Advanced Search

Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA)'s joint response to the Draft National Digital Research Infrastructure (NDRI) Strategy Consultation submitted as an online survey. ALIA and NSLA strongly support the proposed vision as an appropriate foundation for Australia's NDRI ecosystem over the next 10-15 years and outline the need for suitably skilled workforce for Australia's NDRI to reach its full potential.  

This document provides best practice guidelines for organising industry placements and provides detail on industry placement processes for educators seeking guidance on best practice principles in industry placements. 
 
The Guidelines are intended to provide a ‘best practice’ model for VET LIS course providers, the host organisations and students with the aim of achieving the best possible industry-relevant experience for the students. This revised and updated version of the Guidelines is aligned to key national resources, and they will serve as benchmark indicators of ‘best practice’ that can be used ALIA VET Placement Guidelines to strengthen placement practices. The Guidelines will also be used as a key resource by ALIA during course accreditation and should result in greater consistency across Australia. 
 
This document replaces: "ALIA Guidelines for Industry Placement: Diploma of Library and Information Services" (2018)

By-Laws of the Australian Library and Information Association as amended to May 2023.
 
 

Miss Anne Harrison (1923-1992) was librarian-in-charge of the Brownless Medical Library at the University of Melbourne (1949-1983), and founder of the Central Medical Library Organisation (1953-1994). She helped pioneer the introduction of Medline into Australia, and was a founder of the Australian Medical Librarians Group in the early 1970s, and later of the LAA Medical Librarians Section (now ALIA Health Libraries Australia). 
 
The Anne Harrison Award was established to commemorate her work, and to encourage others to make their own contribution to the development of health librarianship.

 
Contents: President’s Report -- Chief Executive Officer’s Report -- Chief Operating Officer’s Report -- About ALIA -- Our structure and governance -- Committees appointed by the ALIA Board -- Our Membership -- Our performance against the Strategic Plan 2021-2024 Key highlights -- Awards -- Financials
 

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)'s submission to the News Media Assistance Program Consultation makes key recommendations around the availability and accessibility of news and journalism and media literacy support. It outlines the citical role of libraries in providing equality of access to news media, and support and challenges required to support this role.
The following recommendations are made:

• That in developing the news media assistance program that access to and accessibility of news media is identified as a priority.
• That in developing the news media assistance program, the Department liaises with the Australian Library and Information Association to ensure strategic investment in programs that support public and educational libraries to provide access and support accessibility of news media content to all Australians, including priority cohorts.   
• That the government funds the Australian Library and Information Association to work with researchers to update and expand evidence-based media literacy programs and fund the roll-out across public libraries in Australia.

ALIA's submission into Revive First Nations First National Consultation underscores the huge contribution to Australia’s arts and cultural sector in all its expressions, and urges Creative Australia to ensure that the diversity of experience of First Nations people in the cultural sector is reflected. 
The submission references Kirsten Thorpe's National survey on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment in Australian libraries and highlighs the need for further research into employment across the GLAM sector. It also references the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for Libraries, Archives and Information Services ('the ATSILIRN Protocols') and the ALIA Skills, Knowledge and Ethics Framework for the Library and Information Services Workforce in working towards embedding Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Policy into sector processes. 
ALIA acknowledges the expertise and contribution of the members of the ALIA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Expert Advisory Group who have approved the content of the submission.

ALIA's submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters’ inquiry into civics education, engagement, and participation in Australia underscores the ways in which libraries support a democratic society. Namely, through 1) Resources to facilitate equitable access to information for all Australians, regardless of age, race, gender identity, religion, ability, or geographic location, 2) Collections and preservation of government records for government transparency and electoral knowledge, 3) Trained staff to develop skills in information literacy, digital literacy, and media literacy, and 4) Safe spaces for civics dialogue and social cohesion in a pluralistic society.
 
ALIA makes the following recommendations around these points: 

• Federal Government funds initiatives in libraries to support digitally inclusive communities, including through collaboration with ALIA.
• Federal Government Departments work collaboratively with ALIA to support Australia’s libraries and ensure all Australians can access quality public library collections.
• The Federal Government commit to every Australian school student having access to a well-resourced school library run by qualified staff.
• The Federal Government work with the Australian Media Literacy Alliance (AMLA) to develop and implement a national media literacy strategy.
• The Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development, Transport, Communications and the Arts and the Department of Home Affairs work with AMLA and ALIA to support capacity building for public libraries and public library staff in the areas of information, media and 
  digital literacy. 
• The Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development, Transport, Communications and the Arts works with ALIA on a small grants scheme for libraries to support media and information literacy education.
• The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) should work with ALIA on a program of small grants to libraries that deliver electoral information and participation sessions.
   

ALIA's submission to the Parliamentary inquiry into the adoption of artifical intelligence arguing for more support for libraries to ensure that people are not left behind in the AI revolution.  The submission also spoke to some of the copyright policy challenges and proposed solution. Three main recommendations were made: 
1. That the government work with ALIA to fund the development and roll-out of training for library staff addressing AI literacy and pedagogy to support the community to be AI literate.
2. That the government funds the Australian Library and Information Association to work with researchers to update and expand evidence-based media literacy programs and fund the roll-out across public libraries in Australia.
3. That Federal, state and territory governments prioritise consulting with First Nations people and organisations with expertise in matters of information governance, ICIP, and cultural collections, to understand the concerns and actions required in the adoption of generative AI.

Public libraries play a vital role in local communities. They ensure that every Australian, no matter their economic means, is able to access information, assistance, education, community engagement and at a very basic level, a temperature controlled safe space. They support social cohesion, community wellbeing local history, the arts, culture and literacy. The submission notes the funding streams that public libraries receive from local governments, which has declined in per capita funding in the last five year period, while demands on public libraries have increased around support for federal government service delivery. 
 
ALIA APLA's submission made the following recommendations:
 
1. ALIA APLA supports the Australian Local Government Association’s (ALGA) call to increase Federal Assistance Grants to local councils.   
2. Library experts are invited to participate in relevant intergovernmental committees and policy networks, and grants are revised to ensure that public library services are eligible. 
3. Federal government departments proactively contact and collaborate with ALIA APLA when the delivery of government programs will impact/rely on public library services. 
4. Federal government departments explore ways to partner with public libraries to deliver and fund national projects. 
5. A scholarship program for regional skills shortages is established to upskill people already working in local councils, including library staff. 
6. The federal government provides funding for national support programs for public libraries through ALIA APLA. 
 

The Australian Library and Information Association's submission to the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian society places a central focus on digital and media literacy skills and abilities of Australians to effectively understand and use social media applications. It addresses the issue of the disparity of skill levels across different demographic and regional groups and the role of libraries to help address these gaps and provide digital access and literacy support. 
 
The submission makes the following recommendations:
1. The government implements a national approach to media literacy and media literacy education, with appropriate funding and support.
2. The Department of Industry, Regional Development, Transport, Communications and the Arts (DIRDTCA) and the Office of the eSafety Commissioner work with the Australian Library and Information Association and the Australian Media Literacy Alliance to support up-to-date materials and training options for library staff and education professionals in areas of digital and media literacy.
3. The government explores opportunities to work with the Australian Library and Information Association and partners to update and expand evidence-based media literacy programs, with emphasis on segments of the community with the highest needs.

The meeting was scheduled to be held following the close of Phase 1 of the consultation period which was designed to progress two of the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee following the Technical Report:
Recommendation 1: Develop a framework of knowledge, skills and ethical behaviour
Recommendation 3: Develop new professional pathways
 
The Advisory Board discussed the areas of general agreement and areas where more work needs to be done. The three main areas for further work are:
1. Framework structure and conceptual design
2. Recognition and categorisation
3. The question of mandatory/optional CPD

This is the Professional Pathways Consultation paper for the second phase of consultation that took place from May to July 2023.
The second phase of consultation was conducted online and submissions invited from all sectors, types of role, and ALIA membership category.