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Australian libraries – especially public, State and Territory Libraries – have found the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) to be an invaluable source of data about the levels of digital inclusion nationally, regionally and locally. The information gained from the ADII reports has enabled libraries to advocate successfully for investment in technology, programs and services to meet the needs of their communities and users. It has identified specific target groups requiring greater assistance, and it has helped guide program and service development.
 
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) thanks Telstra, the Centre for Social Impact and RMIT University for creating the Australian Digital Inclusion Index and would welcome the opportunity to be involved in any further consultation or testing prior to the launch of ADII 2.0.

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) submission in response to the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) National Health Information Strategy online consultation.

INCITE: The magazine for library and information professionals - May/June 2020 Volume 41 Issue 5/6
 
Contents: From the President -- From the CEO -- Library and Information Week -- The future of library and information science education -- ALIA salary and workplace survey -- ALIA Graphic Novels and Comics: an origin story -- News from your State and Territory Managers -- Following passions and finding connections -- From the guest editors -- Let's talk creativity in libraries -- I have creator's block. What do I do now? -- The NLS9 Revolution: creating zines at an ALIA conference -- A connected community throught craft and conversation -- Imaginations running wild -- From book worms to earth worms -- Taking the library to the streets -- Lights, camera, action! -- The positive side of social media -- Lendable kits: the good, the bad and the ugly -- Marketing on a small scale -- When mess is a great outcome -- Curiouser and curiouser -- Mending bones and offering a hand -- MayDay 2020 -- Supporting the frontline -- Should I stay or should I go? -- Weeding for the good of the planet -- Judging a book by its cover(ing) -- Seventy-five years of community engagement.
 

As of 1 May, governments have started planning to ease restrictions on services, with the Northern Territory announcing the reopening of public library services from 15 May. We anticipate greater clarity in the coming weeks about when libraries may be able to ease restrictions on services and reopen fully. While government can make broad statements about libraries reopening, the details will need to be carefully planned by library managers to mitigate any remaining risks for staff and library users. Reopening will not mean going back to the way things were pre-COVID-19; it will mean putting in place the ‘new normal’ approach to library services.
 
This is the opportunity for libraries to prioritise their existing services and refocus investment on the services which are most highly valued by users. Some services which have been established for the duration of the pandemic will need to be removed as they will be redundant; there will no longer be the capacity to deliver them, or they will no longer be permissible. However, other innovations will most likely become part of normal service.
 
In practical terms, there will need to be a greater focus on the safe handling of items for borrowing and display. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, OCLC and Battelle in the US are collaborating to develop an evidence-based approach to safe reopening practices, providing information about how to handle materials, training and cleaning in libraries.
 
The International Federation of Library Associations is also gathering information about the strategies that libraries around the world are taking, as they plan to reopen their libraries.
 
Each library will have its own plans for reopening, depending on the sector and the specific needs of the library’s community, but the checklist provides a practical framework which outlines major considerations that library managers should be addressing, when planning to reopen their library.

Minutes of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) 32nd Annual General Meeting held on 4 May 2020 at ALIA House, Canberra and via webinar.

ALIA Information Online 2017 Conference, 13-17 February 2017 Sydney: Data Information Knowledge
 
This conference paper discusses how digital humanities mapping tools can be effectively used to collate and present library collections and links to related content via an interactive map. 
 
Abstract: Taking a geohumanities approach to telling the story of Geoscience Australia and its predecessor organisations’ involvement in the geographical place names of Antarctica, an interactive web map was created to complement a written article. The map showcased related digital items from the library’s collection, Geoscience Australia’s image database, as well as links to the Australian Antarctic place names Gazetteer. Over 110 Antarctic geographical features were identified as being named for former employees of Geoscience Australia and its predecessor organisations. Using the free online mapping tool ESRI Story Maps, pins were placed on an Antarctic map to show the location of each geographical feature. Pop up boxes were then created containing basic information such as latitude and longitude, a brief biography of the former employee and a link to the full Antarctic Gazetteer entry. Where possible, links to the digitised full text copies of the scientist’s Antarctic Reports, Records and Bulletins from the library’s collection, as well as photographs from Geoscience Australia’s image database were included.
 
The written article “Geoscience Australia’s Antarctic heroes” was published in Geoscience Australia’s online newsletter insights with a link to the accompanying Story Map. The map has been viewed over 600 times and has successfully linked related information which was previously unconnected. Anecdotal feedback from users indicated that they found the map to be an easy access point to discover the Antarctic collection without having to interact with a text based catalogue search screen. The interactive Antarctic map allowed connections to be made in an easily accessible and visual manner between items in the library’s collection as well as to other collections within Geoscience Australia and the broader Antarctic community. This map has led to a digitisation and crowdsourcing transcription project of Geoscience Australia’s Antarctic field notebooks to enable the future linking of related library resources and to increase online access to our Antarctic collection.

ALIA Information Online 2017 Conference, 13-17 February 2017 Sydney: Data Information Knowledge
 
This conference paper discusses an approach to strategic planning in a dynamic and rapidly-evolving university library environment.
 
A university-wide transformational restructure in 2014 provided a rare opportunity to change the organisational structure of La Trobe University Library, as well as the services offered and the way in which we worked. By mid-2015, the new structure was in place, but the library did not have a documented strategy to provide a clear direction for library staff or to articulate how the library contributes to the university’s strategy and goals. We needed to communicate the positive impact of the changes, and what the library could now achieve, to the university community. Therefore the strategy had to be meaningful, tell a compelling story and be easily understood by all stakeholders, particularly library staff. 

ALIA Information Online 2017 Conference, 13-17 February 2017 Sydney: Data Information Knowledge
 
This conference paper discusses establishing a successful Business Studio at State Library of Queensland (SLQ ) that can be adapted to use within Queensland Public Libraries.
 
Abstract: In 2014 research for SLQ 2020 identified strong interest within the Queensland community for State Library of Queensland (SLQ) to make available a centre of excellence for new entrepreneurs and innovators. The research outcome aligned strongly with the State government Advance Queensland initiative. Queensland is boosting our entrepreneurial culture by improving access to finance, new business opportunities, and management support for startups and small to medium enterprises. Brisbane City Council also declared a strategic intent of developing Brisbane as the Start-Up capital of the world.
 
From this background emerged SLQ's transformational innovation - our very own Minimum Viable Product - SLQ Business Studio.

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) requires members, both personal and institutional, to adhere to the highest standards of ethical practice and professional competence. All members are bound by the ALIA Constitution to act responsibly and to be accountable for their actions. The ALIA Code of Conduct establishes a common understanding of the responsibilities of members.
 
This document replaces "ALIA member code of conduct statement" (2018).

ALIA Information Online 2017 Conference, 13-17 February 2017 Sydney: Data Information Knowledge
 
This conference paper presents a case study of the process used by La Trobe University Library to develop and implement an interactive orientation activity to encourage student engagement with library services and programs.
 
Abstract: Capturing the imagination of students and engaging them in everything the library has to offer is particularly important for university libraries at the start of each new academic year and during orientation week. The challenge for library staff is working out how to renew orientation activities so that they stay fresh and relevant to new students. In 2016, the La Trobe University Library piloted an engaging and interactive new orientation activity to help students to get to know the library. Our new approach brings together the digital and physical environments by capitalising on the internationally popular game, Escape Rooms. Escape Rooms are a live puzzle game where players are locked in a room, and need to find clues and solve puzzles to ‘escape the room’. Escape rooms’ popularity around the world is reflected in their consistent #1 ranking in the TripAdvisor ‘Fun Activities’ category. La Trobe University Library took the Escape Room concept and transformed it into a blended online and physical orientation game for teams of students to learn about key library services. Escape Room at the Library is an example of how game design has potential for increasing student engagement with the library in online (Walsh, 2014) and physical spaces (Angell & Boss, 2016). To implement Escape Room at the Library, the Library team:
 

• Used examples of current Escape Rooms in Melbourne
• Investigated existing online and physical puzzles
• Developed design brief with the following consideration:
• risks associated with live action/online gaming
• success measures/criteria
• ways to capture data
• Developed learning outcomes to integrate into game design
• Executed creative game design and data gathering metrics – graphic design/online development/ analytics/ physical game pieces
• Tested and amended draft game design
• Implemented communications and final game design
• Gathered raw data and measured against success criteria

 
The popularity of Escape Room at the Library completely exceeded the Library’s expectations. The game continued after O-week and ran for a total of four weeks with 714 registered participants. The popularity of this orientation activity was an unintentional by-product of making learning fun and interactive. The success of Escape Room at the Library was also demonstrated in the post-game survey:
 

• 96% of respondents stated they learnt a lot or learnt something
• 99% of respondents stated they found the game enjoyable or very enjoyable
• 99% of respondents stated they would recommend the game to a friend

 
In addition, of the 20 learning outcomes addressed, 16 were met by over 80% of respondents.
 
The goal of Escape Room at the Library was to design an intrinsically-motivated activity similar to a library tour, that required minimal staff facilitation, that immersed students in the digital and physical worlds, that could be done at any time and which would maximise student engagement. This case study demonstrates how the principles of game and puzzle design can be used to enhance discovery of library services and programs in a blended environment. It is an approach that could be applied to a range of library settings.

ALIA 2007 Library Technician Dunn & Wilson Scholarship, Rebecca Evans ADipSocSC(Lib&InfStudies) ALIATec
 
This study was made possible through the Dunn & Wilson Scholarship and supported by the Australian Library & Information Association (ALIA).
 
The purpose of the project is to create an image database of the activities and contributions Library Technicians have made to the Library sector since they were established in 1979. This would form the beginnings of an historical record which could be built upon and expanded over time and would be ready in time for the 30th anniversary of Library Technicians. The aim is to identify, collate and catalogue photographs (and if time, documents and information) into an image database.

ALIA 2003 Library Technician Dunn & Wilson Scholarship, Lothar von Retzlaff AssDipAppSc(LT) ALIATec
 
This study was made possible through the Dunn & Wilson Scholarship and supported by the Australian Library & Information Association (ALIA).
 
This paper explores e-commerce to determine how developments in technology, promotion and marketing in the commercial arena may be adapted for libraries, so they can utilise services and create infrastructure to ensure the use of the internet benefits libraries in maintaining future funding, relevance and existence.

ALIA 1997 Library Technician Dunn & Wilson Scholarship, Lorraine Denny LibT ALIATec
 
This study was made possible through the Dunn & Wilson Scholarship and supported by the Australian Library & Information Association (ALIA), with sponsorship from LJ Cullen Bookbinders NSW, and Apollo-Moon Bookbinders Victoria.
 
This research project focused on examining job descriptions from an organisational perspective. The objectives of the project were to:

• determine the current practice of the role of job descriptions in Australian libraries, using Library Technicians as a sample group;
• collate examples of Library Technician job descriptions to determine the type of information contained in them;
• identify best practice in the design, content and uses of job descriptions; and
• present recommendations to the library profession which would aid them in developing effective job descriptions that are current, relevant, accurate and useful.

This document presents the results of a survey undertaken by the Australian Library and Information Association Book Industry and eLending Advisory Committee. The survey provides a snapshot of the situation at the end of 2019. The top five 'asks' from respondents were a wider range of ebook content, better lending model conditions, improved cost per use, improved timeliness of release to libraries and improved reporting. While 83% were satisfied or very satisfied with the choice of ebooks, 91% were less than satisfied or not satisfied by the licensing conditions and costs.