This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) highlights some of the significant advances under Revive of particular importance to Australia’s library community, and areas where we are looking to build by working further with the Australian Government, creators, the book industry, the cultural heritage sector and the wider community as the plan is iterated.
ALIA's submission to government on the new National Cultural Policy, underscoring the importance of First Nations representation in the library and information services sector, the applicability of the policy's 'place for every story' line, and the significant place of strong institutions in supporting the policy in reaching audiences and supporting artists.
Summary of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on Thursday 23 March 2023 via Zoom.
Joint submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA) in response to the inquiry into the influence of international digital platforms.
Submission from the Australian Media Literacy Alliance to the inquiry into international digital platforms operated by Big Tech companies.
Attachment 1 to Australian Media Literacy Alliance submission to the inquiry into international digital platforms operated by Big Tech companies, March 2023.
Attachment 2 to Australian Media Literacy Alliance submission to the Inquiry into international digital platforms operated by Big Tech companies, March 2023.
Attachment 3 to Australian Media Literacy Alliance submission to the Inquiry into international digital platforms operated by Big Tech companies, March 2023.
10 Sustainable Development Goal stretch targets are proposed for libraries in Australia from 2020-2030. Targets address literacy; access to knowledge; equitable access; culture and heritage; sustainable communities; contribution to health and wellbeing; diversity and gender equality; lifelong learning; and global citizenship.
The report tracks the current status of lead agencies against the SDG stretch targets in March 2023.
ALIA’s submission to the Australian Universities Accord Discussion Paper proposes five overarching recommendations to inform the long-term plan for Australia’s higher education sector. Recommendations include: reduction of fees for Commonwealth supported places for library and information studies; support for smaller and niche industry courses; recognition of industry accreditation; support for open educational resources and open scholarship; and recognition and adequate resouricing for the work of university libraries, archives and other information services.
Contents: About ALIA -- Our Structure and Governance -- Advisory Committees Appointed by the ALIA Board -- President’s Report -- Acting Chief Executive Officer’s Report -- Chief Executive Officer’s Report -- ALIA’s Performance Against the Strategic Plan 2021-2024 -- Our Membership -- Groups -- Awards -- Financial Statements
In the second half of 2022, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) was engaged in the first phase of consultation conducted as a key step in the Professional Pathways initiative. The stated goals of the Professional Pathways project are to build a shared understanding of the different areas of knowledge and skills, and the values and ethics that people employed in the library and information services (LIS) sector will need, and to consider what pathways might best support them as they develop and shape their capabilities throughout their career journey. The project supports ALIA’s strategic priority of ensuring the LIS sector has a resilient, talented and diverse LIS workforce with the strength and agility to navigate a rapidly changing workplace and deliver quality library and information services which anticipate and meet the needs of the Australian community.
The Professional Pathways Advisory Board tasked the Professional Pathways team with the design and development of a draft framework, which should then be subject to sector-wide review and feedback. Consultation activities commenced in late July 2022, running through to early November 2022. This report outlines and discusses the details of the Phase One Consultations.
The ILRS Code has been endorsed by the Australia Library Peak bodies including Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), National and State Libraries Australia (NSLA), the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) and the National Library of Australia.
The Interlibrary Resource Sharing (ILRS) Code (together with the Best Practice Guidelines) is designed to support a multi-faceted approach to resource sharing based on reciprocality, cooperation and fairness between libraries, respect for the moral and intellectual rights of creators and publishers and compliance with legal and contractual obligations.
This version of the Code has been updated to show the recommended fees (rounded up/down to the nearest 10 cents) for July 1.
Summary of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on Tuesday 30 May 2023 at ALIA House, Canberra.
Notice of the 35th Annual General Meeting of members of the Australian Library and Information Association Limited (ALIA) held on Tuesday 30 May 2023 at the National Library of Australia and online.
Agenda for the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on Thursday 23 March 2023 online via Microsoft Teams.
The Australian Library and Information Association's statement in response to the IFLA Governing Board on the decision to host the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) currently publishes the Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association (JALIA) under agreement with Taylor and Francis.
The JALIA Working Group is to provide advice to the ALIA Board on the future publishing options for the Association’s journal. The JALIA Working Group will be constituted for a period of 24 months.
This document sets out the the JALIA Working Group Terms of Reference.
There is growing recognition of the need for the general public to be educated and guided to engage critically with news and media and to develop their media literacy skills and knowledge. The proliferation of new digital platforms, mis and disinformation, fake news, deepfakes, sponsored content and the rise of the ‘attention economy’, among other issues, means there is also an urgent need to understand how people access and engage with information and media content, and how they are impacted by it. Libraries play a significant role in supporting the public to develop and upskill their media and digital literacy. Media technology is rapidly evolving, and the skills people learn during formal education need constant updating. Media literacy is among the most important skills for people to engage effectively with media content as online platforms multiply, mis and disinformation proliferates and the ‘attention economy’ vies for our time.
This report explores the findings from a national study of LIS practitioners’ perceptions of media literacy education conducted by scholars from the University of Canberra in partnership with ALIA. It also discusses the development of a 7-week course tailored to the needs of those in pedagogical roles, specifically in the LIS sector. Finally, the report reviews the first intakes of the course and feedback received from students. You can read all the details in this full report, or get a quick summary in the associated snapshot report.
Full report all accessible: https://doi.org/10.25916/kahm-zr94
There is growing recognition of the need for the general public to be educated and guided to engage critically with news and media and to develop their media literacy skills and knowledge. The proliferation of new digital platforms, mis and disinformation, fake news, deepfakes, sponsored content and the rise of the ‘attention economy’, among other issues, means there is also an urgent need to understand how people access and engage with information and media content, and how they are impacted by it. Libraries play a significant role in supporting the public to develop and upskill their media and digital literacy. Media technology is rapidly evolving, and the skills people learn during formal education need constant updating. Media literacy is among the most important skills for people to engage effectively with media content as online platforms multiply, mis and disinformation proliferates and the ‘attention economy’ vies for our time.
This report explores the findings from a national study of LIS practitioners’ perceptions of media literacy education conducted by scholars from the University of Canberra in partnership with ALIA. It also discusses the development of a 7-week course tailored to the needs of those in pedagogical roles, specifically in the LIS sector. Finally, the report reviews the first intakes of the course and feedback received from students. This snapshot report provides a summary of findings, and you can read all the details in the associated full report: https://read.alia.org.au/libraries-and-media-literacy-education-full-report or https://doi.org/10.25916/kahm-zr94
This submission into generative AI in the Australian education system is jointly made by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) including ALIA VET Libraries Australia (ALIA VLA), the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL), National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA), CAVAL, AI4 Libraries Archives Museums (AI4LAM) and Open Access Australasia (OAA).
The library and information sector is committed to fundamental principles of equity of access to information, knowledge and culture; respect for the individuality and diversity of people; and the protection of privacy. Fifteen discreet recommendations are made in the submission and in line with these values, and to effectively and safely harness the benefits of generative AI, three overarching priciples are put forward:
1. Priority is given to improving literacy, including AI, information and media literacy, for students and staff.
2. A commitment to upholding human rights, ensuring fairness and centring ethical considerations in the development and use of generative AI tools.
3. Regulations, policy, standards and guidelines should be created in consultation with key stakeholders including library and information professionals, representatives of minority groups and First Nations people.
This submission by ALIA is to inform the Second National Action Plan under the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework. The submission provides responses to Discussion Questions three and five as follows: outline the enablers that are fundamental to ALIA's efforts in reducing disaster risks (Q3); identify gaps that impede efforts to reduce disaster risks (Q3); highlight an opportunity to develop and deliver a collections disaster training course (Q5).
This snapshot report outlines key findings and recommendations from a research project conducted on the impact and management of mis/disinformation in university libraries in Australia. The full results, literature review, research approach and methods can be found in an article ‘The Impact and Management of Mis/Disinformation at University Libraries in Australia’ in the Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2023.2235646. A toolkit of resources to support academic libraries is also included, some of which were provided by interviewees, is provided in both reports.
Key Findings:
• Library staff believe they have a role in teaching skills such as critical thinking and evaluation, advocating in this space and maintaining credible, balanced and inclusive collections.
• Library staff face a number of barriers to being able to effectively manage mis/disinformation including the constantly evolving ways that mis/disinformation spreads, lack of time to investigate accuracy of content or authority in collections, time and resources to learn more about the topic, and lack of strategic priority for this topic in universities.
• Universities libraries don’t have collection development/management guidelines or policies in this space and staff deal with complaints on an ad hoc basis.
• The practice of managing acquisitions through large subscriptions means there is less need for subject expertise and a lack of time and resources to assess collection content.
• The library’s role is not to censor information, and there is a need to maintain historical content, but with warnings and context around controversial or misinformation content.
• Many university libraries are prioritising or planning policies and initiatives related to Indigenous collections and decolonising collections.
• Library staff would like support from national associations such as ALIA/CAUL though guidelines, teaching exemplars, toolkits, advocacy, training, discussions, and communities of practice.
The report was comissioned and designed by the Australian Library and Information Association.
A joint submission from the Australian Library and Information Association, Council of Australian University Librarians, National and State Libraries Australasia, Australian Society of Archivists and the Council of Australasian Archives and Records Authorities to the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Decadal Plan for Social Science Research Infrastructure Discussion Paper.
The submission focuses on three principle areas: asses, systems and skills and ethics.
This submission into safe and responsible AI in Australia is jointly made by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL), National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA), CAVAL, AI4 Libraries Archives Museums (AI4LAM) and Open Access Australasia (OAA).
In developing our response to the discussion paper, we are guided as library and information services organisations by our commitment to fundamental principles including equity of access to information, knowledge and culture; respect for the individuality and diversity of people; preservation of the human record; and the protection of privacy. In line with these values, and to effectively and safely harness the benefits of generative AI, the following are recommended:
1. Priority is given to improving literacy, including AI, information and media literacy, across the Australian population.
2. A commitment is made to uphold human rights, ensuring fairness and centring ethical considerations2 in the development and use of generative AI tools.
3. Regulations, policy, standards and guidelines should be created in consultation with key stakeholders including library and information professionals, representatives of minority or vulnerable groups and First Nations people.
The submission addresses these areas, identifying needs and areas of uncertainty, and then concludes with a discussion on policies and standards.
INCITE article by Kate Furguson about Yarra Plenty Regional Library's program 'Talking Together', a project that aims to build trust with the local Somali Australian community in Melbourne’s north.
This submission from the library and informatoin sector to the Department of Home Affairs Multicultural Framemwork Review is jointly made by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), CAVAL, and the ALIA Multicultural special interest group.
This submission outlines the role that libraries play supporting multicultural communities to ensure that they are visible and understood in further policy development. The submission is structured in the following sections: collections, cultural and language programs, community needs, belonging and outreach, technology and digital citizenship, and workforce and skills. We look forward to opportunities to continue discussions with the Department of Home Affairs on how we can work together to ensure that libraries and information services support, celebrate, and reflect the diversity of voices and experiences in this country.
This submission responds to the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) Australian National Persistent Identifier (PID) draft strategy. The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) including ALIA Health Libraries Australia (ALIA HLA) congratulate the ARDC for their excellent work on the Australian National Persistent Identifier (PID) draft strategy. ALIA sees significant potential for the PID strategy to support research and research reporting across different types of organisations and sectors. The submission takes the opportunity to highlight areas where the consistent use of PIDs, including Research Organisation Registry (RORs) would assist in research data collection across the health sector in particluar, and highlight our support of the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) and CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Sovereignty (Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, Ethics) being embedded in further development of the PID strategy.
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.
The VET Libraries Advisory Committee advises the ALIA Board of Directors on the development of a strategic program for members working in vocational libraries or with interests in vocational librarianship.
The document records institutions, contacts and participation in the National Reciprocal Borrowing Scheme among vocational libraries.
This document replaces: "Mapping of TAFE Libraries: Updated 2021"