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ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference paper describes The University of Queensland (UQ) Library’s journey towards systematically measuring and communicating its value to its parent body. Work began with the re-establishment of the Library Quality and Assessment Advisory Group (QuAAG) early in 2013.

QuAAG referenced business logic theory, including the Strategic Communication Loop of sensemaking, choosing, doing and revision. For sensemaking, QuAAG initiated a project that first audited and assessed the usefulness of statistics gathered by Library staff. It sorted these into essentials for informing internal management (on the volume and quality of activity), figures required for external reporting (e.g. to CAUL), and data demonstrating value delivered as a benefit to the receiver.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation describes The University of Queensland (UQ) Library’s journey towards systematically measuring and communicating its value to its parent body. Work began with the re-establishment of the Library Quality and Assessment Advisory Group (QuAAG) early in 2013.

QuAAG referenced business logic theory, including the Strategic Communication Loop of sensemaking, choosing, doing and revision. For sensemaking, QuAAG initiated a project that first audited and assessed the usefulness of statistics gathered by Library staff. It sorted these into essentials for informing internal management (on the volume and quality of activity), figures required for external reporting (e.g. to CAUL), and data demonstrating value delivered as a benefit to the receiver.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation reveals how, through working with the mechanisms and tools outlined, in addition to learning from achievements and failures in the examples provided, can contribute to: capacity building, knowledge transfer and succession planning.

This presentation also highlights the importance of negotiations around assigning / sharing / taking credit, adapting to change throughout a project and working with different levels of availability, capacity and commitment of other group members. These skills will really reflect Public Libraries Supporting Communities, as collaborations become more effective.

Ten themes emerged from our consultation relating specifically to special libraries, including government, law, health, corporate, engineering, science, art and others. 1. Radical transformation. 2. Value proposition. 3. DIY information. 4. Ready to use. 5. A seat at the top table. 6. Centralise and embed. 7. Big data. 8. Digitisation. 9. Subject specialisation. 10. Space.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference paper discusses how as librarians, most of us have indirectly contributed to a research project – this is often by performing a literature review or advising on citation management. We might have a long-term link with particular members of a research team who seek ongoing assistance during the life of the project, up to preparing their work for publication. However a research team comprising busy academics and clinicians requires many talents to conduct the investigation of a specific hypothesis.

Much of the “production” work is delegated to the project research assistants (RAs). This may include literature searching and synthesis, developing surveys or other data collection materials, recruiting subjects, compiling data and contributing to reports on the findings.

How much overlap is there between health librarian competencies and the functions of the RA in a research team? This paper examines the roles and duties of the research assistant in the “typical” university-based research team. It then compares these with the eight professional competencies identified for health librarians in recent Australian studies. The similarities and gaps between the two are discussed.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation discusses how as librarians, most of us have indirectly contributed to a research project – this is often by performing a literature review or advising on citation management.  We might have a long-term link with particular members of a research team who seek ongoing assistance during the life of the project, up to preparing their work for publication. However a research team comprising busy academics and clinicians requires many talents to conduct the investigation of a specific hypothesis.

Much of the “production” work is delegated to the project research assistants (RAs). This may include literature searching and synthesis, developing surveys or other data collection materials, recruiting subjects, compiling data and contributing to reports on the findings.

How much overlap is there between health librarian competencies and the functions of the RA in a research team? This presentation examines the roles and duties of the research assistant in the “typical” university-based research team. It then compares these with the eight professional competencies identified for health librarians in recent Australian studies. The similarities and gaps between the two are discussed.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation looks at how the growth of the evidence based practice movement has demanded a response from health librarians at Curtin University Library. This paper outlines how a collaborative approach to building librarians’ skills from shaky beginnings to firm foundations has facilitated a level of Faculty research support that is recognized, utilized and appreciated.

Working collaboratively within our own team, with the Faculty and with other health librarians has been highly effective in our growth to date and we are keen to seek out further opportunities for engagement as we continue on this exciting journey.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation discusses how most futurists will tell you that it is important to look at the trends, and develop various scenarios to assist in determining your future directions. However spotting trends may be more difficult than you first think, trends come and go and which ones will stick and have an influence on your everyday.

Take the humble ebook, first introduced in the late 90s but soon disappeared only to now make a significant impact on readers, authors, libraries and publishers some 20 years later. This illustrates that trends may take some time before they become embedded into our everyday.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference paper reports on an evaluation study of spaces in the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSHL), Biological Sciences (BSL) and Walter Harrison Law (WHLL) Libraries of the University of Queensland (UQ). The study was part of an evaluation of the quality and patterns of use of spaces in UQ libraries, which aimed to propose recommendations for future improvements and decision-making.

This paper presents a study of areas of weakness in existing SSHL spaces, and impacts of the refurbishment of spaces at BSL and WHLL on students’ experiences. The findings evidence a link between students’ learning experiences and the quality of library spaces.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation offers a quick overview of copyright law.

You thought all of Shakespeare’s in plays in 100mins was impressive, we’re doing the copyright act in 15.

Australian Library and Information Association is responding to the Early Childhood Learning element of the Productivity Commission Issues Paper, with the aim of: securing explicit acknowledgement of the role of Australian public libraries in early childhood development in the final report to Government (31 October 2014), and encouraging discussion to identify further opportunities for the national network of 1500 public libraries to be used by federal, state and local government to support early childhood learning provision.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference paper reveals how, through working with the mechanisms and tools outlined, in addition to learning from achievements and failures in the examples provided, can contribute to: capacity building, knowledge transfer and succession planning.

This paper also highlights the importance of negotiations around assigning / sharing / taking credit, adapting to change throughout a project and working with different levels of availability, capacity and commitment of other group members. These skills will really reflect Public Libraries Supporting Communities, as collaborations become more effective.

This report, commissioned by the Australian Digital Alliance, discusses the Australian Government proposed amendments to the Copyright Act 1968 which seek to broaden the circumstances in which an organisation or individual may be liable for someone else’s copyright infringement. Although the Government’s proposed amendment appears to be squarely aimed at ISPs, the amendments would apply with equal force to any other person who provides goods or services which may be put to infringing use. This includes all organisations which provide internet access to the public (including government bodies, libraries, schools and universities), online platforms which enable users to upload and display images and videos (such as eBay, Facebook and YouTube), providers of remote or ‘cloud’ storage (including commercial businesses like Dropbox, Microsoft and Google, as well as schools and universities), organisations which loan out or make available copyrighted content (libraries and video stores) and businesses which make and sell everyday consumer technologies like CDs, CD/DVD burners, USB keys, hard drives, digital video recorders and photocopiers.

The report sets out the existing law in its historical and global contexts, and, on the basis of extensive consultations with representatives from universities, schools, libraries and the technology sector, explores the legal and practical implications of the proposed changes for Australian intermediaries. It finds that:

• the proposed expansion of liability would potentially have significant deleterious effects for Australian institutions;
• the existing Australian law is already as broad as or broader than those of its counterparts overseas (and fully compliant with its international obligations);
• the proposal would use a ‘one size’ fits all approach contrary to a century of authority emphasising the necessity of determining liability with reference to all of the facts of each case;
• it would give copyright owners considerably broader rights against Australian individuals and institutions than those suffering economic loss because of torts committed in other contexts (without any justification of why they should receive such special treatment);
• the proposed amendments would likely result in persistent rightholder lobbying for new regulations that go further and do more, perpetuating uncertainty about the scope of intermediaries’ obligations and liability;
• it would oblige greater reliance on ‘safe harbours’, driving increased account terminations;
• the increased costs and uncertainty would make Australia less competitive and a less attractive place for investment; and
• there has been no clear analysis about the benefits likely to be obtained in exchange for these costs.

The Australian Library and Information Association's submission in response to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) Higher Education Standards Panel call for comment.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

The aim of this conference presentation is to examine the differences in information literacy (IL) practices for VET students from TAFE libraries across Vocational only and Vocational and Higher Education delivering, TAFE institutes.

It will examine the content, delivery methods and barriers of IL practices across these two types of TAFE institution with a view to identify the likely differences facing IL programs in different types of TAFE library, and to provide suggestions on how best to tailor the IL practices to suit the particular student and teacher cohort.

ALIA responded to the Inquiry into the role of Technical and Further Education system and its operation, with the aim of: (1) encouraging acknowledgement of the important role of Australian TAFE libraries in supporting VET students, and (2) explaining the importance of a VET entry point for library and information professionals.

National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

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. 

The 2014/15 edition of the ALIA LIS Education Handbook provides details of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) accredited courses run by higher education and VET providers across Australia. These courses provide newcomers with a gateway to their career and experienced professionals with opportunities for advancement. ALIA accreditation means that courses have passed rigorous assessment by senior leaders from the profession and it acts as a quality assurance for students seeking the best educational outcomes.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation reports on an evaluation study of spaces in the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSHL), Biological Sciences (BSL) and Walter Harrison Law (WHLL) Libraries of the University of Queensland (UQ). The study was part of an evaluation of the quality and patterns of use of spaces in UQ libraries, which aimed to propose recommendations for future improvements and decision-making.

This presentation is a study of areas of weakness in existing SSHL spaces, and impacts of the refurbishment of spaces at BSL and WHLL on students’ experiences. The findings evidence a link between students’ learning experiences and the quality of library spaces.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference paper discusses a pilot program which was run between August 2012 and February 2013, by Open UniversitiesAustralia (OUA) and four public libraries in regional areas of NSW. These libraries were promoted to OUA students (all studying online) as places where they could access high speed internet, modern computers, journal databases, inter-library loans, as well as encouragement and support from library staff.

The feedback from students who attended was so positive that OUA decided to expand the program with the help of interested public libraries, creating the OUA Connect Library Program. With the support of the State Libraries of NSW and Victoria, and the Queensland Public Libraries Association (QPLA) the program has been promoted within these three states at national forums.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation discusses the IFLA Trend Report which is research by IFLA used as a foundation for advocacy and policy, and for use by our members which looks across society and access to the digital information environment to identify high level trends which will affect our future information environment and brings together the ideas of a range of experts from different disciplines (social scientists, economists, education specialists, lawyers and technologists).

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation discusses how NSLA (National and State Libraries of Australasia) has identified digital preservation as a priority. Over the last 2 years, the NSLA Digital Preservation Group has responded to this by undertaking a series of related projects.

These include identifying ways to measure our existing digital preservation capability, developing partnerships and opportunities for collaboration to develop skills and knowledge in the area, and looking into the abyss at difficult digital preservation problems and seeing what research we can undertake to help solve one of them.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation explores how the role of libraries have long been custodians of ‘more than just books’. For NSLA libraries, the personal stories collected in our diaries, correspondence, photographs, artworks and realia are some of our most precious items. The rapid increase in digitally-created material has posed many problems, but also offered many opportunities, for libraries.

The traditional linear structure of item-donor-library is now a more complex structure, where everyone is a potential creator and curator. In recent years, libraries have been grappling to find the best and most efficient way of acquiring and preserving these new materials, from these new creators. Serena Coates will give a summary of the recent efforts by NSLA (National and State Libraries Australasia) to address the issues associated with digital collecting, and Sarah Slade will provide a summary of the efforts of NSLA’s Digital Preservation Project.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference paper discusses how the purpose of a Deakin University project was to examine the copyright and licensing knowledge gap of academic staff to identify their current understanding of, and attitudes towards, copyright, licensing and the open access movement in relation to the content they use, create, and share in their teaching and research practice.

The motivation behind this study was to gather information to assist the Library in creating and providing effective information resources and training for academic staff.

Results were largely consistent with other similar studies conducted around these topics. There is a clear role for librarians to continue providing such training and resources as the push for Open Access resources, publishing, and data only gains momentum.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation discusses the purpose of a Deakin University project which was to examine the copyright and licensing knowledge gap of academic staff to identify their current understanding of, and attitudes towards, copyright, licensing and the open access movement in relation to the content they use, create, and share in their teaching and research practice.

The motivation behind this study was to gather information to assist the Library in creating and providing effective information resources and training for academic staff.

Results were largely consistent with other similar studies conducted around these topics. There is a clear role for librarians to continue providing such training and resources as the push for Open Access resources, publishing, and data only gains momentum.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation explains how driven by a need to reduce its operating budget, the State Library of New South Wales embarked on a Review Program to capitalise on its investment in technology, and position itself to tackle future needs and challenges – particularly in the digital environment.

Rather than 'tweaking' the current structure, the collection management function [CMF] review provided an opportunity to consider the management of our collections from a life cycle approach and align our branch structure to that cycle. It has considered the skills and knowledge required to undertake key activities, and reimagined that capability into a new structure supported by new governance and revised policies and procedures.

In reality, the CMF has achieved transformational change in how we manage our collections and represents the most significant realignment of staff ever undertaken within the SLNSW. The new structure has 23 roles: no role remains the same. And, this review has been undertaken in the context of an organisation undergoing broad change and implementing new enterprise systems.

This presentation outlines how one major Australian research library has responded to the challenges encountered by the sector. It will explain the review process undertaken to achieve the new structure, the outcomes and the way forward.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation examines an investigation of citation management practices of researchers in the Arts Faculty of a Victorian university using a questionnaire and open-ended interviewing.

Early findings indicate that there is little uniformity of practices or software use but rather a diverse range of personal approaches to managing citations. Reasons for using or not using software and the ways in which software is used are varied. Citation management practices appear to be influenced significantly by the type of work being done and/or the subject area and to be part of larger disciplinary practices and approaches to research. Not all researchers were entirely satisfied with their citation management systems but were reluctant to move from one system to another as it would be time-consuming. Additionally, many researchers were unaware of the full capability of citation management software.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation seeks to spark discussion, raise awareness and contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the use of social networking for professional learning, the formation and fostering of professional learning networks and the future of the profession.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation discusses a pilot program which was run between August 2012 and February 2013 by Open UniversitiesAustralia (OUA) and four public libraries in regional areas of NSW. These libraries were promoted to OUA students (all studying online) as places where they could access high speed internet, modern computers, journal databases, inter-library loans, as well as encouragement and support from library staff.

The feedback from students who attended was so positive that OUA decided to expand the program with the help of interested public libraries, creating the OUA Connect Library Program.  With the support of the State Libraries of NSW and Victoria, and the Queensland Public Libraries Association (QPLA) the program has been promoted within these three states at national forums.

ALIA National 2014 Conference, 15-19 September 2014 Melbourne : together we are stronger

This conference presentation discusses how the Memorial’s major digitisation, data and web development project ANZAC Connections, launched in December 2013, brings historic documents from the Memorial’s archive to all Australians and has delivered an appropriate platform to integrate and make available a substantial collection of rich data that exists from a variety of sources.