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The Australian Library Journal: Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association - Volume 57 No. 1 February 2008
 

ALIA 2016 National Conference, 29 August-2 September 2016 Adelaide: Engage, Create, Lead
 
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) accompanies the paper which engages with the issue, raised by Lonsdale in 2003, of a lack of data regarding national staffing trends in Australian school libraries. The authors review the literature available, including general census data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, library sector-specific information, and data from the education sector (including school libraries). Particular focus is given to the Staff in Australian Schools survey, as well as its limitations. 
 
The authors discuss three main findings from their research: 1) declining numbers of teachers in primary school libraries, 2) a growing inequity between numbers of staff in low-SES and high-SES school libraries, and 3) the prevalence of teachers with little or no tertiary qualifications in library studies working in school libraries. The authors also examine residual gaps in the data and provide the following recommendations: work to collect and share data across relevant sectors; partner with the library industry to commission and fund broader kinds of research; and connect research to national and local priorities such as those related to school students' performance. 

Article by Lesley Acres, CSLP Project Officer and Program Officer, Indigenous Services, State Library of Queensland and Aimee Said, NSLA Program Coordinator, National and State Libraries Australia from INCITE September/October 2020 Volume 41 Issue 9/10 - Professional Growth.
 
This article discusses the Culturally Safe Libraries Program (CSLP), a collaborative effort by national, state and territory libraries to provide a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island clients and colleagues.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.
 
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) details how SLQ has endeavoured to make registration and account management easier for clients and staff. Our new membership model, launched late January 2015, has challenged us to remove barriers by implementing a user-centric approach. This involved simplifying services offers across the whole library, iteratively designing a seamless and unmediated membership package. The final product makes registration, access and engagement with our systems and services easier, more convenient and personalised for our members.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.
 
This conference paper discusses the role of the publisher, which has radically changed in recent years, accelerated by the speed of the delivery of content via the internet and the changing user behavior across a wide spectrum of disciplines. This paper will examine the circumstances in which the functions of the publisher of scholarly information have changed and the implications for the publisher of the future. The author will also analyze a number of recent market surveys on the key aspects of the changing landscape of scholarly publishing, including end-user study, higher education textbook market, industry and market trends.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.
 
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) discusses the role of the publisher, which has radically changed in recent years, accelerated by the speed of the delivery of content via the internet and the changing user behavior across a wide spectrum of disciplines. The presentation will examine the circumstances in which the functions of the publisher of scholarly information have changed and the implications for the publisher of the future. The author will also analyze a number of recent market surveys on the key aspects of the changing landscape of scholarly publishing, including end-user study, higher education textbook market, industry and market trends.

ALIA National 2016 Conference, 29 August-2 September 2016 Adelaide: Engage Create Lead
 
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) supports the paper which 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.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.
 
Abstract:
 
Introduction:
 
Trove is an embedded part of the Australian information and culture landscapes. Described as indispensable, transformative and revolutionary, Trove has moved from experimental project to ongoing service with a rapidly growing content and user base. Independent and National Library of Australia research is yielding new insights into Trove’s role in generating new knowledge, fostering social inclusion, and in developing communities of interest.
 
However, our understanding of how Trove fits into the international cultural collections discovery service landscape is less developed. While Trove has undoubtedly led this field, it is by no means alone. In the last six years, comparable national or trans-national services have emerged including Europeana, DigitalNZ, and the Digital Public Library of America.
 
Methods:
 
None of these services are exact analogues of Trove, and this paper will draw out the similarities, differences and overlaps across a number of domains: mission; content; service; user engagement; governance; and supporting business models.
 
Based on the knowledge developed over five years of developing and maintaining Trove, a literature search and interviews with the leaders of Trove’s ‘sibling’ services, this paper will critically examine the service’s different partnership and business models, and consider the ways in which those individual differences reflect divergent policy and social contexts.
 
Results:
 
The paper will extend beyond this analysis to ask what social, economic and policy contexts – what community values – influenced the scope, shape and flavor of each of these services. What national and trans-national identities are being invoked or modified through these services?
 
What government, community or private mandates generated and facilitated their development? What conditions favoured or hindered development or may do so in the future?
 
Conclusions:
 
What are the likely future impacts of the business models underlying each service, with their varying levels of public and private funding? What do these similarities and differences mean in terms of shared directions for work across the portals? Will there be further convergence of purpose and approach? Is it possible that global topics of interest, such as climate change and the movement of peoples across the globe will stimulate cross-portal work?
 
Relevance:
 
This paper addresses a ‘big discovery issue’, by exploring the ways in which the framing of discovery ‘problems’ and ‘solutions’ is heavily influenced by local social, policy, political, cultural and professional factors. Discovery services are like any other cultural assemblage – inevitably shaped by the environments in which they arise. Understanding these differences is essential as the profession moves beyond national to transnational data sharing relationships.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.
 
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) critically examines the service’s different partnership and business models, and consider the ways in which those individual differences reflect divergent policy and social contexts. The paper will extend beyond this analysis to ask what social, economic and policy contexts – what community values – influenced the scope, shape and flavor of each of these services. What national and trans-national identities are being invoked or modified through these services? What government, community or private mandates generated and facilitated their development? What conditions favoured or hindered development or may do so in the future?

This document summarises how people who work in the library and information field want the new Australian Government to engage with library and information services during its term of office. In the run up to the federal election, we will be lobbying for The Library and Information Agenda – four themes and 10 items which we believe are essential for promoting literacy, enabling citizens to be well informed, supporting socially inclusive communities and contributing to the success of Australia as a knowledgebased economy. 

ALIA Information Online 2017 Conference, 13-17 February 2017 Sydney: Data Information Knowledge
 
This poster presentation discusses the Griffith University trial of eText resources as well as future licensing, cost and access models.

ALIA Information Online 2017 Conference, 13-17 February 2017 Sydney: Data Information Knowledge
 
Abstract:
 
Introduction and Context:
 
The University of Sydney Library launched the inaugural ThinkSpace in early 2016. By attending this presentation you will be taken on a journey from dead space to ThinkSpace, outlining the strategic thinking, challenges and successes in prototyping this new concept.
 
The Challenge:
 
The University of Sydney Library inherited an area above one of our main libraries that came with issues such as size and the location. We have been able to turn these challenges into an opportunity to maximise the utilisation of the space so that it aligns with the strategic objectives of both the Library and University in helping to future proof the Library in a fun and exciting way.
 
The Solution:
 
In line with current thinking on future academic library trends we knew that makerspaces were on the short term horizon as an emerging trend (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, & Freeman, 2015). After reviewing existing makerspaces in public libraries we decided to establish a slightly different model that provided more opportunity to experiment and collaborate with the ultimate goal of driving innovation.
 
The library had also spent some time rethinking our strategy in order to better position ourselves to contribute to University-wide institutional goals (University of Sydney, 2016) and to our profession as a whole. Two of the main pillars of the Library’s strategic plan are to “Provide a thinkspace” and “Facilitate collaboration & creation” (University of Sydney Library, 2016). We decided to create a hybrid makerspace that combined these two objectives and “ThinkSpace” was born.
 
The Concept: ThinkSpace;
 
1. Introduces people to new and existing technologies and ideas they may not have experimented with before in order to support innovation,
2. Facilitates collaborative opportunities between disciplines,
3. Acts as a showcase for experimental design.
 
The space has a 3D printer, 3D scanner, high end Mac computers equipped with Adobe Design Suite and drawing pads, a BB8 programmable droid, Google cardboard VR viewer and a Carvey tabletop 3D carving machine. In development is a small one button recording studio.
 
Results:
 
ThinkSpace is a new and growing initiative aimed at inspiring and encouraging creativity. The space is still growing but already we have garnered the interest of many students, student clubs and academics alike. Students are excited about the space and using play and experimentation as a way to learn and share knowledge.
 
We’ll share insights from attendance at workshops as well as some of the fabulous things we’ve created along the way.
 
The Library has taken an unloved, underutilised space and turned it into a vibrant ThinkSpace to help future-proof the library in a fun, creative and collaborative way, so come along and be inspired!

There were five themes that emerged specific to collecting institutions - National, State and Territory libraries. 1. National treasures direct to your device. 2. Linked data enriches the experience. 3. The need for new legislation. 4. Managing volume. 5. Cultural participation.

ALIA Information Online 2017 Conference, 13-17 February 2017 Sydney: Data Information Knowledge
 
This presentation (PowerPoint slides) supported the talk on the technological advances in the digital humanities.

Abstract: Text and data mining is vital to the digital humanities. A new mode of accessing this text and metadata by Libraries has been provided by Gale which has opened up access and innovation in the digital humanities. No longer are hard drives and delays in access the bane of the researchers existence. Instead the cloud-based platform gives easy use and reuse. This presentation describes the nature of access and how where advances in the Digital Humanities can move beyond data visualisation towards augmented and virtual realities.