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ALIA Information Online 2017 Conference, 13-17 February 2017 Sydney: Data Information Knowledge
 
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) supports the peer reviewed paper which discusses the transformation of a workplace learning environment.
 
Abstract: We have all had experiences at work that we wish would just disappear. This paper will reflect on the authors’ journey to transform our workplace learning environment and experiences during 2011-2016 by embracing a collaborative and sustainable approach to bringing together a community of confident, responsive, and reflective learners. We encourage curiosity and lifelong learning, sharing skills and professional interests whilst managing expectations and shared responsibility for career-long and career-wide learning. This paper will form a case study and focus on our practical examples which will explore learning from unlearnings by a novel use of the social media network Snapchat to convene a reflective practitioner meshwork. The authors will reflect on seven themes of unlearnings we screenshot on Snapchat, including: What’s in a Name?, Be Your Own Hero, Winners Never Quit, Don’t Remind Me, Caustic Solutions and Stay in Your Own Lane.
 
The paper discusses how we achieved a transformation of our learning environment over five years and the key milestones we refer to as unlearnings. These unlearnings were learnt during the course of facilitating a range of workplace learning initiatives, namely, 23 Things; 23 Research Things; Innovations Forums; LEG Briefings; Lync Information Sessions; Library Staff Conversations; and ACU Library StaffShare. Resulting from our approach to an evolving workplace learning environment, colleagues have reported increased confidence in their use and application of emerging technologies for personal and professional purposes, motivation to return to formal tertiary study, benefits of multiple modes of mentoring, skills refresher opportunities, and the unifying affect of and effect on library staff as they up-skill and multi-skill together.
 
Learning from our unlearnings, we propose a reflective, transformative, bottom-up problem-solving approach to workplace learning in the Library context to bring about a change-ready library and information professional workforce. This paper will provide critical reflection on the broader context of the Library’s contribution to the knowledge economy by expanding on the notions of corporate memory and collective industry memory. These notions of memory, workplace learning and their vulnerability will be explored in the context of the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) workplace. Wherein there is robust bureaucracy and managerialism, alongside the amorphous and vulnerable memorisation of vital professional knowledge.
 

Asia-Pacific Library and Information Conference 2018, 30 July - 2 August 2018 Gold Coast: Roar Leap Dare
 
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) accompanies the paper which discusses the marketing and promotion of digital collections through social media.
 
Digital cultural collections sites represent a large investment for cultural institutions but often marketing and promotion of these collections take a significant amount of time. While many institutions excel at marketing and promotion at face-to-face events, they may find it difficult to maintain the time and energy to keep promoting resources on social media. Social media is vital for cultural institutions that use web statistics to justify the expense of digital cultural collections. In this paper, the authors will discuss time-saving, practical social media approaches for promoting digital cultural collections sites, such as the Living Histories @ UON site, using a targeted approach which goes beyond traditional social media engagement. The authors will discuss their practical experiences raising awareness of the Living Histories site and enhancing community engagement by designing and executing a multi-pronged social media ‘campaign’.
 
The correlation between posting on social media and page hits will be demonstrated using quantitative analysis of statistical web data. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest will be some social media tools used. Some strategies utilized include: a Twitter bot, targeting content to specific user groups (i.e. a Facebook group), automated social media posting, participating in global social media events (i.e. Explore Your Archive week), blogging and asking affiliated users and groups to post content on their accounts.  The authors will report on which strategy and which social media platform was most successful in drawing users to the Living Histories site. Strategies that failed at engagement will also be discussed.

ALIA New Librarians' Symposium 9 (NLS9), 5-7 July 2019 Adelaide: collaborate deviate innovate
 
Recording (MP4 audiovisual) of the session/interactive workshop "Advocacy, influence and the art of blowing your own horn: using infographics to tell your library's story".

This session shows how you can show off your library’s achievements by producing fantastic looking annual or bi-annual reports using infographics. Mining library systems for quantitative and qualitative data and representing it visually is a way of grabbing the attention of those higher up the food chain (who may be the ones that sign the cheques) and showing that you are constantly evaluating your services and making evidence-driven decisions.

Exercises for schools.
 
The 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is being celebrated around the world this year and there will be special events at the National Library of Australia and several State Libraries on 10 December 2018, in partnership with the UN Association of Australia.
 
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights speaks to the values held by library and information professionals, and in May 2017, Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Members voted to include a new Object in our Constitution: "to endorse the principles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 19 and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in response to the many challenges faced by the world today and into the future."

On 24th March 2020 the Prime Minister of Australia declared the immediate closure of libraries across the country as part of the national attempt to slow the rate of COVID-19 infections. This meant over 1,600 public library service points across the country in urban, regional and remote locations, were no longer able to offer services on their premises.
 
This research aimed to explore the response by public libraries across Australia to the COVID-19 crisis. Its findings will assist public libraries in understanding their own roles and performance in a community crisis and will enable them to better prepare for and react to similar crises in the future so that community needs are met as efficiently and effectively as possible. In addition, the research aimed to identify possible trends in future service and resource provision resulting from measures put in place during the COVID-19 crisis.
 
It is important to note that the protracted nature of the pandemic has meant that many public libraries across Australia are still facing significant operational challenges. We therefore recognise that examples of innovation and best practice are still emerging, and that in many cases public library staff have yet to be afforded the space and time needed for effective reflection on their response to the crisis.

Fires, floods and failures: future proofing against disaster, 1 May 2019 Canberra
 
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) supports the paper which  presents case studies of disasters that have affected university libraries in Australia and around the globe and discusses the issues to be considered in formulating emergency management responses.

ALIA Information Online 2017 Conference, 13-17 February 2017 Sydney: Data Information Knowledge
 
[Peer reviewed] This conference paper discusses the transformation of a workplace learning environment.
 
Abstract: We have all had experiences at work that we wish would just disappear. This paper will reflect on the authors’ journey to transform our workplace learning environment and experiences during 2011-2016 by embracing a collaborative and sustainable approach to bringing together a community of confident, responsive, and reflective learners. We encourage curiosity and lifelong learning, sharing skills and professional interests whilst managing expectations and shared responsibility for career-long and career-wide learning. This paper will form a case study and focus on our practical examples which will explore learning from unlearnings by a novel use of the social media network Snapchat to convene a reflective practitioner meshwork. The authors will reflect on seven themes of unlearnings we screenshot on Snapchat, including: What’s in a Name?, Be Your Own Hero, Winners Never Quit, Don’t Remind Me, Caustic Solutions and Stay in Your Own Lane.
 
The paper discusses how we achieved a transformation of our learning environment over five years and the key milestones we refer to as unlearnings. These unlearnings were learnt during the course of facilitating a range of workplace learning initiatives, namely, 23 Things; 23 Research Things; Innovations Forums; LEG Briefings; Lync Information Sessions; Library Staff Conversations; and ACU Library StaffShare. Resulting from our approach to an evolving workplace learning environment, colleagues have reported increased confidence in their use and application of emerging technologies for personal and professional purposes, motivation to return to formal tertiary study, benefits of multiple modes of mentoring, skills refresher opportunities, and the unifying affect of and effect on library staff as they up-skill and multi-skill together.
 
Learning from our unlearnings, we propose a reflective, transformative, bottom-up problem-solving approach to workplace learning in the Library context to bring about a change-ready library and information professional workforce. This paper will provide critical reflection on the broader context of the Library’s contribution to the knowledge economy by expanding on the notions of corporate memory and collective industry memory. These notions of memory, workplace learning and their vulnerability will be explored in the context of the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) workplace. Wherein there is robust bureaucracy and managerialism, alongside the amorphous and vulnerable memorisation of vital professional knowledge.
 

Asia-Pacific Library and Information Conference 2018, 30 July - 2 August 2018 Gold Coast: Roar Leap Dare
 
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) accompanied the talk which discussed the development of a public library marketing plan.
 
During early 2016 the Bayside Library underwent a service review, part of the process for the review was to engage with the community, both users and non-users, to seek their views on libraries. One of the responses that stood out in the survey was the answer, from non-users, to the question “why don’t you use the library?” which was “I don’t know what you do”.
 
The Council communications team was approached with a request to undertake promotion of library services. Of course, the first question they asked was “To whom are you promoting” and the response from us, “well everyone, obviously”. This was not a very helpful answer so the survey data was interrogated and it was established that the bulk of non-user who didn’t know what we did were men aged 55+. We needed to find out from this group what would attract them to visit the library so a consultant was engaged to run focus groups with men aged 55+, the user, the lapsed user (had not borrowed from the library for over a year) and the non-user. From these focus groups recommendations were presented that would provide guidance on developing promotions to attract these customers, a group that could clearly benefit from the services on offer.
 
But this was only a small piece of the puzzle and the consultants were engaged for a further three-stage process. The first was to undertake a review of our current marketing efforts and provide a report. The report surmised that we were doing reasonably well with what we had to work with but there was a lot more we could be doing. Stages two and three will include the development of an overarching two-page Strategic Marketing Development Plan and the development of a comprehensive Marketing Action Plan which will detail each area of the high level marketing strategy to be implemented. This will include objectives, KPIs, proposed timeframes and deliverables and, resources required and costs where possible.

In November 2019, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) published The Future of LIS Education Issues Paper to inform a sector-wide discussion about the current state of professional education: the needs going forward, and the challenges we face in trying to identify and deliver the best outcome.
 
Following the publication of the issues paper, ALIA carried out a survey of members, and sought submissions and feedback from stakeholders and focus groups. This paper provides a summary of the themes which emerged during the consultation with the sector which has enabled work to start on three possible future scenarios. The scenarios will be presented to participants at the LIS Education Summit, which has been rescheduled from 4 May 2020 to coincide with ALIA Information Online 2021.

ALIA National 2016 Conference, 29 August-2 September 2016 Adelaide: engage create lead.
 
A poster paper describing a research project funded in part by the 2014 ALIA Research Grant Award.
 
This research lies at the emerging field of human information interaction and retrieval (CHIIR), with particular emphasis on user-centred approaches to information retrieval. The project included designing and conducting a user experiment to assess the effect of displayed Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms on gaze and search behaviour.
 
The results include several kinds of research data that inform the understanding of the relationship between interface, reading patterns, search behaviour and search performance. 

The Australian Library Journal: Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association - Volume 58 No. 4 November 2009
 

National 2016 Conference, 29 August-2 September 2016 Adelaide: Engage Create Lead
 
This conference paper discusses the Twilight Talks program of public lectures which aims to improve the delivery of consumer health information to the Darling Downs community in Queensland.

ALIA National 2016 Conference, 29 August-2 September 2016 Adelaide: Engage Create Lead
 
This paper details the 'scavenger hunt' designed by the Research Services Coordinator at Curtin University to engage library staff in developing research data management skills. The paper explores the background and methods of the scavenger hunt as well as presenting the lessons learned from an amibitious project that did not proceed quite according to plan. The experience it offers is valuable for librarians looking to undertake work in the emerging area of research data management.

In recent times, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has relied on the NSW Crown Employees Award as the starting point for our salary scales, but we were concerned that these pay levels may not be reflective of the reality of the workplace. To test this, we embarked on a survey of people working in the sector. As a result, we have been able to produce the "ALIA LIS pay and employment snapshot 2020", which provides an understanding of real world pay and terms of employment across Australia at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020.
 
This document provides an overview of the pay, terms of employment, age, job satisfaction and career intentions of TAFE library employees.