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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.

Australian Coalition for School Libraries's (ACSL) submission to the Expert Panel to endorse the submission from Emily Squires, Rebecca Cameron and Sally Allen and its recommendations:

1. As a matter of equity, a target that every ACT public school student has access to a well resourced school library run by qualified staff.

2. That the Education Directorate develop a central register on the provision, resourcing and staffing of school libraries to provide a source of data to track impact on literacy and numeracy outcomes.

3. Expansion of the current teacher librarian initiatives (scholarship program and roll-out of centrally funded positions), supplemented by opportunities for library-specific training for educational support staff.

Public libraries play a vital role in local communities. They ensure that every Australian, no matter their economic means, is able to access information, assistance, education, community engagement and at a very basic level, a temperature controlled safe space. They support social cohesion, community wellbeing local history, the arts, culture and literacy. The submission notes the funding streams that public libraries receive from local governments, which has declined in per capita funding in the last five year period, while demands on public libraries have increased around support for federal government service delivery. 

ALIA APLA's submission made the following recommendations:

1. ALIA APLA supports the Australian Local Government Association’s (ALGA) call to increase Federal Assistance Grants to local councils. 

2. Library experts are invited to participate in relevant intergovernmental committees and policy networks, and grants are revised to ensure that public library services are eligible. 

3. Federal government departments proactively contact and collaborate with ALIA APLA when the delivery of government programs will impact/rely on public library services. 

4. Federal government departments explore ways to partner with public libraries to deliver and fund national projects. 

5. A scholarship program for regional skills shortages is established to upskill people already working in local councils, including library staff. 

6. The federal government provides funding for national support programs for public libraries through ALIA APLA. 

ALIA's submission into Revive First Nations First National Consultation underscores the huge contribution to Australia’s arts and cultural sector in all its expressions, and urges Creative Australia to ensure that the diversity of experience of First Nations people in the cultural sector is reflected.

The submission references Kirsten Thorpe's National survey on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment in Australian libraries and highlighs the need for further research into employment across the GLAM sector. It also references the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for Libraries, Archives and Information Services ('the ATSILIRN Protocols') and the ALIA Skills, Knowledge and Ethics Framework for the Library and Information Services Workforce in working towards embedding Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Policy into sector processes.

ALIA acknowledges the expertise and contribution of the members of the ALIA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Expert Advisory Group who have approved the content of the submission.

A thriving culture, economy, environment and democracy requires the free flow of information and ideas. Australia's library and information services are fundamental to the free flow of information and ideas and a legacy to each generation, conveying the knowledge of the past and the promise of the future.

Library and information services professionals commit themselves to the core values of their profession as described in the Australian Library and Information Association values statement.

This document replaces: ALIA Core values policy statement (2018)

By-Law 1 of the Australian Library and Information Association as amended to August 2024, with amendments in mark up, followed by the clean updated copy.

By-Laws of the Australian Library and Information Association as amended to August 2024.

Funded by the Charlotte Henry Study Grant 2023, this zine contains key insights and information as part of Jade Smith's research into graphic novel collections in NSW libraries. The aims of the reflective research, undertaken during her Master of Information Studies (Applied Research) project, were to investigate the value of graphic novel collections in libraries and how these can be leveraged and understood in the context of a collection that can sometimes be challenged, maligned or misappropriated.

Contents: Welcome to graphic novels -- How do graphic novels work? -- Intro to graphic novel and library research -- What can graphic novel and library research tell us? -- Stigma and censorship

ALIA made a submission to The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts' modernisation of the Australian Classification Scheme.

The submission includes feedback around current Classification procedures and mechanisms, several definitions that are central to reforms, the establishment and makeup of a proposed independent Classification Advisory Panel, and indications about future communications of classification decisions.

ALIA notes that the submission is written in a period where anti-LGBTQIA+ protests against library collections and programs have been at an elevated level for more than 12 months in Australia and warns against changes to the scheme inadvertently acting as a tool to discriminate against or suppress the voices of marginalised communities.

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)'s submission to the News Media Assistance Program Consultation makes key recommendations around the availability and accessibility of news and journalism and media literacy support. It outlines the citical role of libraries in providing equality of access to news media, and support and challenges required to support this role.

The following recommendations are made:

• That in developing the news media assistance program that access to and accessibility of news media is identified as a priority.
• That in developing the news media assistance program, the Department liaises with the Australian Library and Information Association to ensure strategic investment in programs that support public and educational libraries to provide access and support accessibility of news media content to all Australians, including priority cohorts.
• That the government funds the Australian Library and Information Association to work with researchers to update and expand evidence-based media literacy programs and fund the roll-out across public libraries in Australia.

ALIA's submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters’ inquiry into civics education, engagement, and participation in Australia underscores the ways in which libraries support a democratic society. Namely, through 1) Resources to facilitate equitable access to information for all Australians, regardless of age, race, gender identity, religion, ability, or geographic location, 2) Collections and preservation of government records for government transparency and electoral knowledge, 3) Trained staff to develop skills in information literacy, digital literacy, and media literacy, and 4) Safe spaces for civics dialogue and social cohesion in a pluralistic society.

ALIA makes the following recommendations around these points:

• Federal Government funds initiatives in libraries to support digitally inclusive communities, including through collaboration with ALIA.
• Federal Government Departments work collaboratively with ALIA to support Australia’s libraries and ensure all Australians can access quality public library collections.
• The Federal Government commit to every Australian school student having access to a well-resourced school library run by qualified staff.
• The Federal Government work with the Australian Media Literacy Alliance (AMLA) to develop and implement a national media literacy strategy.
• The Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development, Transport, Communications and the Arts and the Department of Home Affairs work with AMLA and ALIA to support capacity building for public libraries and public library staff in the areas of information, media and
• The Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development, Transport, Communications and the Arts works with ALIA on a small grants scheme for libraries to support media and information literacy education.
• The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) should work with ALIA on a program of small grants to libraries that deliver electoral information and participation sessions.

The Australian Library and Information Association's submission to the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian society places a central focus on digital and media literacy skills and abilities of Australians to effectively understand and use social media applications. It addresses the issue of the disparity of skill levels across different demographic and regional groups and the role of libraries to help address these gaps and provide digital access and literacy support.

The submission makes the following recommendations:

1. The government implements a national approach to media literacy and media literacy education, with appropriate funding and support.

2. The Department of Industry, Regional Development, Transport, Communications and the Arts (DIRDTCA) and the Office of the eSafety Commissioner work with the Australian Library and Information Association and the Australian Media Literacy Alliance to support up-to-date materials and training options for library staff and education professionals in areas of digital and media literacy.

3. The government explores opportunities to work with the Australian Library and Information Association and partners to update and expand evidence-based media literacy programs, with emphasis on segments of the community with the highest needs.

The ILRS Code has been endorsed by the Australia Library Peak bodies including Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), National and State Libraries Australia (NSLA), the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) and the National Library of Australia.

The Interlibrary Resource Sharing (ILRS) Code (together with the Best Practice Guidelines) is designed to support a multi-faceted approach to resource sharing based on reciprocality, cooperation and fairness between libraries, respect for the moral and intellectual rights of creators and publishers and compliance with legal and contractual obligations.

This version of the Code has been updated to show the recommended fees (rounded up/down to the nearest 10 cents) for July 1.

Contents: President’s Report -- Chief Executive Officer’s Report -- Chief Operating Officer’s Report -- About ALIA -- Our structure and governance -- Committees appointed by the ALIA Board -- Our Membership -- Our performance against the Strategic Plan 2021-2024 Key highlights -- Awards -- Financials

ALIA's submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) addressing current and emerging threats to transgender and gender diverse human rights in Australia. The submission focuses on the provision of information about the challenges that library services, predominantly public library services, have faced when hosting LGBTQIA+ events and when providing or displaying LGBTQIA+ content, with trans and gender diverse content.

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 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 Health Libraries Australia (HLA) made a submisison to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) consultation on the draft Good Institutional Practice Guide to highlight and promote hospital librarians' contributions to research culture and research quality. 

ALIA's submission to the Parliamentary inquiry into the adoption of artifical intelligence arguing for more support for libraries to ensure that people are not left behind in the AI revolution.  The submission also spoke to some of the copyright policy challenges and proposed solution. Three main recommendations were made: 

1. That the government work with ALIA to fund the development and roll-out of training for library staff addressing AI literacy and pedagogy to support the community to be AI literate.

2. That the government funds the Australian Library and Information Association to work with researchers to update and expand evidence-based media literacy programs and fund the roll-out across public libraries in Australia.

3. That Federal, state and territory governments prioritise consulting with First Nations people and organisations with expertise in matters of information governance, ICIP, and cultural collections, to understand the concerns and actions required in the adoption of generative AI.

ALIA’s submission to the Australian Universities Accord Discussion Paper proposes five overarching recommendations to inform the long-term plan for Australia’s higher education sector. Recommendations include: reduction of fees for Commonwealth supported places for library and information studies; support for smaller and niche industry courses; recognition of industry accreditation; support for open educational resources and open scholarship; and recognition and adequate resouricing for the work of university libraries, archives and other information services.

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) currently publishes the Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association (JALIA) under agreement with Taylor and Francis.

The JALIA Working Group is to provide advice to the ALIA Board on the future publishing options for the Association’s journal. The JALIA Working Group will be constituted for a period of 24 months.

This document sets out the the JALIA Working Group Terms of Reference.

Notice of the 35th Annual General Meeting of members of the Australian Library and Information Association Limited (ALIA) held on Tuesday 30 May 2023 at the National Library of Australia and online.

Agenda for the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on Thursday 23 March 2023 online via Microsoft Teams.

There is growing recognition of the need for the general public to be educated and guided to engage critically with news and media and to develop their media literacy skills and knowledge. The proliferation of new digital platforms, mis and disinformation, fake news, deepfakes, sponsored content and the rise of the ‘attention economy’, among other issues, means there is also an urgent need to understand how people access and engage with information and media content, and how they are impacted by it. Libraries play a significant role in supporting the public to develop and upskill their media and digital literacy. Media technology is rapidly evolving, and the skills people learn during formal education need constant updating. Media literacy is among the most important skills for people to engage effectively with media content as online platforms multiply, mis and disinformation proliferates and the ‘attention economy’ vies for our time.

This report explores the findings from a national study of LIS practitioners’ perceptions of media literacy education conducted by scholars from the University of Canberra in partnership with ALIA. It also discusses the development of a 7-week course tailored to the needs of those in pedagogical roles, specifically in the LIS sector. Finally, the report reviews the first intakes of the course and feedback received from students. You can read all the details in this full report, or get a quick summary in the associated snapshot report. 

Full report all accessible: https://doi.org/10.25916/kahm-zr94

In the second half of 2022, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) was engaged in the first phase of consultation conducted as a key step in the Professional Pathways initiative. The stated goals of the Professional Pathways project are to build a shared understanding of the different areas of knowledge and skills, and the values and ethics that people employed in the library and information services (LIS) sector will need, and to consider what pathways might best support them as they develop and shape their capabilities throughout their career journey. The project supports ALIA’s strategic priority of ensuring the LIS sector has a resilient, talented and diverse LIS workforce with the strength and agility to navigate a rapidly changing workplace and deliver quality library and information services which anticipate and meet the needs of the Australian community.

The Professional Pathways Advisory Board tasked the Professional Pathways team with the design and development of a draft framework, which should then be subject to sector-wide review and feedback. Consultation activities commenced in late July 2022, running through to early November 2022. This report outlines and discusses the details of the Phase One Consultations.

Summary of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on Thursday 23 March 2023 via Zoom.

10 Sustainable Development Goal stretch targets are proposed for libraries in Australia from 2020-2030. Targets address literacy; access to knowledge; equitable access; culture and heritage; sustainable communities; contribution to health and wellbeing; diversity and gender equality; lifelong learning; and global citizenship.

The report tracks the current status of lead agencies against the SDG stretch targets in March 2023. 

Summary of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on Tuesday 30 May 2023 at ALIA House, Canberra.

Contents: About ALIA -- Our Structure and Governance -- Advisory Committees Appointed by the ALIA Board -- President’s Report -- Acting Chief Executive Officer’s Report -- Chief Executive Officer’s Report -- ALIA’s Performance Against the Strategic Plan 2021-2024 -- Our Membership -- Groups -- Awards -- Financial Statements

The Australian Library and Information Association's statement in response to the IFLA Governing Board on the decision to host the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.