the future. We asked Clare to tell us about some of the highlights and key take-away messages from the three-day workshop.

I was delighted to represent ALIA at the IFLA Regional Workshop for Asia-Oceania last November. Almost 50 delegates representing IFLA Members from across the region, and members of our Asia-Oceania Regional Division Committee and Preservation and Conservation (PAC) Centres, met for three days. Delegates came from 28 countries across Central, East, South and South-East Asia, and Oceania, from Iran, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the west to Pacific Island nations including Fiji, Vanuatu, Guam and the Mariana Islands in the east. Australia was represented by three delegates: me (representing ALIA), Tania Riviere from National Library of Australia as the PAC lead, and Jayshree Mamtora who is a member of IFLA’s Regional Division committee for Asia-Oceania. The event was also attended by IFLA’s President, Barbara Lison (Germany), IFLA Regional Council Chair Nthabiseng Kotsokoane (South Africa) and IFLA staff from the Netherlands.

The Day 1 workshop topics included defining and building a sustainable library field in the region, developing advocacy skills to use when meeting with government agencies and funders, and evaluating and demonstrating the impact of libraries. The workshop also provided time for networking and building connections between library leaders across the region.

On Day 2, we attended a session at the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) headquarters in Bangkok, meeting with and hearing from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and ESCAP staff about the UN’s priorities to accelerate development towards the 2020 agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I was invited to speak about ALIA’s work progressing the SDGs in Australia, including our 10 stretch targets and national advocacy partnerships with the National Early Language and Literacy Coalition and the Australian Media Literacy Alliance.

The workshop was a valuable opportunity to learn about the sustainable development initiatives being led by libraries and library associations throughout the Asia-Oceania region. Delegates shared insights and ideas about opportunities for cross-country collaboration. Delegates also shared common challenges, for example, the challenges of attracting and retaining skilled staff in libraries and the need to provide more training opportunities and career development for para-professional and professional staff.

The workshop provided a reminder that libraries are great running mates for government and non-government funding

IFLA at UN, delegates at the UNESCAP headquarters in Bangkok.

Photo: FLA Flickr

agencies. We can package information in a way that is accessible to many and makes sense to our communities. However, ‘the library’ is not necessarily the answer to every question. We need to understand our stakeholders’ problems first then demonstrate how partnering with libraries can contribute to the desired outcomes. We need to get better at understanding the difference between outputs and outcomes, and we need to gather evidence to demonstrate how our work changes people’s knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviours and quality of life.

Presentations from the event are available from the IFLA repository, and photos from the event are available from IFLA’s Flickr stream.

Read more about the workshop on the IFLA news site

Clare Thorpe AALIA (DCP)

ALIA Vice-President 2022–23 ALIA Institutional Director 2022–2024 Funding for the trip was provided by IFLA.

Above Clare Thorpe and colleagues speaking at the UN

Photo: IFLA Flickr

Above IFLA Working group –from left, IFLA President Barbara Lison, Clare and delegates from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Photo: supplied by Muhammad Irsyad Alfatih

A round-up of ALIA’s innovation and leadership roundtables

In the second half of 2022, ALIA held a series of small functions across Australia with members and leaders in the library and information services (LIS) industry. The purpose was to facilitate discussion about industry trends, challenges and opportunities from the perspective of those working across all sectors – from schools to universities and from public libraries to special libraries as well as LIS educators and researchers. ALIA also wanted to hear feedback on its performance and where members thought it should be focusing its efforts into the future.

Eight roundtables were held, one in the capital city of every state and territory, with more than 100 people in total attending. Hosting each event was a great opportunity for ALIA’s new CEO, Cathie Warburton, to meet members and to hear first-hand their experiences, hopes, challenges and ideas.

To ensure the discussion was as comprehensive as possible, attendees were sent a series of questions before the event. Questions focused on the challenges and opportunities facing the sector, its strengths and weaknesses, ALIA’s role in the LIS landscape, what ALIA could be doing better, and opportunities for future initiatives and collaborations.

While this round-up cannot capture the full breadth and range of the discussions, here are some of the key themes that recurred across the sessions.

The LIS industry is not well understood by employers, the community and potential recruits. This was identified as being partly a communication issue. There was broad agreement among those we spoke to that libraries often struggle to articulate their impact, value and role to organisational leaders. ‘A strength but also a weakness for many librarians is that we really want to help people and see them succeed,’ said one participant. ‘But we also struggle to promote the work that we do to take credit for and talk up our successes. I think we need to be better storytellers.’

The LIS industry needs a strong national voice. Attendees proposed that the voice from the LIS sector is fractured and that,

Entrance to MONA Library

Photo: Cathie Warburton

The key take-away messages were that the sector should be loud and purposeful, focus on strong consistent messaging around sector values, and engage media more proactively.

while there are strong voices in some states and some sections of the industry, we need a united national voice. The key take-away messages were that the sector should be loud and purposeful, focus on strong consistent messaging around sector values, and engage media more proactively.

The need for advocacy. The topic of advocacy came up again and again across all sessions, and there were many robust conversations about how to develop and improve upon our advocacy efforts. Many ideas were pitched including encouraging LIS staff to make better use of data when showing the impact of libraries, using evidence-based communication when engaging with decision-makers, and collaborating with other sectors and looking at how they work to promote their achievement. One area where ALIA can take the lead is in building the capacity of, and opportunities for, members to contribute to advocacy efforts and campaigns.

The declining number of universities offering LIS courses creates the misperception that it is a profession in trouble. We heard from those in the higher education space that one of their biggest challenges is recruiting librarians. Attendees spoke of the difficulty of getting applicants and the need to readvertise a number of positions in 2022. In response to this, we discussed how to better promote a career in libraries, including having greater visibility at careers forums and university open days, promoting LIS as a second career, and seeking LIS recruits from across Australia and the region.

Low representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the LIS industry. One of the most urgent and recurrent discussion points was the need for greater engagement with Indigenous communities to counter the legacy of colonialism in libraries and to start to address the history of exclusion in collections. One suggestion was to use the

opportunity afforded by the referendum on the Voice to Parliament in 2023 and Queensland’s Path to Treaty to highlight the role libraries play in truth telling and accelerating conversation. Discussion also took place on the need to rethink the ‘old’ ways of doing things, improve upon current practice to ensure Indigenous knowledge is acknowledged and incorporated, and better educate staff on cultural safety. To that end, ALIA is working to address the recommendations from Dr Kirsten Thorpe’s survey into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian library sector.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the roundtables. ALIA will be working hard over the next 12 months to tackle the challenges identified in these discussions and will continue to update you on our progress. You can read Cathie’s first-hand reflections on the session on the ALIA Blog

'If you struggle to read, then you haven’t found the right book format ' a ‘ raw and honest story about duty and the desire to run free A strong voice in Australian fiction.’ Melina Marchetta

'Pajalic bravely deals with some serious adolescent issues ' Kirkus Review

Digital lending rights – a quick explainer

Librarians, authors and readers celebrated the recent announcement that soon ebooks and audiobooks will be included in calculations of library lending rights payments to authors and publishers. In an advocacy win for ALIA and our book industry partners, the Australian Government announced the $12.9 million extension as part of the National Cultural Policy in January 2023.

Lending rights payments have been a fixture of Australia’s library sector since the establishment of the Public Lending Right (PLR) scheme in 1976. The payments recognise the public benefit of these books being available for the community to read and borrow. Australia was only the second non-European country to implement a lending right scheme. Originally just for public libraries, the closely linked Educational Lending Right (ELR) scheme extended lending rights to books held in school, TAFE and university libraries in the early 2000s. Both schemes pay money directly to eligible Australian creators (including authors, illustrators and translators) and Australian publishers when their books are held in libraries.

Both PLR and ELR are governmentfunded and administered schemes overseen by the Lending Rights Committee, which is currently chaired by Eve Woodberry FALIA. The payments are calculated on holdings, which is turn are based on a yearly survey of a subset of eligible libraries. The survey is so efficiently

run that some librarians don’t even realise that their library has been surveyed. Basing the payments on holdings rather than borrowings not only reduces administrative costs (meaning more money for authors) but also recognises that some books, such as non-fiction reference titles, may be read by multiple people but never leave the library.

The move to include digital formats poses some challenges in working out an equivalence for holdings across the different types of licensing arrangements that libraries enter into for digital content. ALIA will be consulting with our members and working closely with the Office for the Arts to lend technical support in this process and in any changes to the survey.

The technical intricacies, though, pale into insignificance compared to the wider benefits of the scheme. Libraries work hard to connect readers with Australian stories and resources and are very aware of how challenging an author’s life can be. The 2022 National Survey of Australian Book Authors commissioned by the Australia Council revealed that the average income for an Australian author was just $18,200. Lending rights make up on average 10% of that income; for many authors they are critical regular income in an industry not marked by regular consistent pay cheques.

Lending rights payments are also a reminder to authors that their books are being read and loved, long after the first print run has concluded. As the Australian Society of Authors CEO Olivia Lanchester said when the scheme was extended, ‘Authors love seeing their books held in libraries’ collections, but their digital editions haven’t counted in lending rights payments – until now. The ASA, along with ALIA and thousands of creators around the country, have been calling for this change and we are delighted the Government has listened.’ The extension to lending rights gives authors and publishers even more incentive to celebrate their works in all formats being in library collections.

Trish Hepworth ALIA Director of Policy and Education trish.hepworth@alia.org.au

Photo: Pexels/ Perfecto Capucine

The data struggle is over. The next-generation library analytics platform. Meet

Panorama,

building...

Combine data from your library and campus systems to enable insights that you never thought were possible and prove the value of your library. ebsco.com/panorama

Get involved with ALIA in 2023!

This year at ALIA we’re focusing on creating more opportunities for members and others in the library and information services (LIS) community to participate in our events, initiatives and activities. You might spy a number of ways for you to get involved in this first issue of INCITE for 2023, including by voting in the ALIA Board elections, by speaking up for Trove, by participating in the ALIA Mentoring Scheme or by submitting to this very magazine for the June, September or December editions.

Thanks to our membership survey, we have heard directly from you about what you’d like to see from ALIA in the coming years. We heard that you appreciate (and have missed!) being able to come together to share with and learn from one another. To that end, we will be running face-to-face networking events in every region this year, and we look forward to seeing you all in person. But do you want to know about one of the best ways to get involved with us?

Join an ALIA Group in 2023!

ALIA Groups are an essential part of the life of the organisation and broader LIS sector. They are distinct from ALIA Board Advisory Committees. Groups are led by ALIA Members who conduct a range of activities and events throughout the year including networking events, professional development opportunities and projects to inform policy and advocacy.

There are two main types of groups: regional and special interest. Regional groups are based on a state or region and tend to be more about networking and social connection. Special interest groups are formed because of an interest in a specific area of work, activity or issue. Where possible, special interest groups should be national rather than regional.

You can find further details about our current groups on the ALIA website. Scan the list, see what sparks your interest and reach out to the convenor or chair and find out how you can get involved. You can also consult the ALIA Group Handbook for information on how to start your own group.

Highlights from 2022

• Establishing the ALIA Multicultural Group, ALIA Rainbow Group, ALIA Adult Literacy Group and the ALIA Digitisation Community of Practice and active email list

• Successful collaboration between ALIA Rainbow and the New Generation Advisory Committee (NGAC) for August #AusLibChat, exploring libraries and LGBTQIA+ issues

• More than 300 registrations for the ALIA Disability webinar on website accessibility

• Successful Tropicalia symposium with a split physical model across Townsville and Cairns

• ALIA LARK ((Library Applied Research Kollektive) 10th anniversary celebrated at the 2022 Symposium on 28 January at the University of Technology Sydney

So far in 2023

• Members of ALIA Rainbow and others from the sector will be marching (or rather dancing) again in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade with a routine that leans into and breaks away from stereotypes set to Bjork’s It’s oh so quiet

• First events will take place for ALIA’s newest group, the Digitisation Community of Practice (DCoP), which grew out of a QULOC group in recognition of the need for a supportive community that stretches beyond state and sector boundaries. The group aims to share digitisation processes and procedures to ensure best practice across the sector

• A group of First Nations ALIA Members, led by Yanti Ropeyarn and Rebecca Bateman, is leading the work to reinvigorate the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Library and Information and Resource Network (ATSILIRN). After collecting feedback from some key people in ATSILIRN’s history, a survey has been launched for First Nations People and allies in the sector. This will inform a work program in 2023

Corinna Pierce and members and friends of ALIA Rainbow in rehearsals for the Mardi Gras parade.

Photos: Corinna Pierce

TAYLOR

Are you a Taylor or a Katy?

By Anne Reddacliff

I have always liked the idea of looking at our identity as librarians through the lens of ‘celebrity’. Pop stars, in particular, do a lot of image management and, in some cases, are in a constant state of reinvention. For many librarians, image and identity are similarly top of mind, so in this piece I will look at the issue of identity in the library and information services (LIS) sector using pop culture stereotypes as a frame.

‘Are you a Taylor Swift or a Katy Perry?’ This is the question I posed to ‘library Twitter’ in late 2022, and the results may surprise you. Personally, I have always thought that if Katy Perry and Taylor Swift were librarians Katy Perry would be the cool children’s and youth librarian while Taylor Swift would be a glasses-wearing special collections librarian. And apparently that is how we do see ourselves! In my poll, 17% of librarians chose Katy Perry as an ‘identity idol’ while an overwhelming 83% chose Taylor Swift.

I have a few theories on why Taylor Swift – and the more conservative elements of her public image – might be more popular with library and information professionals than Katy Perry. Taylor’s image has changed through the years from wholesome country music artist to pop phenomenon to thoughtful singer-songwriter. The thread running through all of them was a seriousness and a particular talent for crafting poetic and personal lyrics. It makes sense then that we might gravitate to her image as it aligns with the well-established and more traditional ‘librarian figure’ (not to mention that part of the librarian stereotype is that we are fond of a cardigan, and two of the songs on Taylor Swift’s album Folklore mention cardigans!)

Katy Perry, in contrast, has a more flamboyant image. Her clothes are bright with a slight retro feel to them and her music is considered fun rather than poetic. In film clips she is often surrounded by rainbows, lollipops and unicorns. She is the ultimate pop princess.

But in all seriousness, librarians tend to be defenders of human rights, and recently Taylor Swift has emerged as a strong LGBTQIA+ ally with songs like You need to calm down. She also says several times in that song: ‘You’re being too loud’. Who hasn’t had to use that phrase with at least one patron every day?

However, when it comes to issues of mental health, I would argue that Katy Perry’s songs would resonate strongly with our sector. By the grace of God, for example, describes what it feels like to be contemplating suicide. A lot of us in the library and many information professionals live with mental illness. There is even a yearly #LISMentalHealth Twitter chat where librarians can compare notes on mental health challenges and self-care tips. I myself live with a severe mental health condition, and I have this song in my recovery playlist. If you’d like to share your thoughts on who you identify with, you can tweet me @AMoodiLibrarian.

KATY

Anne Reddacliff

Librarian, State Library of Queensland

Email: anne.reddacliff@slq.qld.gov.au

Photo: Icons8 Team/Unsplash

Inclusive subject headings

By Karen McKell

ACT Government publications are an essential part of the ACT Legislative Assembly Library’s collection, and we work hard to ensure their long-term findability and discoverability. With the ACT Government now publishing more and more material about LGBTIQ+ communities, we identified the need to review our existing subject headings to make sure they were consistent and inclusive.

Around the time we were having this discussion, the Trans Metadata Collective (TMDC) released its Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources, which we used to guide our approach. We also took on board advice about the limitations of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and some of the strategies we could use to overcome these limitations.

In particular, we noted the LCSH term ‘sexual minorities’ and how it is considered ‘unsatisfactory because it’s not a commonly used phrase and because it conflates sexuality and gender’.

Photo: Brett Sayles/Pexels

Photo: Alexander Grey/Pexels

This was the term we were applying most frequently to our LGBTIQ+ material, so we felt it was particularly important to address its limitations.

Following TMDC’s advice, now when we apply subject headings to a record, we identify the terms used in the item we’re describing and look for appropriate LCSH terms. When deciding on the appropriateness of terms, we consult not only LCSH’s scope notes and references, but also definitions in the ACT Government’s LGBTIQ+ glossary. We combine multiple terms to make sure we are as inclusive as possible, and we are flexible with the number of headings we apply to each record, prioritising inclusivity over established cataloguing practices.

We still felt this didn’t address the fact that the term ‘sexual minorities’ is not a widely used phrase in the material we catalogue. This was the basis of our decision to supplement LCSH with an additional vocabulary. TMDC suggests several alternative LGBTIQ+ vocabularies and

we decided to use Homosaurus, which is authorised for use in MARC records.

In September 2022, the ACT Legislative Assembly Library decided to apply the controlled vocabulary Homosaurus to our bibliographic records for LGBTIQ+ material. Homosaurus is an international linked data vocabulary of LGBTQ terms that supports improved access to LGBTQ resources within cultural institutions.

We now use a term from Homosaurus when there is no appropriate LCSH term. The most common term we apply from Homosaurus is ‘LGBTQ+ people’ and its variations such as ‘LGBTQ+ older people’. Because this collection is small, we were also able to go back and apply these changes retrospectively where appropriate.

This is an important change in our library and the first of many projects to make sure our subject headings that reflect people’s identities are inclusive and respectful.

Karen McKell Senior Librarian ACT Legislative Assembly Library karen.mckell@parliament.act.gov.au

Photo: Francesco Ungaro/Pexels

We now use a term from Homosaurus when there is no appropriate LCSH term. The most common term we apply from Homosaurus is ‘LGBTQ+ people’ and its variations such as ‘LGBTQ+ older people’

Libraries SA ‘for all who seek’: Our rebrand story

The new Libraries SA master brand was co-created in 2021–22 by Public Library Services (PLS) and Public Libraries SA (PLSA). It is the public-facing brand representing public libraries in South Australia. To develop the master brand, PLS worked with Nation, a holistic marketing and communications services agency based in SA and the ACT.

The process began with strategic inputs and brand strategy workshops with representation from all types of libraries in the network. The workshops were designed to determine the all-important ‘What’ ‘How’ and ‘Why’ of the rebranding exercise.

The summary from the workshops was: What = Literacy, Foster a love of learning and Community

How = There when you need us, Collaboration, Adaptive, Being Genuine, Trusted

Why = Empowerment, Help Discover their story, Enable the community to thrive.

This led us to the development of a brand essence, manifesto and voice. We needed the new brand to convey that our public libraries harness the power of literacy to foster a love of learning among the community and empower people to discover their story and enable them to thrive. Facilitated by helpful staff, our trusted places are there when, where, and how they are needed, whether to provide sanctuary and support, information and insight, or purpose and belonging. All of us are searching for something, and public

libraries exist to connect us in shared discovery.

The brand manifesto was all about curiosity and seeking. Libraries SA empowers curiosity through literacy. Our diverse collections inspire people to ask questions about their world, to see it from other points of view and become fuller versions of themselves. By ensuring equal access to resources and ideas, we encourage everyone to elevate their own understanding. Learning – and the opportunity it opens – is a right shared by all. Put simply: Libraries SA creates a community for all who seek.

The next step was to identify our four key audience segments: recreation seekers, enrichment seekers, support seekers and connection seekers.

Recreation seekers are people on the lookout for new books, experiences, media or content. They’re wanting to serve an in-the-moment need, whether that’s to relax, to be entertained or to escape.

Enrichment seekers are people who exhibit a natural love of learning or who have a specific focus on developing themselves and those around them.

Support seekers are members of our community who rely on us for their dayto-day needs, ranging from basic tasks like using technology or printing forms, through to intermediate support such as assistance in accessing government services online or

understanding and interpreting official documents.

Connection seekers come to public libraries for personalised human contact, even if they don’t consciously realise it. They may be young families seeking a playgroup or isolated individuals looking for company. They may want to reconnect to their sense of place, to feel part of their surrounding community, or to reconnect with their sense of self through investigation of their family history. Whatever kind of connection they are seeking, libraries strive to make them feel that they belong.

The final stage in creating the brand was designing the logo. Developed from the brand strategy, the logo is based on a set of five books in the shape of South Australia. The colours represent the spectrum of colours that councils use to represent their local areas and communities.

The official launch of the new brand took place on 8 November 2022, and you can see the video on the Libraries SA YouTube channel.

We are excited to share our new brand with you and encourage everyone to visit the State Library of South Australia for more information.

with Libby

The Libby reading app offers libraries the largest selection of ebooks and audiobooks –from global best-sellers to titles from Australiaʼs top authors and publishers. That makes it easier than ever to give your patrons access to their favourite local content.

And with Libbyʼs monthly book clubs featuring local reads, you can connect with your library community throughout the year.

Big Summer Read Partnering for success

Public Libraries Victoria’s (PLV’s) second annual Big Summer Read campaign was launched in November 2022 with a lively series of school incursions by actor and voice artist Stig Wemyss.

The Big Summer Read, an annual reading challenge for schoolaged children, is designed to slow what’s known as the ‘summer slide’: the loss of reading proficiency – as high as 40% – that occurs when children do not read over the holidays.

‘I’ve spent the better part of my career encouraging children to read, so when I was approached to be the ambassador for Big Summer Read, I jumped at the chance,’ Wemyss said. ‘Through Big Summer Read, I have an opportunity to excite children about the joy of reading and, as we know, once you unearth that joy within yourself, you have it forever.’

Wemyss, narrator of Andy Griffith and Terry Denton’s hugely popular Treehouse books, appeared at a mix of primary and secondary schools in metropolitan Braybrook and Noble Park, and in Newcomb, Maryborough and Traralgon in regional Victoria. Sponsored by Bolinda BorrowBox, the tour was the brainchild of Christine Vandor, convenor of PLV’s Children’s and Youth Services Special Interest Group.

‘In 2021, we did a pre-recorded online launch [of the Big Summer Read] with Stig because of COVID,’ said Vandor. ‘But it was clear that in order to really grab the kids’ attention, Stig needed to be live. We needed to get him into schools.’

Right Stig Wemyss launches the Big Summer Read at Maryborough Education Centre

Photo: Supplied

The tours provided an opportunity to strengthen [public libraries’] partnerships with school libraries and provide them with a way to support the students to maintain their literacy over the summer

To access the schools, PLV partnered with the School Library Association of Victoria (SLAV) on the initiative, with SLAV member schools hosting the visits.

‘Schools are always looking for opportunities to extend and enrich reading across the term breaks, and this initiative from PLV gave the selected schools the perfect springboard to encourage reading across summer in an engaging and supportive environment,’ said SLAV Executive Officer Susan La Marca. ‘This excellent initiative fosters pleasure in reading and supports access to the wealth of reading opportunities available in local public libraries.’

‘The tours provided an opportunity to strengthen [public libraries’] partnerships with school libraries and provide them with a way to support the students to maintain their literacy over the summer,’ added Vandor.

With the effects of the ‘summer slide’ most pronounced in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage, the schools for the tour were selected accordingly.

The response to Stig’s performances was overwhelmingly positive. Newcomb Secondary College teachers reported that Stig’s performance was the most engaged the kids had been at an incursion all year. The Newcomb College school librarian reported record attendance numbers at the lunchtime book club following Stig’s appearance. A teacher from Harrisfield Primary School in Noble Park reported a run on loans of the Treehouse books at the school library following Stig’s visit. And Greater Dandenong Libraries, which provides the local public library service, was in the top 10 libraries for Big Summer Read registrations that same week.

‘There’s so much technology in the world that is designed to steal our

children’s attention, and a lot of it can be detrimental to their growth and learning,’ Wemyss said. ‘I see it as our responsibility to find ways to excite children about literature because we know that children who read and listen to books have a better vocabulary, a greater thirst for knowledge and a much stronger capacity to retain information. You can’t get that with a gaming console in your hand.’

11,535 children and young people registered for the challenge, logging 133,855 books over two months – an increase of nearly 40 per cent on last year’s result.

The three-way partnership of PLV, SLAV and Bolinda BorrowBox in supporting the campaign and the dedication of public library staff were key features of its success.

Dr Angela Savage Chief Executive Officer, Public Libraries Victoria angela.savage@plv.org.au

Left Bec Clark, Maryborough Regional Library team leader, and Stig Wemyss at the launch of the Big Summer Read at Maryborough Education Centre in regional Victoria.

Photo: Supplied

Contemporary, creative and

cost-effective: Transforming Holmesglen library

Below Holmesglen Library Photos: Tatjana Plitt

Holmesglen Institute’s 20-year-old Chadstone campus library is now a vibrant, environmentally friendly and welcoming space thanks to a string of clever architecture and interior design strategies aimed at modernising the space in a sustainable and cost-effective manner.

The project was undertaken by Melbourne-based architecture firm Spowers and led by Spowers Director and interior designer (and Holmesglen alumna!) Annie Robinson. Annie and her team began by identifying the potential of the library’s existing fit-out and undertook a rigorous assessment of all available assets. They quicky discovered that much of the existing fit-out and furniture was in good condition and made the decision to retain as much of it as possible.

For example, as the library’s book collection had been significantly reduced in line with modern libraries’ growing digital footprints, all existing bookshelves were repurposed and redeployed to segment a variety of spaces, such as those for group activities and independent study areas. The shelving was also recrafted to comply with current height requirements, then covered in laminate and fitted onto plinths to further enhance its appearance.

The library’s original floorplan featured a central void, with tiered flooring that stepped down to meet the void and elevated offices that overlooked it. The team used that existing layout to their best advantage and were able to enliven the unused space within the void and create a more welcoming look and feel. Carpeted in a turquoise shade, in line with Holmesglen’s branding, the pavilion now adds a vibrant pop of colour to the library’s interior.

Consultation with the student body was a key part of the project. The project team engaged directly with student body representatives and asked them what would entice them to use the library more frequently. They incorporated those findings into the design. A games room – equipped with a large LCD monitor and bean bags for lounging – and a technology-free room for students to retreat and enjoy some downtime, offline, are among the studentinspired spaces within the library.

According to Paul Culpan, Holmesglen Executive Director, Corporate and Commercial Services, the library is now seen as the heart of the Chadstone campus – a space that feels both inviting and invigorating.

The redevelopment of the Chadstone campus library was supported by the Victorian Government.

Tonia Zemek, Senior Marketing and Communications Adviser Lindy Johnson, Director, Lindy Johnson Creative

A traditional suburban TAFE library in Melbourne was transformed into a thriving and dynamic student hub in late 2022 through a powerful refurbishment.

international students’ connection and belonging in universities

Hundreds of thousands of international students are arriving in Australia this year. Libraries across the country are ready to welcome their return. Dr Trent Hennessey and Kylie Tran from the University of Melbourne reflect on the role libraries play in shaping international students’ experiences and the opportunities ahead.

If there was a word cloud capturing current sentiment in the higher education sector, ‘recovery’, ‘renewal’, and ‘revitalisation’ would feature prominently. In classrooms, on campuses, at libraries, and in our communities, the presence of international students has been missed after three tumultuous years responding to the challenges of the pandemic.

For some international students, 2023 marks a return to Australia to re-establish their lives and continue their studies. For others, this year represents a transition from studying remotely to on-campus or commencing studying in Australia for the first time. Whether students are onboarding, transitioning study mode, or returning to study, universities recognise the need to personalise and strengthen their support for international students.

Sense of connection

Part of ensuring that international students are set up for success is developing their sense of connection and belonging in the university community. As the heart of a campus, libraries have a powerful role to play here.

Reflecting how important libraries have been to their experience of university life, international students have variously described academic libraries as ‘a safe space’, ‘a productive zone’, and ‘a home away from home’. These meanings reveal the personal connections that international students have had with libraries, with these relationships further evident in the social media content they have created in and about libraries.

Pre-pandemic, libraries were international students’ preferred study spaces on campus. Contributing to this preference was the

This wave of new practices is likely to continue, presenting an opportunity for libraries to innovate and evolve their offerings to be the catalysts for 21st century learning that we aspire to be.

availability of friendly and helpful staff, extended opening hours, the amenity of study spaces, and easy access to collections.

Unpacking this preference further, we discover that international students valued the learning commons of academic libraries as unique spaces that enabled connection with other people sharing the space while providing them with the solitude to think, write, reflect and read. The scholarly environment created was both motivating and empowering – an antidote to the loneliness and digital distraction that international students can experience. Far from family, friends and the familiar, international students relied on libraries.

As international students arrive in Australia this year, a key opportunity for libraries is to update their understanding of international students’ perspectives, needs and user behaviours. This understanding is crucial to our ability to evolve library services and spaces for international students to ensure we are positioned for relevance and resonance.

Collaboration

Our willingness to listen, learn and co-create with international students is particularly important after the past three years of accelerated change in the design and delivery of higher education.

For example, new forms of peer, social and technology-enhanced learning are already being observed in students who have returned to campus. On the ground, this has translated to high demand for library meeting rooms as students form study groups to watch online lecture recordings together. In these rooms, immersive learning environments are being created as students simultaneously engage with textual, sonic and visual learning content (videos, transcripts and lecture slides) they display on multiple devices. Real-time collaboration is evident with students creating notes in shared online documents. Students are also customising their learning experience, dynamically adjusting play speeds of lecture recordings to suit their learning styles.

This wave of new practices is likely to continue, presenting an opportunity for libraries to innovate and evolve their offerings to be the catalysts for 21st century learning that we aspire to be.

Importantly, these trends may surface widely, with international students being active users not only of academic libraries, but school, public, state and national libraries too.

Every service interaction we collectively provide has the potential to boost an international student’s confidence and influence their subsequent help-seeking behaviour and use of library services and spaces. We so often get this right for international students because diversity and inclusion, lifelong learning, and access to education are core to our professional values.

Our library doors are once again open. To Australia’s international students we say: Welcome. We are here for you. We want to learn with you and from you and create the future together.

Top 5

What can libraries do to support international students?

1. Welcome international students with engaging orientation programs and a commitment to creating positive first-service interactions.

2. Understand international students’ perspectives and new user behaviours and be ready to evolve library services and spaces to meet their changing needs.

3. Enhance discoverability of library services and resources on search engines (eg Baidu) and social media (eg Weibo and WeChat).

4. Ensure international students’ voices are represented in library communications, websites and learning resources.

5. Create professional opportunities for international students through employment in the library and students as partners projects.

Dr Trent Hennessey AALIA Manager, Scholarly Development (Student Learning and Academic Skills), University of Melbourne thennessey@unimelb. edu.au

Kylie Tran AALIA Manager, Library Services and Spaces, University of Melbourne kylie.tran@unimelb. edu.au

Libraries as playspaces:

A case study from Wyndham City Libraries

A child’s right to play is defined as a universal right under article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989. In addition, leading cognitive development theorists Jean Piaget and Len Vygotsky have both emphasised the role play has in a child’s development and according to the 2009 book, Play Under Siege, by Edward Zigler and Sandra Bishop-Josef. Piaget and Vygotsky labelled it as one of the most important elements of cognitive development.

Play involves both physical and emotional responses, and the benefits can be both immediate and long-lasting. Denying children the right to play can lead to inadequate preparation for school and have lasting consequences for how children cope in an ever-changing world. Skills acquired during play include, but are not limited to, language and communication, physical and mental health, sensory and self-awareness, resilience, empathy, negotiation and problem solving.

Despite this, play is often overlooked as a legitimate way of learning by parents. In some cases, parents are looking to fill their child’s free time with something seen as more traditionally educational and staff are often asked what the educational merit is of a school holiday session or a children’s after-school program. The response? Having fun, socialising and creating are essential in developing the skills mentioned above. Library staff who run children’s programs are in a perfect position to assist parents to broaden their knowledge of the ways in which children can learn, and public libraries can convey the importance of play to parents and carers and support them with provision of toys and equipment.

At Wyndham City Libraries, programming and playspaces assist parents, as their child’s first teacher, in helping their children as well as providing a space to play. Playspaces at Wyndham City Libraries, which include sensory walls, puppet and costume stands and play centres to name a few, foster a greater awareness and appreciation of play as a means of learning.

Unstructured play time for children aged 5 to 12 is offered in the form of Lego Club and Construction Club. Offerings for younger children are not program specific, but rather an add-on to existing

Below

Abeer, Rishab, Thrilog, Shrihan, Sai Anirudh and Soinika build with LEGO at a LEGO free-play session held at Manor Lakes Library. Photo: Supplied

Below

Soinika, Sai Anirudh, Tanya, Aadhui, Aliyah and Mahi show their creations from a summer holiday art session at Manor Lakes Library. Photo: Supplied

Right

programs or in the form of a specific space that is available during opening hours. Free play time is encouraged after Baby Time and Rhyme Time sessions, where a large percentage of parents socialise and play with their children using a variety of baby-friendly toys, often up to an hour after each session.

Shared play experiences are a good way to build relationships between younger and older generations. An intergenerational play setting can provide greater literacy exchange among participants. Staff at Wyndham City Libraries have noticed that by providing seating next to an intergenerational playspace, parents and carers more readily engage verbally with their children when at play. These interactions can contribute to the cognitive growth of the child and improve relationships with their parents and carers.

Art and craft are identified as a main focus of Wyndham City Libraries early years and kids programming. They provide children with the opportunity to develop fine motor skills and eye, hand and finger control. It has been noted over recent years, through anecdotal feedback, that many children are

not exposed to these activities at home and often lack basic skills, such as using scissors; this pattern includes older children. The Children’s Team ensures there is ample opportunity for open-ended crafting time during early-years sessions like Story Time and for school-aged children in Kids Club and Construction Club.

A main objective for staff when planning and preparing sessions is focusing on the process and not the outcome. Often parents become frustrated with children if they deviate from the craft, for example, sometimes resulting in parents taking over the construction of the craft. Staff created several strategies to mitigate this, such as providing craft for both child and parent, having several craft examples or not providing an example and talking about the craft instead. These steps helped redirect the focus of the task to the process rather than the completion.

Another important factor for libraries to consider when considering instituting play-based programming or play equipment is that it offers a mindful distraction for

children, thereby reducing stress.

Recently, children’s and youth librarians at Wyndham City Libraries have reimagined their Games Club programming to better cater for a wider age range of children and have a greater focus on collaborative gaming and sharing. The program now offers a mixture of console, physical gaming and group gaming, such as miniature racing cars, track building and board games. The librarians hope these changes will encourage greater critical thinking by children engaged in the program and a larger capacity for social interaction and teamwork.

Although Australia is still to follow leading examples from the US, Asia and Europe in the provision of children’s libraries (Ipswich Children’s Library being the only one in Australia currently), much can be done to support and promote play-based learning within Australian public libraries.

Fiona Bateman Childrens Librarian Wyndham City Libraries fiona.bateman@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Aritaz and Nimar play at the intergenerational play space at Manor Lakes Library.

Photo: Supplied

Raeco is committed to environmental sustainability – it’s in our name RAECO

As a global leader in book covering, we’ve spent the last three years developing a fully biodegradable book covering solution.

The result is Bioguard 80 - a specially formulated film that emulates similar properties and applications to Bookguard - with the added benefit of being fully biodegradable, without leaving toxic microplastics.

® Our active biodegradable ingredient results in a slight texture to Bioguard 80 . This texture does not affect the level of protection to your book.

It makes it easy for you, your team and your visitors to identify which books in your collection are covered in Bioguard 80 .