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As of 1 May, governments have started planning to ease restrictions on services, with the Northern Territory announcing the reopening of public library services from 15 May. We anticipate greater clarity in the coming weeks about when libraries may be able to ease restrictions on services and reopen fully. While government can make broad statements about libraries reopening, the details will need to be carefully planned by library managers to mitigate any remaining risks for staff and library users. Reopening will not mean going back to the way things were pre-COVID-19; it will mean putting in place the ‘new normal’ approach to library services.
 
This is the opportunity for libraries to prioritise their existing services and refocus investment on the services which are most highly valued by users. Some services which have been established for the duration of the pandemic will need to be removed as they will be redundant; there will no longer be the capacity to deliver them, or they will no longer be permissible. However, other innovations will most likely become part of normal service.
 
In practical terms, there will need to be a greater focus on the safe handling of items for borrowing and display. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, OCLC and Battelle in the US are collaborating to develop an evidence-based approach to safe reopening practices, providing information about how to handle materials, training and cleaning in libraries.
 
The International Federation of Library Associations is also gathering information about the strategies that libraries around the world are taking, as they plan to reopen their libraries.
 
Each library will have its own plans for reopening, depending on the sector and the specific needs of the library’s community, but the checklist provides a practical framework which outlines major considerations that library managers should be addressing, when planning to reopen their library.

Agenda for the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on Tuesday 18 August 2020 via Zoom.

Agenda for the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on 10 September 2019 at ALIA House, Canberra.

Agenda for the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on 21 May 2019 at ALIA House, Canberra.

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) guidelines for preparing, writing and submitting grant applications.

 Summary of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on Monday 17 and 18 August 2020.

ALIA Information Online 2019 Conference, 11-15 February 2019 Sydney: Infinite Possibilities
 
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) supports the paper which provides an analysis of collection, circulation and customer data relating to eBook lending statistics.

National 2016 Conference, 29 August-2 September 2016 Adelaide: Engage Create Lead
 
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) supports the paper which reports on a research project that considered the perceptions, expectations, and behaviors of library employers on job negotiations as both employers and as job seekers.  A survey was used to collect demographic data, including gender, age, position, and type of library respondents work in,  as well as data on respondents’ reasoning of why they did or did not withdraw an offer of employment, their level of comfort in negotiating, and how much flexibility they believe there was for negotiating job offers. The research question was addressed through quantitative analyses of responses to multiple choice questions and qualitative analyses of responses to open ended questions.
 

Summary of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on 9 December 2019.

ALIA By-Laws as amended to May 2020.
 
This document has been superceded by amendments passed December 2021.

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) requires members, both personal and institutional, to adhere to the highest standards of ethical practice and professional competence. All members are bound by the ALIA Constitution to act responsibly and to be accountable for their actions. The ALIA Code of Conduct establishes a common understanding of the responsibilities of members.
 
This document replaces "ALIA member code of conduct statement" (2018).

ALIA Information Online 2019 Conference, 11-15 February 2019 Sydney: Infinite Possibilities
 
This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) supported the talk on developing library activities to encourage community engagement with digital technology.

ALIA ebook and elending think tank, 15 February 2013 Brisbane, 7 March 2013 Perth, 12 March 2013 Melbourne
 
In order to understand the concerns of our members, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) took to the road and organised think tanks, in Brisbane 15 February 2013, Perth 7 March 2013, Melbourne 12 March 2013, Sydney 28 May 2013 and Adelaide 9 July 2013. Our think tanks provided an opportunity for library and information professionals to hear about the issues relating to ebooks and share their experiences and opinions.
 
This presentation (PowerPoint slides) provides an overview of the issues affecting libraries, both in Australia and globally, in relation to electronic book access and procurement.

In August 2019, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) partnered with the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) to extend the investigation of the digital dexterity of library staff across Australia beyond universities. This exploration took the form of a survey which revealed a snapshot of the current digital dexterity of the survey respondents.
 
Digital skills are necessary in 100% of library roles, according to a recent survey of staff across school, public, academic and special libraries. There is a constant need to update skills and build confidence, with 91% saying they would be looking for further opportunities to strengthen their digital dexterity in the next 12 months.
 
The survey revealed that 93% of respondents said digital skills were highly relevant in the library workplace and 7% said ‘somewhat relevant’. Most respondents (75%) said their digital confidence had increased over the last 12 months and 90% had had opportunities to build their digital dexterity through work-based professional development (65%), the ALIA PD Scheme (4%), ALIA Training (2%), CAUL digital dexterity program (2%) and other activities (17%).