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Open letter published on Thursday 26 March 2020 petitions Prime Minister, The Hon Scott Morrison MP, and Deputy Prime Minister, The Hon Michael McCormack MP to provide additional support to creative industries in Australia in response to impacts of COVID-19.

Cosigned by ALIA alongside Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of Western Australia, All Conference, APRA AMCOS, Art on the Move, artisan, Artists’ Benevolent Fund, Arts Industry Council of SA, Arts Industry Council of Victoria, Association of Artist Managers, Ausdance National, Australian Craft and Design Centres, Australian Design Centre, Australian Festivals Association, Australian Independent, Record Labels Association, Australian Museums & Galleries Association, Australian Music Industry Network, Australian Network for Art and Technology, Australian Society of Authors, BlakDance, Canberra Glassworks, Central Craft, The Childers Group, Craft Victoria, CrewCare, Design Tasmania, Diversity Arts Australia, GalleriesWest, Guildhouse, Ilbijerri, JamFactory Contemporary, Craft and Design, Live Music Office, Moogahlin, Music Australia, National Association for the Visual Arts, National Writers Centre Network, Performing Arts Connections Australia, Public Galleries Queensland, Regional Arts Australia, Screen Producers Australia, SupportAct, Theatre Network Australia, Writers SA, Writing NSW, Writing WA, Yirra Yaakin.

INCITE: The magazine for library and information professionals - July/August 2020 Volume 41 Issue 5/6

Contents: From the President -- From the CEO -- ALIA's annual events celebrated online -- Colourful creations -- Helping information professionals #create -- ALIA's ever-growing history online -- What makes a great library technician? -- Changing Spaces -- One of life's great pleasures -- Defining digital freedoms -- Let's talk digital rights and freedoms -- Finding dignity in the digital -- A lifeline for digital inclusion -- Rising to the challenge: respectfully digitising and sharing cultural heritage -- Making the digital accessible -- Champions for Open Access -- Stop. Yammer time -- Librarians at the forefront: defending privacy in the age of surveillance capitalism -- A textbook case in creating access - Government data is FAIR game -- Not surprised by very excited -- Turning a new page at home -- Digital treasures for schools -- A team effort -- Building mutual respect -- Inspire, innovate, create.

This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), the Australian Public Library Alliance (APLA), and the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) presents how libraries across the sector have supported their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The submission also discusses the issues encountered and provides the following recommendations to the Senate Committee:

• Ensure clarity of messaging for all libraries
• Invest in public libraries as a partner in the digital transformation of federal government services
• Improve access to ebooks and other electronic resources
• Explore the role of libraries in supporting the federal government's JobMaker scheme

This document presents the results of a survey undertaken by the Australian Library and Information Association Book Industry and eLending Advisory Committee. The survey provides a snapshot of the situation at the end of 2019. The top five 'asks' from respondents were a wider range of ebook content, better lending model conditions, improved cost per use, improved timeliness of release to libraries and improved reporting. While 83% were satisfied or very satisfied with the choice of ebooks, 91% were less than satisfied or not satisfied by the licensing conditions and costs.

Summary of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on Monday 4 May 2020.

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

Summary of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on Monday 27 March 2020.

The Queensland Library Achiever of the Year Award is maintained by the ALIA Queensland group.

The Queensland Library Achiever of the Year Award is an annual merit prize aimed at:

• Encouraging recognition of an individual working in any sector of the library and information profession in Queensland
• Providing an opportunity to promote innovation and excellence within the library and information profession
• Increasing the profile of the profession

This document is a form for self-nomination and nomination to receive the award.

Miss Anne Harrison (1923-1992) was librarian-in-charge of the Brownless Medical Library at the University of Melbourne (1949-1983), and founder of the Central Medical Library Organization (1953-1994). She helped pioneer the introduction of Medline into Australia, and was a founder of the Australian Medical Librarians Group in the early 1970s, and later of the LAA Medical Librarians Section (now ALIA Health Libraries Australia).

The Anne Harrison Award was established to commemorate her work, and to encourage others to make their own contribution to the development of health librarianship.

Agenda for the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on Monday 27 March 2020 via GoToMeeting.

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

This joint submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) covers access to information, cultural materials and education, and the rights of vulnerable groups such as indigenous people, migrants, refugees and those with disabilities or on lower incomes.

Between 18 May and 10 July 2020, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) ran a survey through Survey Monkey, asking public libraries how they had responded to the COVID-19 lockdown during the month of April, specifically relating to new memberships, loans of print and digital items, delivery or collection services, and virtual storytimes.

93 responses on behalf of 293 central and branch libraries in four states and two territories were received. There were no responses for Tasmania and Victoria.

The results provide a snapshot of how library staff adapted their services to changing circumstances.

This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), highlights the success of public libraries, as government entities on the frontline of service delivery for diaspora communities. While public libraries are very much involved in this field, they are rarely recognised for this work.

Public libraries collaborate with their local communities to develop culturally appropriate programs; to provide books, magazines, newspapers and other resources in languages other than English; to celebrate diversity; to facilitate a greater sense of connection and build mutual understanding; to make physical spaces into culturally safe places; to support skills development for example with digital literacy and English as a second language.

This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) discusses the role of library and information professionals in supporting formal education and lifelong learning through school, TAFE, university, public and special libraries. In order to run these institutions and provide these services, we need tertiary qualified library and information professionals.

Under the government's draft legislation, teacher librarianship units of study will be funded in line with teacher education units of study in the proposed new model. However, ALIA is advocating for all library and information science courses to be reassigned from Cluster 1 to Cluster 2, alongside IT and education, given our professions’ close alignment.

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has been conscious of the growing casualisation of the library and information workforce in recent years.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020 illustrate the fact that casual staff become the most vulnerable of workers when library organisations are faced with shrinking budgets. Furthermore, those currently employed in library work face the brunt of increased workloads as casual staff are stood down.

Secure work conditions for our members are an important factor in sustaining a strong, engaged and committed workforce for the Australian library and information sector. ALIA strongly encourages those in positions of power – library management, university heads, school principals, organisation leaders and local councils – to commit to supporting their casual workers.

Article by Lesley Acres, CSLP Project Officer and Program Officer, Indigenous Services, State Library of Queensland and Aimee Said, NSLA Program Coordinator, National and State Libraries Australia from INCITE September/October 2020 Volume 41 Issue 9/10 - Professional Growth.

This article discusses the Culturally Safe Libraries Program (CSLP), a collaborative effort by national, state and territory libraries to provide a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island clients and colleagues.

The Digital Health Literacy – Empowering your community to manage their own health future online training program includes information that will enable public library and health library staff to support and guide the community to navigate and understand the Federal Government digital health initiatives, such as My Health Record and how to access online health and well-being resources through libraries.

This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) discusses the essential services Australia Post provides to libraries and the communities they serve.

In recent times, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has relied on the NSW Crown Employees Award as the starting point for our salary scales, but we were concerned that these pay levels may not be reflective of the reality of the workplace. To test this, we embarked on a survey of people working in the sector. As a result, we have been able to produce the "ALIA LIS pay and employment snapshot 2020", which provides an understanding of real world pay and terms of employment across Australia at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020.

This document provides an overview of the pay, terms of employment, age, job satisfaction and career intentions of special library employees.

In recent times, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has relied on the NSW Crown Employees Award as the starting point for our salary scales, but we were concerned that these pay levels may not be reflective of the reality of the workplace. To test this, we embarked on a survey of people working in the sector. As a result, we have been able to produce the "ALIA LIS pay and employment snapshot 2020", which provides an understanding of real world pay and terms of employment across Australia at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020.

This document provides an overview of the pay, terms of employment, age, job satisfaction and career intentions of TAFE library employees.

In recent times, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has relied on the NSW Crown Employees Award as the starting point for our salary scales, but we were concerned that these pay levels may not be reflective of the reality of the workplace. To test this, we embarked on a survey of people working in the sector. As a result, we have been able to produce the "ALIA LIS pay and employment snapshot 2020", which provides an understanding of real world pay and terms of employment across Australia at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020.

This document provides an overview of the pay, terms of employment, age, job satisfaction and career intentions of university library employees.

In recent times, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has relied on the NSW Crown Employees Award as the starting point for our salary scales, but we were concerned that these pay levels may not be reflective of the reality of the workplace. To test this, we embarked on a survey of people working in the sector. As a result, we have been able to produce the "ALIA LIS pay and employment snapshot 2020", which provides an understanding of real world pay and terms of employment across Australia at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020.

This document provides an overview of the pay, terms of employment, age, job satisfaction and career intentions of public library employees.

In recent times, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has relied on the NSW Crown Employees Award as the starting point for our salary scales, but we were concerned that these pay levels may not be reflective of the reality of the workplace. To test this, we embarked on a survey of people working in the sector. As a result, we have been able to produce the "ALIA LIS pay and employment snapshot 2020", which provides an understanding of real world pay and terms of employment across Australia at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020.

This document provides an overview of the pay, terms of employment, age, job satisfaction and career intentions of school library employees.

In recent times, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has relied on the NSW Crown Employees Award as the starting point for our salary scales, but we were concerned that these pay levels may not be reflective of the reality of the workplace. To test this, we embarked on a survey of people working in the sector. As a result, we have been able to produce this document, which provides a snapshot of real world pay and terms of employment across Australia at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020. 

ALIA Schools Professional Development Webinar, 14 August 2020: Beyond Fake News

This presentation (PowerPoint slides) supports the webinar "The Impact of Digital Technologies - Beyond fake news: navigating our information ecosystem for truth and balance".

In this webinar, participants learned more about the structure of information ecosystem, the various strategies that are being used to manipulate information, and ways to promote critical thinking to enable teachers and students to effectively identify credible, reliable and relevant information from a variety of sources including social media.

GLAM Peak is the peak representative national body for Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums together with historical societies and humanities research across Australia. GLAM Peak's initiatives include sector-wide advocacy and the federally-funded Digital Access to Collections project. The GLAM sector’s strongest response to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to date has been at an institutional and peak body level, but the SDG are highly relevant for everyone involved in arts, culture and heritage – for curators, librarians, archivists, historians, researchers and the public who benefit from our work.

On 29 October 2019, participants at the GLAM Peak meeting at the State Library of Queensland developed a draft set of sector-wide Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) priorities. Members identified five themes – access, diversity, environmental sustainability, economic contribution and collaboration – and 12 priorities for further exploration. Further consultation with peak bodies and their members rounded out the draft priorities. While our day-to-day primary focus as a sector is necessarily on the national agenda, the crucial need for a global approach to sustainability became even more evident in 2020 as a result of Australia’s devastating bushfires, extreme weather conditions and the unleashing of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This document presents the set of GLAM Peak SDG priorities confirmed at the meeting of GLAM Peak on 28 July 2020. The agreed document will be used to inform the thinking of institutions and other stakeholders about the SDG; to drive SDG-related activities in the sector, and to act as indicators of progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

ALIA Schools Professional Development Webinar, 30 May 2020: Building Teams

This presentation (PowerPoint slides) supports the webinar investigating: What are key staffing matters for school libraries? The quality of this service is dependent on the quality of the staff that provides it. How can team members work to their capacity and contribute effectively to the functions of their school library?

Summary of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors Meeting held on Monday 7 December 2020.