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Abstract:

Curtin University clients have been interested for many years in the Library providing more access to the physical building along with services. In 2013 the Library building underwent a major refurbishment to cater for these needs. Once complete it was possible to position the Library towards a stage by stage progressive journey to a 24x7 model. At the beginning of 2015 we have achieved what was once considered unattainable, a Library open 24 hours a day.

This presentation follows the journey from the traditional Full Service model to the flexible 24x7 Limited Services model in use today and highlights the opportunities and challenges faced, resulting in an overwhelmingly positive reception.

When considering the changes necessary to achieve our objective we had to take into account the issues of an aging building; the staffing considerations (who, what, when, where and why) and also the traditional mindsets of what a library is there for.

While the student experience is providing an environment conducive to their study needs, casual spaces to relax and recharge are also available. Library staff support their overnight needs and a security officer provides the safe and secure surrounds.

Over the last 18 months we have implemented and reviewed our model, and while it will be ever evolving we think that we have achieved best practice.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.

Abstract:

Corporate librarians need to be relevant to the needs of the business in which they operate. In tough times, the corporate library is often the first to go, but how did this geographically disparate team get ahead of the game and become central to plans of the organisation? This paper will explore the journey that this team undertook, to be an integral part of the business, as well as developing their professional skills at the same time.

The paper will explore the methods undertaken to develop a cutting edge regional corporate library team and to develop highly skilled professionals, beyond what their training gave them. This will include providing an overview of the diverse business and the culture of the company. The paper will form a case study and focus on practical examples, including exposure and visibility as a form of marketing, business development research and current awareness, the design and delivery of a comprehensive regional training program, blurring of roles and moving into the corporate knowledge space and engagement with research as a means of innovation. It will also include how activity based working was trialled – to embed the team within the business, as well as having an input into the re-design of the physical space.

Diversification, investment from the leadership and a consultancy approach put the team on the road to success. This paper will look at the future of the information professional and library service in the corporate sector, as well as the new skills and approaches that every corporate librarian should consider to ensure relevancy and ultimately survival.

This report concludes that baby boomer retirees from the LIS sector are creating the job opportunities for graduates and other entrants to the LIS job market. Educators are in a challenging period, but this isn't restricted to the LIS sector. Data shows that more employers are recruiting candidates without LIS qualification to provide frontline services. ALIA's aim is the encourage non-LIS professionals employed in the sector to study for LIS qualifications or at least gain a better understanding of the library environment by joining ALIA’s proficiency recognition program. LIS workers had significantly higher educational qualifications compared with people employed in all occupations in Australia.

Publication by Freedom of Access to Information and Resources (FAIR) reporting on research into teacher librarian impact on reading, digital literacy, critical thinking and research skills in schools. Report also discusses nomination process and nominees for the Great School Libraries campaign.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.

In 2014 the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) recommended the introduction of an American-style fair use, an architecture of non category-based permissible exceptions to the exclusive rights of copyright owners. The conference presentation discusses the ALRC report and possible futures for Australian copyright law.

Contents: Membership -- Meetings -- Activities -- Alignment with ALIA Strategic Plan -- Plans for the next year -- Concluding remarks.

Media release on Wednesday 8 July 2015 on the announcement by FAIR (the campaign for Freedom of Access to Information and Resources) of Cooking for Copyright Day on Friday 31 July. The campaign is intending to use classic Aussie recipes for lamingtons, pavlovas, canteen biscuits and soldier cake tins to drive the copyright reform agenda.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.

This conference presentation (PowerPoint slides) discusses the collaborative project between the University of Wollongong Library, Illawarra Museum and Wollongong City Library to digitise and provide access to local studies materials.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.

Abstract:

Contemporary scholarly environments are subject to shifting technological, governmental, educational and legal drivers. There are new scholarly knowledge streams replacing traditional academic products - both outputs (publishing) and inputs (resources). The concept of a University Press is not new, however library-based electronic publishing is gaining momentum. There is a trend to link existing library skills and systems with institutional imperatives of deepening engagement and impact through curation and promotion of the work of their scholars and researchers. The barriers to entry in the electronic publishing market continue to drop and increasingly, the push for open access scholarship encourages Universities to offer publishing services.

The Griffith University ePress was established in 2009 to publish open access, peer-reviewed journals. In 2014, the ePress published five active titles, all of which have editors affiliated with the University. Resourcing is provided by the Division of Information Services (of which the library is a part). The aim of establishing the ePress was to increase open access to research findings and better serve scholars in research assessment exercises, especially in emerging disciplines. The time has come to gather the evidence: Has the Griffith University ePress met its aims? Can we quantify the value of the ePress? Is it sustainable? The business model relies heavily on being subsidised through existing library budget and staffing and service structures. What are the real economic and resource costs of the service? Are there emerging options and solutions that need to be considered? Can economies of scale be achieved?

A case study of the Griffith University ePress is used to determine contribution to institutional performance in the national research assessment exercise. The case study also establishes the total cost of ownership for the ePress; derives a per-unit cost to analyse the impact of scale; and compares the service cost with alternative library-based services: funding article processing charges and traditional journal subscriptions. While library as publisher would seem a good fit, evidence-based analysis is required to ensure the provision of a digital publishing service which is economically worthwhile, sustainable and adding value.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.

Abstract:

Introduction:

The James Cook University Library is heavily invested in online resources. In the 2012 Client Satisfaction Survey, a substantial number of respondents stated that they wanted to learn more about accessing databases, ejournals, and ebooks. There was a clear need to provide flexible delivery of training beyond the face-to-face sessions offered on campus. With three campuses across two countries and increasing numbers of off-campus students, it was important to develop outreach programmes to deliver information literacy (IL) support to students in perse locations. Using a Student Services and Amenities Fees grant, a suite of re-usable learning objects (RLOs) was designed to provide asynchronous learning opportunities for our multimodal learners.

Methods:

The first step, creating a team to carry out the project, was the most challenging. We began with a large, committee-like team, but found the workflow difficult to manage. A smaller team, given dedicated time and space for the project, proved more effective. An environmental scan included an audit of the Library’s current online tools and those used by other institutions. We selected a combination of tools which would give us the most flexibility, including LibGuides and Articulate Storyline, and chose to adapt a modular format that had previously worked well. We developed a story to provide coherent themes for each module – basing our story on the adventure of a "Road Trip" (http://libguides.jcu.edu.au/roadtrip). Each module became a town in a fictional tropical region, and activities were designed to follow that theme. Using the principles of gamification, we rewarded people for completing the module by giving them games to re-enforce the key messages and presented a "certificate" for completing the module – in this case, "postcards". We created and repurposed existing RLOs. Some were "out of the box" applications of the tools, and some were coded by the team. We also outsourced some IT development and graphic design – enabling us to create a professional look for the package. Real postcards were designed to market the suite. The package was trialled by a number of small focus groups, given a soft launch mid-2013 and then refined for 2014.

Results:

By mid-2014, the Info Skills Road Trip had received over 17,000 hits. This programme is completely voluntary, without any subject embedding. Given the size of JCU, this shows great potential. Feedback has been highly positive – and indicates the resource has been particularly useful for those returning to study: “I am brand new to this and have not studied for many, many years, I found this to be very informative and interesting.”

Conclusion:

We found three elements in particular contributed to the success of this project: the creation of a small, dedicated team, hiring professionals to assist with technology and graphic design, and the use of “Story” and gamification to create an engaging through-line for the content. The Road Trip has been quite a journey, and has informed practice for future projects.

Relevance:

Our experience with developing this project can assist other libraries in the creation of online Information Literacy packages.

This document sets out the structure of the relationship between the Special libraries Association (SLA) and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).

Media release on Monday 20 July 2015 on the announcement by FAIR (the campaign for Freedom of Access to Information and Resources) of Cooking for Copyright Day on Friday 31 July. The campaign is intending to use classic Aussie recipes for lamingtons, pavlovas, canteen biscuits and soldier cake tins to drive the copyright reform agenda.

This document sets out the structure of the relationship between Health Libraries Inc (HLI) and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), which includes Health Libraries Australia (HLA).

Media release on Monday 20 July 2015. The National Library of Australia has approximately two million unpublished works in its collection, which under Australian law are never released from copyright. To raise awareness of the issue and lobby for change, FAIR (the campaign for Freedom of Access to Information and Resources) has announced Cooking for Copyright Day on Friday 31 July, using vintage Aussie recipes from unpublished letters, diaries and manuscripts for lamingtons, canteen biscuits and carrot marmalade to drive the copyright reform agenda.

This document provides an overview of how Australian libraries provide valuable support for Australian authors and publishers.

To raise awareness of the copyright law in Australia and lobby for change, FAIR (the campaign for Freedom of Access to Information and Resources) has announced Cooking for Copyright Day on Friday 31 July, using vintage Aussie recipes from unpublished letters, diaries and manuscripts for lamingtons, canteen biscuits and carrot marmalade to drive the copyright reform agenda.

The document outlines and answers questions about the campaign and participation in it.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.

Abstract:

Social media statistics are a fluid area. We explore the strategy of measuring social media, with specific case studies. What are the statistics which count? Are all ‘likes’ equal? Data will be from the State Library of NSW Public Library Services use of social media and the NSW Readers’ Advisory Working Group’s Twitter-based reading group.

The State Library has a few public library related social media channels, with a well-defined audience of NSW public libraries. We encourage the use of #nswpubliclibraries. The Twitter reading group focuses on a different theme each month and people tweet about what they are reading, watching or playing using the relevant hashtags (#rwpchat and the hashtag for that month’s theme). Data from both of these streams are captured and evaluated and used in planning.

Efforts to evaluate the effectiveness and the reach of these online conversations are not straightforward. One of the main barriers to measuring a Twitter-based initiative is that the tools, which are readily available to assist with the analysis of a particular set of activities change. The tools adopted for this initiative quantify hashtag use differently. There are variations in the number of Tweets recorded as contributing to a particular discussion. This workshop explores the reliability of such tools (including Archivist, TAGS explorer and Eventifier). The analysis of hashtags is vital to record both current performance, and continued growth, of the reading group. There will also be exploration of the effectiveness of the Twitter reading group’s blog and the posts that support each month’s theme (views, comments and sharing of posts) and the associated Pinterest account which has been established to support the various reading themes (analytics and benefits of collaborative pinning). Some of these tools are being used by Public Library Services, and the different results will be explored.

Although social media has been around for several years, there are still questions about how the data is analysed, as demonstrated in the recent academic work Twitter and society edited by Karen Weller. The different analytics tools present different results and allow the data to be seen and accessed in diverse ways.

The paper will have practitioner focused discussion of social media analytics. The authors will explore some of the possible meanings and look at what indicative conclusions can be drawn. We will be showing how the data from two different kinds of accounts may be interpreted, any influences on planning, and how not all likes and follows are equal. We will discuss the importance of evaluation of social media use, and how we need to be at the edge of thinking and planning to be effective in how we use and evaluation social media within libraries.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.

Abstract:

Introduction

In July 2013 City of Gold Coast Libraries opened a Media Lab – a digital creation space for individual and collaborative group work or training sessions, in a new long anticipated very handsome library building that replaced an undersized facility. The community were eagerly watching the growth and development of the site but I think it is fair to say, the building exceeded expectations – and that was just the start. The Mayoral opening attracted much attention from existing customers and new and different audiences – the potential for the new and engaging ways to build cultural community capacity was launched!

Methods

Activating a new Media Lab was an exciting and adventurous project that has no end. We acknowledged our ambitions at the outset were to deliver on Council’s new Culture Strategy which included a facilitator of digital media creation, a connector of software and hardware with customers and experts, within a capacity building framework. The reach would extend beyond our known customers and community and challenge us to step out of our comfort zone to continue to grow new connections in diverse environments.

By actively seeking skills and expertise outside our existing staffing, we continue to grow our own skills while at the same time allowing community members, new business start-ups, and other interested people of all ages to adopt some buy-in to the facility.

Relevance to theme

We have secured interest and support from previously non-users and non-user groups. Our contacts extend from small business operators needing 3D prints of proposed kitchens, teens ‘pimping their ring tones’, graduated digital media students wanting business and creative exposure, and tech heads sharing their coding and robotics not to mention the partnerships with other creative forces (e.g. series of short film production with the Gold Coast Film Festival). This will continue to evolve as our contacts grow and change and as they help mould the topics and knowledge shared and as our audience needs change. As facilitators not always teachers, community input is vital to the deliver a healthy, vibrant and creative digital media lab.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.

Abstract:

Introduction: From 2010 to 2013 the State Library of Western Australian undertook a project to digitise its significant collection of oral histories. One of the key outcomes of this project was to make digitised oral histories available for access online; however copyright concerns were a major barrier to this outcome. Oral history as a medium is unique among the original materials collected by libraries, in that:

• Copyright in oral histories is not clear-cut, and different communities seem to have different understandings of this; and
• Oral histories are often bound by additional limitations, such as access and embargo agreements, informed consent practices, and privacy concerns

The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges of copyright and oral history, and share how SLWA addressed these challenges to make digitised oral histories available online.

Methods: Detailed analysis and desktop research was undertaken, into SLWA’s oral history collection, associated documents and existing agreements as well as relevant legislation, case law, and existing industry/community practices. Drawing on this, innovative approaches to the copyright issues inherent in digitising oral histories were developed, including:

• Policy on risk management, the interpretation of legacy agreements, and the public benefit in making materials available online.
• Oral history-specific protocols on when further permissions are or are not required.
• Protocols for orphan works, and notice and take-down procedures.
• Approaches for navigating the multiple interpretations of copyright in oral histories that exist within the community.

Results: It was found that there is uncertainty around rights in oral history recordings, in both a legal and practical sense, and a variety of approaches and understandings within the industry and community. While a challenge, this was not a barrier to achieving the outcomes of the project. The project’s target for making interviews available online was met in 2013, and additional interviews continue to be released to the public. As a result, the voices and memories of Western Australians dating back to 1875, including artists, intellectuals, business people, immigrants, soldiers, families and ordinary people, whose stories are often lost to history, are now available online for everyone in the world.

Conclusions: The uncertainty around copyright in oral history is inconvenient, but it is not insurmountable. Through an understanding of the history of your collection, planning, and a consistent approach, it is very possible to tackle the copyright barriers to making oral history interviews available. There also seems to be great support for libraries to make oral histories available – nearly every rights-holder contacted for permission gave it without hesitation.

Relevance: Copyright and intellectual property concerns are a major barrier for any mass digitisation or digital collecting project. This is particularly true with oral history, where there is uncertainty around where copyrights exist, who owns them, and what can therefore be done with the oral history. Understanding and overcoming these challenges extends the boundaries of what can be achieved in providing access to content for clients.

Page excerpt from Australian Teacher Magazine, November 2015, No. 120. Page features banner advertisement for Great School Libraries campaign nominations in 2015.

ALIA Library Technician Research Award 2015, Debra Gilmore, ALIATech

This research, made possible by ALIA in the form of a research grant under the auspices of the ALIA biennial Library Technical Research Award, investigates whether Registered Training Organisations (RTO) Library Technician courses adequately cover the information and communications technology (ICT) skills required by library technicians and employers.

In November 2013, ebooks were, metaphorically speaking, flying out of the door and ALIA made a bold statement that ‘library print and ebook collections will establish a 50:50 equilibrium by 2020 and that this balance will be maintained through to 2040, when the last print-only generation hits 50’. In less than two years, the initial ebook sales boom has settled and the book industry is predicting the ebook phenomenon will plateau at around 20–30% of books sales, with print books remaining the dominant format.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015 Sydney : at the edge

This conference paper discusses a redesigned service model is based on eight foundation service principles. The new service model articulates a future state for us to work towards. We have designed service zones that are aligned to designated library spaces. We have redesigned our service processes to make them simpler for staff and easier for the customer. Our new service model brings together the physical and digital to create an integrated customer experience of the library.

ALIA Information Online 2015 Conference, 2-5 February 2015, Sydney: at the edge.

Abstract:

Library staff are engaging with clients, delivering services in social media channels and representing your library brand online. How effectively is your team managing legal and reputation risks, community engagement, strategy, coordination and resourcing risks? This presentation is a guided tour through recognising and managing the online engagement risks they will encounter along the way. Tools featured include: Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons and the lessons learned at State Library of NSW.

Together we will explore the risks and control options available and the strategies in place across the four different focus areas that the State Library uses social media to deliver on organisational objectives:

1. Developing markets (audiences) and promoting Library events, exhibitions, products, collections and services

2. Promoting discovery of library assets (including collections, services, events, exhibitions, online services, physical spaces and staff expertise)

3. Engaging with clients and the community in their preferred channels and online communities (conversation and service delivery)

4. Collecting social media content for the collection (including social meta data and community created content)

The responsibility for creating social media content and engaging with communities and clients through these channels involves a range of different library roles and stakeholders. Navigating digital engagement as an avenue of service delivery is a key skill for library professionals.

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.

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:

Engagement at UTS Library is both a strategy and mindset, it informs the way we build community and support learning and research. Over the past five years, we have modified our approach to engagement and library services by fostering a culture of playfulness, experimentation and risk-taking amongst library staff. We propose that the new rules of engagement lie in shifting relationships with clients and stakeholders from an impersonal and hierarchical model to one that embraces collective creativity, playfulness and authentic communication. This paper discusses how we achieve this by making the invisible visible, re-envisioning physical spaces for imagination and play, using an authentic voice, forming strategic collaborative relationships and supporting library staff in taking on new roles. Our examples will explore a number of current initiatives to highlight these themes through the library’s popular Think Play Discuss wall, social media channels and participation in university-wide activities.

Through FAIR (the campaign for Freedom of Access to Information and Resources), ALIA and the Australian Libraries Copyright Committee ran Cooking for Copyright Day on Friday 31 July. Participants were asked to cook from their own or one of 35 copyright-restricted recipes and share the results on social media. The report shares social media posts made in support of the Cooking for Copyright Day campaign.

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 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.