This submission is made on behalf of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) in response to TEQSA’s draft text for the proposed legislative instrument relating to the quality of research generated by accredited higher education providers.
Each year the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) trend reports provide Members, including employees, employers, students and educators, with an understanding of the national library and information science (LIS) education and employment landscape.
As the sector’s peak professional body, ALIA promotes the use of accurate data and analysis to drive evidence-based policy and planning. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided additional challenges in data collection, with some government agencies forced to pause or alter their reporting, or to release data with strong cautions as to reliability.
To address this data gap, for the first year ALIA conducted a survey of Institutional Members. The survey provided a snapshot of the industry during the pandemic and gauged sentiment about the future. This survey supplements information gathered from other sources including the annual course returns from ALIA accredited courses and the latest figures from the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.
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.
10th ALIA Top End Symposium, 12-13 October 2018 Darwin: Enabling universal literacies in the digital age
The symposium provides a professional development opportunity for local information professionals to engage with national and international experts on universal literacies, a theme deemed to be of interest to all members of the community. This event is a premium professional development activity for information and library workers in the Northern Territory.
The theme of the symposium was 'Enabling Universal Literacies in the Digital Age'.
In the digital age, the information industries – GLAMR and ICT – are critical partners in helping to achieve all of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
“Public access to information in all its forms enables people to make informed decisions that can improve their lives. Communities that have access to timely and relevant information are better positioned to benefit from quality education, see a reduction in inequality, and are supported when it comes to health, culture, research and innovation …”
Speakers addressed how information industries are progressing in assisting to achieve the SDGs using any or all of the following themes: Access, Education, Sustainability.
[Peer reviewed] Abstract: The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic forced public library staff to rapidly rethink the services they offered as lockdown restrictions meant that libraries as social venues briefly came to an end. Online content was developed overnight to fill the void. This study examines the impact that the contactless operational model has had on library services across Australia, as seen through the eyes of eight public library staff. The qualitative study contributes in-depth data to scant literature about public libraries and the pandemic in an Australian context. The study highlights the value of libraries to the community. The need for in-person contact is discussed in terms of future service design in library and information practice.
This document is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in the Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association on 2 August 2021, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/24750158.2021.1955436.
Citation for published article:
Maree Wilson (2021) Australian Public Library Staff Living through a Pandemic: Personal Experience of Serving the Community, Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 70:3, 322-334, DOI: 10.1080/24750158.2021.1955436
© Maree Wilson 2021
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.
This guide provides concise information about how to safeguard library collections in the event of a disaster and has been updated from an earlier edition (ALIA, 2010). The Guide (Part one) gives an overview and context for the Disaster Plan. The Disaster Plan Template (Part two) provides further details and a flexible integrated model with tables and a checklist for you to adapt and develop your library’s own Disaster Plan.
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.
ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger
This conference presentation describes how Charles Sturt University librarians combined two platforms already existing in the Library to deliver a personalised and flexible experience that met the complex needs of first year mature off campus students. The new generation of mature, working professionals returning to study have different expectations and needs to the traditional first year student. Their situations demand that they be able to pick up the research skills they need while working in their own timeframes.
Notice of meeting and agenda of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) 27th Annual General Meeting held on 20 May 2015 at the ALIA House, Canberra.
This template has been flexibly designed for your library or cultural institution to develop its own collections Disaster Plan. It is to be used in conjunction with the Guide (Part one) which provides an overview and context for the Disaster Plan. The template is based on a medium to large sized library but can be tailored to meet the needs of smaller libraries, or other collecting organisations.
Australian Library and Information Association Biennial Conference, 2 – 5 September 2008, Alice Springs Convention Centre, Alice Springs, NT Australia: Dreaming 08.
This conference paper presents discussion by the Special Collections Librarian and the Indigenous Services Officer at Alice Springs Public Library on establishing and developing the Alice Springs Public Library’s Akaltye Antheme Collection. The Akaltyne Antheme Collection aims to facilitate Indigenous people’s use of the Library and all its collections and to provide insight into local culture for non-Indigenous patrons and visitors. The paper contextualises the collection's role within the broader scope of the library and its information services for Indigenous people and highlights its successes.
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
ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger
This conference paper describes how Charles Sturt University librarians combined two platforms already existing in the Library to deliver a personalised and flexible experience that met the complex needs of first year mature off campus studentsThe new generation of mature, working professionals returning to study have different expectations and needs to the traditional first year student. Their situations demand that they be able to pick up the research skills they need while working in their own timeframes.
Minutes of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) 27th Annual General Meeting held on 20 May 2015 at ALIA House, Canberra.
This document has been updated from an earlier edition (ALIA, 2010) and provides various disaster training scenarios which can help staff to prepare, update and refine library Disaster Plans and assist in staff training. A list of key issues is also provided for facilitators to select and adapt to help groups explore the implications of the different disaster scenarios.
This resource can be used in conjunction with the ALIA Disaster Management for Libraries: Guide (Part 1) and Disaster Plan Template (Part 2).
This document replaces "ALIA disaster scenarios for staff training sessions (2010)".
Notice of meeting and agenda of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) 28th Annual General Meeting held on 18 May 2016 at the ALIA House, Canberra.
This document is the 2021 edition of the APLA-ALIA Standards and Guidelines for Australian Public Libraries.
This document replaces "APLA-ALIA Standards and Guidelines for Australian Public Libraries (December 2020)".
ALIA 2012 Biennial Conference, Sydney, Australia, 10 - 13 July 2012.
ALIA National Conference provides the platform as a meeting point for all Library and Information professionals, from all sectors and all areas of Australia and the international community.
Minutes of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) 28th Annual General Meeting held on 18 May 2016 at ALIA House, Canberra.
ALIA Information Online 2017 Conference, 13-17 February 2017 Sydney: Data Information Knowledge
The ALIA Information Online Conference has been held since 1990 and attracts over one thousand influential professionals from all sectors of the library industry. The conference gives access to key library and information service professionals from Australia, New Zealand, Asia Pacific, and beyond. The 2017 Conference will be an opportunity to connect over common interests, challenge each other, and engage with some of the most creative and exciting thinkers and innovators from our industry.
10th ALIA Top End Symposium, 12-13 October 2018 Darwin: Enabling universal literacies in the digital age
This presentation (PowerPoint slides) supports the session discussing the results of the Broadband for the Bush Alliance (B4BA) Telecommunications Survey.
The symposium provides a professional development opportunity for local information professionals to engage with national and international experts on universal literacies, a theme deemed to be of interest to all members of the community. This event is a premium professional development activity for information and library workers in the Northern Territory.
The theme of the symposium was 'Enabling Universal Literacies in the Digital Age'.
In the digital age, the information industries – GLAMR and ICT – are critical partners in helping to achieve all of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
“Public access to information in all its forms enables people to make informed decisions that can improve their lives. Communities that have access to timely and relevant information are better positioned to benefit from quality education, see a reduction in inequality, and are supported when it comes to health, culture, research and innovation …”
Speakers addressed how information industries are progressing in assisting to achieve the SDGs using any or all of the following themes: Access, Education, Sustainability.
ALIA celebrated its 80th anniversary throughout 2017, and with a celebration at ALIA House in October. This document provides an overview of the campaign.
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.
Notice of meeting, agenda and special resolutions of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) 29th Annual General Meeting held on 17 May 2017 at ALIA House, Canberra.
Special resolutions to amend the ALIA Constitution.
ALIA Information Online 2019 Conference, 11-15 February 2019 Sydney: Infinite Possibilities
The ALIA Information Online Conference has been held since 1990 and attracts over one thousand influential professionals from all sectors of the library industry. The conference gives access to key library and information service professionals from Australia, New Zealand, Asia Pacific, and beyond.
The conference theme, Infinite Possibilities, will explore opportunities presented by what is happening now and on the horizon in the broader GLAM context. The program will focus on challenges, opportunities, solutions and possibilities.
The ALIA NT Recognition Awards are an annual merit prize which celebrates and recognises the work of a team or individual working in any sector of the library and information profession in the Northern Territory. There are two awards reflecting the unique geography of the Territory.
In 2019 there were joint winners of the ALIA NT Recognition Award - Alice Springs Public Library Youth Team and the Northern Territory Library.
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:
ALIA Information Online 2019 Conference, 11-15 February 2019 Sydney: Infinite Possibilities
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) accompanied the talk on Wikidata and Zotero.
Wikidata is managed by the Wikimedia Foundation, the same group responsible for Wikipedia. According to the Wikidata website, “Wikidata is a free and open knowledge base that can be read and edited by both humans and machines. Wikidata acts as central storage for the structured data of its Wikimedia sister projects including Wikipedia, Wikivoyage, Wikisource, and others.”
One of the projects within Wikidata is WikiCite, and its aim is to construct bibliographic references using data from Wikidata. These references could then be added to Wikipedia articles to improve their quality. There are several tools which can be used to add items to Wikidata, one of which is Zotero. Zotero makes it easy to upload a batch of bibliographic items to Wikidata.
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) welcomes the inclusion of education, arts and culture in the review of Social Infrastructure and the recognition of the vital role of libraries and other cultural institutions in supporting the quality of life, education, health and wellbeing of communities.
The 2019 Infrastructure Australia Audit report is a good summary of the issues facing National, State, Territory and public libraries. The growth in demand for physical spaces and digital access has rarely been accompanied by any increase in operating budgets and this is something we regularly raise with governments at all three levels. While investment in school libraries is briefly touched on, there is no mention of the disparity between library facilities in public and private schools. We would like to see this articulated in the Australian Infrastructure Plan and a focus on government school libraries included in the Infrastructure Priority List.