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
Australian Coalition for School Libraries's (ACSL) submission to the Expert Panel to endorse the submission from Emily Squires, Rebecca Cameron and Sally Allen and its recommendations:
1. As a matter of equity, a target that every ACT public school student has access to a well resourced school library run by qualified staff.
2. That the Education Directorate develop a central register on the provision, resourcing and staffing of school libraries to provide a source of data to track impact on literacy and numeracy outcomes.
3. Expansion of the current teacher librarian initiatives (scholarship program and roll-out of centrally funded positions), supplemented by opportunities for library-specific training for educational support staff.
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:
The Australian Library and Information Association is a founding member of the Australian Media Literacy Alliance (AMLA) and contributed to the AMLA submission to the Government's inquiry into News Media Assistance Program. The submission makes the folliwng key points:
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 Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) addressing current and emerging threats to transgender and gender diverse human rights in Australia. The submission focuses on the provision of information about the challenges that library services, predominantly public library services, have faced when hosting LGBTQIA+ events and when providing or displaying LGBTQIA+ content, with trans and gender diverse content.
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:
The ALIA Code of Conduct outlines the standards of behaviour required by employees, volunteers and contractors in the performance of their duties and functions. Consistently applying these standards of behaviour, contributes to making a safe, respectful and productive workplace.
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.
ALIA made a submission to The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts' modernisation of the Australian Classification Scheme.
The submission includes feedback around current Classification procedures and mechanisms, several definitions that are central to reforms, the establishment and makeup of a proposed independent Classification Advisory Panel, and indications about future communications of classification decisions.
ALIA notes that the submission is written in a period where anti-LGBTQIA+ protests against library collections and programs have been at an elevated level for more than 12 months in Australia and warns against changes to the scheme inadvertently acting as a tool to discriminate against or suppress the voices of marginalised communities.
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.
ALIA Health Libraries Australia (HLA) made a submisison to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) consultation on the draft Good Institutional Practice Guide to highlight and promote hospital librarians' contributions to research culture and research quality.
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 first meeting of the ALIA Professional Pathways Board in 2023 was conducted over Zoom, and included discussion of a range of issues including:
Framework structure and conceptual design
The question of mandatory/optional CPD
Professional recognition and categorisation.
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 meeting of the ALIA Professional Pathways Board was conducted over Zoom on 28 October 2021, and included discussion of a range of issues including:
Project progress
Technical Report
Investment in research
Apprenticeships and traineeships
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.
This is the Professional Pathways Consultation booklet used in the face-to-face workshops that took place from late July to November 2022 across all Australian states and territories.
Workshops were facilitated by Dr Gill Hallam.
By-Laws of the Australian Library and Information Association as amended to August 2024.
By-Law 1 of the Australian Library and Information Association as amended to August 2024, with amendments in mark up, followed by the clean updated copy.
The ALIA Code of Ethics for the Australian LIS Workforce shows how the core values of the library and information profession can be applied in practice. Action examples can be customised to suit library and information services environments and contexts.
The ALIA Code of Ethics for the Australian LIS Workforce shows how the core values of the library and information profession can be applied in practice. Action examples can be customised to suit library and information services environments and contexts.
The ALIA Code of Ethics for the Australian Library and Information Services Workforce provides a shared reference point for professional conduct, policies, and day-to-day decision making. Use this fillable template to customise the Code of Ethics for your library and information services workplace or network by filling in action examples for each clause.
This report examines adult media literacy abilities, needs and experiences in Australia. Between January and April 2024 a representative sample of 3,852 adult Australians were surveyed alongside additional booster samples for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians and First Nations Australians. This survey repeated questions asked in our inaugural 2021 Adult Media Literacy survey to produce longitudinal data, while also introducing new questions that respond to pressing issues and new digital media developments.
Survey findings show that most adult Australians use different types of digital media on a regular basis, but their overall confidence in their digital media abilities is quite low, with very little change since 2021. For example, most adult Australians are not confident about their ability to identify false and misleading information online, create a video and post it online, edit a digital photo, change social media privacy settings, or seek help from relevant authorities if they are being harassed online.
The report finds that there is overwhelming demand among Australians for adult and school-based media literacy education. However, many Australians have not received any form of media literacy education or they don’t have access to support when they need it.
The report was attached to ALIA's submission for the Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence
Good Things Australia, in collaboration with Microsoft and Telstra, is proud to present the research, and consultation findings of our pioneering digital inclusion project, Digital Sisters: AI for Good. This initiative focuses on enhancing AI literacy among women, particularly those from migrant and refugee backgrounds, to build their skills and confidence in using emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The report was attached to ALIA's submission for the Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence
Following ALIA's submission on the importance of AI inclusion and AI literacy, two further reports have been released which were brought to the committee’s attention. From the library perspective, these reports highlight current trends, where AI is increasingly integrated into daily life, and yet there continue to be deep divides within the general population in awareness, understanding and skills.
The two reports submitted to the Committee are the Digital Sisters AI for Good Report and Adult Media Literacy in 2024: Australian attitudes, experiences and needs, both are linked below under 'Relation'.
ALIA's public submission to Department of Industry, Science and Resources' consultation on the introduction of mandatory guardrails for AI in high-risk settings.
ALIA strongly recommends that explicit reference to ICIP, traditional knowledge and Indigenous data are included in the principles. This principle should make it clear that the use of ICIP, traditional knowledge and Indigenous data are in and of themselves high risk uses, not dependent on the intended use of these materials. ALIA also recommends that the guidelines should be strengthened to ensure that any use of ICIP, traditional knowledge and Indigenous data are done appropriately as befits the communities, materials and uses.
The Australian Public Libraries Statistical Report is an annual project by the Australian Library and Information Association Australian Public Libraries Alliance (ALIA APLA) and National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA) that identifies and measures usage and activities of Australia's public library services over the financial year. This report covers the statistics in the financial year 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2023.
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 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.
This report cannot possibly do justice to the broad range of discussions and commentary about a huge range of issues by experienced and thoughtful LIS professionals. What it will attempt to do is to present the key themes – the challenges and opportunities and the possible strategies or solutions proffered for consideration. At the end of each section is a statement about ALIA’s proposed actions in response to the matters raised.
The themes are: