The Australian Library Journal: August 2008
The Australian Library Journal: Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association - Volume 57 No. 3 August 2008
The Australian Library Journal: Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association - Volume 57 No. 3 August 2008
The Australian Library Journal: Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association - Volume 57 No. 2 May 2008
The Australian Library Journal: Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association - Volume 57 No. 1 February 2008
The ALIA Interlibrary Lending Advisory Committee carried out research to find out if interlibrary lending and document delivery would still be important in the ebook world. This report highlights the findings and the information generated will help inform the work of the Advisory Committee. It will be of great value in discussions with library vendors, publishers, authors, government and other stakeholders.
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.
A consortium of library associations including the Australian Government Libraries Information Network (AGLIN), Australian Law Librarians’ Association (ALLA), Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), Health Libraries Australia (HLA) and Health Libraries Inc (HLI) has worked with SGS Economics & Planning Pty Ltd (SGS) in the prepartion of this report. This research seeks to contrast the costs and benefits associated with the operation of special libraries (including government, health, law and corporate libraries) across Australia; the aim of this research being to demonstrate the net benefits these libraries confer.
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 paper 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 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.
National 2016 Conference, 29 August-2 September 2016 Adelaide: Engage Create Lead
This conference paper discusses the challenge of promoting online collections in public libraries.
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.
National 2016 Conference, 29 August-2 September 2016 Adelaide: Engage Create Lead
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) supports the paper which discusses the challenge of promoting online collections in public libraries.
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.
National Library and Information Technicians' Symposium, 13-15 November 2019 Melbourne: Discover, Diversify, Dive In
This presentation (PowerPoint slides) accompanied the session on the professional path and experiences of an ALIA qualified Library Technician during a career spanning more than 30 years.
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:
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce an original, quantitative approach to examining the use of library electronic resources by demographic (or 'market segment'). In turn it provides an innovative way to demonstrate and explore the value of libraries and importantly, electronic collections.
Methodology
The University of Wollongong's Performance Indicator Unit (PIU), in partnership with the University of Wollongong Library (UWL), has built a data warehouse - the 'Marketing Cube' that links real time usage of electronic resources (eresources) at a title level, to student demographic data.
Findings
The Marketing Cube design provides a robust analytics framework for examining pictures of use of eresources by student demographic. For views explored, the cube reveals rich data for demographical context against number of student logins and engagement with resources in hours. Findings give rise to further questions or hypotheses, requiring further interrogation of the cube or triangulation with other available quantitative data or qualitative inquiry with faculty.
Practical Implications
An ongoing commitment to continuous improvement at a university and library executive level is critical. UWL is fortunate to have secured the support of the enterprise Performance Indicator Unit (PIU), for this second UWL performance measurement project. The Marketing Cube also exploits tested system design created for UWL's 'Value Cube' (Jantti & Cox, 2012). Considerable time has been invested anew to select priority resources and to configure them within the cube. Significant time was also spent on user acceptance testing by both the Library and PIU.
Originality/Value
Existing research and literature has more often achieved to demonstrate the value of library collections on a qualitative basis. In contrast, the Marketing Cube offers a quantitative perspective and is focussed solely on student use of resources - the library's broadest client base. Real time use capture and weekly reporting provides UWL with a granular picture of who is using a resource and when; on demand. This contextual insight has strategic value to acquisition and renewal decisions; but most innovatively, such analytics data can inform marketing strategy and provide a method to pre and post-test impact of promotional activity.
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.
This document summarises how people who work in the library and information field want the government to engage with library and information services to enable Australians to be well-informed, literate and ready for future economic and technological challenges.
POLICY
1. A national framework for digital access to cultural collections
2. Improved access to data and scholarly information through the development and trial of open access models for government-funded research
3. Halt to government library closures and greater recognition of the role of library and information professionals in evidence-based decision-making
4. Greater recognition of the important part libraries can play in literacy and learning
5. Quality library services for tertiary students enrolled in universities, TAFEs and private RTOs
6. Qualified library staff employed in every school library
LEGISLATION
7. Copyright law reform and the introduction of fair use
FUNDING
8. Further investment in digitisation and the Trove platform
9. Resourcing for public libraries to assist citizens through government’s digital transformation
10. Funding for library buildings as a vital element of Australia’s knowledge infrastructure.
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 report, produced by Dr Katherine Howard and commissioned by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), is based on desk research carried out over the period of November 2016 to February 2017. It followed on from the Special Libraries Summit, held on 2 September, in Adelaide, alongside the ALIA National Conference.
The report is structured as follows: a recap on what we already know that special librarians do now, through literature reviews, projects and commissioned research, and how this role may be extended. Secondly, the report identifies competitors in the marketplace in terms of both job classifications and information providers, with areas of overlap between them and the librarian role highlighted. This in turn identifies the unique selling points (USPs) of the librarian in the Special Library domain.
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 conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) discusses the case study of data mining in Vogue magazine archives.
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.
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) is supporting the Chief Scientist's Storytime Pledge, launched on 14 December 2017, asking people to read a book to a child this holiday season.
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!
Australian Library Design Awards and Conference, 19 June 2017 Melbourne
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) discusses how Casey Cardinia Libraries in Victoria approached the creation of a 21st Century library space.
The Australian Library Design Awards have been created to showcase the best in contemporary library interiors and exteriors in Australia, and to celebrate the investment in libraries made by our nation's institutions, corporations, local, state and territory governments. They have been developed in the context of other competitions internationally, including the American Institute of Architects/American Library Association Library Building Awards and the Danish Agency for Culture Model Programme for Public Libraries Public Library of the Year Award. The entries, shortlisted and winning designs provide case studies in excellent library design for the 21st Century.
The awards are organised by the Australian Library and Information Association in partnership with the Australian Public Library Alliance and Council of Australian University Librarians. The organising committee includes senior library leaders from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, acting on behalf of colleagues nationally. More than 30 libraries were entered for the inaugural Australian Library Design Awards 2017. Public, school, academic and special libraries all featured in the entries, and there was a special award for the library voted for by ALIA Members.
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.
This is the final report of the 2012 Anne Harrison Award Project conducted between October 2014 - February 2015.
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.
The Twila Ann Janssen Herr Award is a biennial award of up to $5000 that aims to provide an early career LIS practitioner with the opportunity to research or undertake a project in the area of library and information services for people with a disability.
The document outlines frequently asked questions regarding the terms of the Twila Ann Janssen Herr Award.