Search

Introduction: This paper presents the findings from a project that investigated the lived experiences of library and information professionals in relation to evidence-based practice within an Australian public library. Method: The project employed ethnography, which allows holistic description of people's experiences within a particular community or cultural setting. A member of the research team visited a public library regularly over a six month period. Data collection comprised interviews, observation and document analysis. A field journal was also maintained where daily activities and interactions were recorded. Analysis: Ethnography involves many levels of iterative analysis. Data extracts were identified, grouped and further refined whilst maintaining the context of the whole experience of the culture. Results: Evidence-based practice is experienced in the library through four interconnected and interdependent cultural orientations: (i) culture of valuing; (ii) culture of being; (iii) culture of learning; and (iv) culture of leading. These orientations represent not only how evidence-based practice is experienced in the library but also how it has been enabled. Conclusions: Context or environment is significant in terms of library and information service professionals' understanding of evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice can be beneficial to all such professionals, as it builds professional knowledge and deeper understandings of practice at all levels of professional experience. [Paper presented at the Information Seeking in Context (ISIC): The Information Behaviour Conference, Part 1 (11th, Zadar, Croatia, September 20-23, 2016).]

Introduction: This paper reports the findings of a study of risk management in public libraries. The focus of the research was to determine whether the libraries had a risk management and disaster plan for major disasters. Method: A qualitative study was done to investigate risk management and disaster recovery in public libraries in South Australia. Seven personal interviews were conducted with library managers and librarians at four public libraries. Analysis: The qualitative results emerging from the interviews were analysed through hand coding using grounded theory. Results: Participants confused risk management and disaster recovery with the practice of work (occupational) health and safety. None of the participating libraries have a risk management or disaster plan. Conclusions: The library managers do not rate the risk of disaster as high, believing that their library is located in a low-risk disaster area. They also do not regard any part of their collections to be of great value. Loss of a collection is perceived as an opportunity to refresh that collection. The participants do not consider risk management and disaster recovery as an important part of their business. [Paper presented at the Information Seeking in Context (ISIC): The Information Behaviour Conference, Part 1 (11th, Zadar, Croatia, September 20-23, 2016).]

Academic libraries, apart from their main function, which is to provide information services to academic communities, may also perform a number of social roles in the broad meaning of the term. Accordingly, they now tend to serve as the third place offering inclusion and animation activities to academic as well as local communities (including potential students) and to groups in risk of social exclusion (immigrants, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, etc.) or in need of various kinds of care and support. However, for libraries to be able to fulfil those tasks, they need properly trained staff who not only have the required competencies but also the right social attitudes. The paper presents an analysis of the social attitudes of academic librarians from twenty countries across the world as compared to the personnel of other types of libraries. The level of individual social capital, activity in social networks, aspirations in life and social and civic engagement were investigated. It was noted that the respondents tend to undervalue the importance of the work done by libraries for local communities. At the same time, the research showed that academic librarians have a somewhat lower level of individual social capital and trust than public librarians and less extensive social networks. Nonetheless, they are open to relationships with others, which enables them to engage in various social projects.

This paper describes a public pedagogy project embedded into The Global Teacher, a subject within the Bachelor of Education program for student teachers at an Australian university. The subject provides a global perspective on socio-political issues that shape education. In 2013, The Global Teacher introduced an approach that asked student teachers to create a museum-style exhibition depicting six global education themes. This exhibition was displayed in the State Library and the public were invited to engage with the installations and the student teachers who created them. Our paper describes how the project was implemented by means of close collaboration between the QUT teacher educators, curators at the State Library of Queensland (SLQ), and student groups working on visually translating their understandings of global educational issues into a public exhibition. We discuss what was learned by our students and ourselves, as teacher educators, by engaging in this public pedagogy.

Introduction: This paper describes the findings of a study of 1517 public library Websites in Australia, Canada, and the United States over a period of four years. These Websites are referred to as 'electronic branches' of the libraries, thereby extending the definition of physical library branches into the digital realm. The purpose of the research was to investigate the accessibility of public library Websites, the available online resources and whether library staff are available to respond to users' questions and concerns regarding the Website. Method: A quantitative study was conducted, using a spreadsheet protocol to determine if 18 criteria were present on the Websites. General comments about the Websites were also recorded and included in the analysis. Analysis: The quantitative data analysis for the 1517 Websites was done using Excel spreadsheets through formula manipulations. Descriptive statistics are used to report the findings. Results: The data revealed that the Websites of Canadian and USA libraries include more of the criteria than the Australian libraries. Overall many similarities were found between the accessibility of the Websites of the different countries. Conclusion: The study provides exemplars of an electronic branch of a public library and the services it can offer to its community members. These examples can be used to model ideal electronic branch libraries for library staff to improve their Websites.

Pathways to higher education can appear opaque and unattainable to rural adults, despite the affordances provided by modern broadband and increasing provision of university online learning options. This paper describes an innovative partnership model that connects rural adults to university and technical and further education pathways through 'warm connections' developed between staff in rural libraries and 'neighbourhood houses', and people working in university outreach and preparation programmes. Through the Warm Connections project, local staff were provided with training and on campus experiences that equipped them to have conversations with rural people about what university is 'like' and what it takes to get a place in a university course. Rural community staff reported being confident in providing customised front-line information and advice to rural residents and were able to direct enquiries to appropriate people in tertiary institutions. Some staff themselves enrolled in and successfully completed university short courses, providing role models for their communities. The project reduced the socio-economic distance between rural adults and tertiary education. It successfully built social capital networks of 'warm connections' between tertiary institutions and rural communities, although the longevity of those networks will depend on continuing effort by tertiary institutions to maintain and refresh connections.

This study examined an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB), incorporating additional social influences, for predicting parents' and carers' decisions to visit the library with their young children. At Time 1, participants (N = 212) completed a paper-based questionnaire measuring the TPB constructs as well as group norm, parental role construction, social support (i.e. family and friend support), and psychological sense of community in relation to visiting the library. At Time 2, participants (N = 171) completed a telephone survey to measure behaviour over the previous six months. Attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, group norm, and parental role construction predicted intentions. Intentions and perceived behavioural control predicted follow-up behaviour. Results support the TPB and the role of group norm and parental role construction. The findings highlight the importance of social and cognitive factors in predicting parents' and carers' decisions to visit public libraries with their young children.

The "Victorian Free Library Service Board Act" of 1946 was the culmination of a long campaign to replace the mechanics' institute model of library provision with free libraries funded by state and local government. Given that library reform required legislation by the state government, this paper is mainly concerned with the political campaign that led to the enactment of that legislation. The key players in the free library reform movement are identified as are the sorts of reforms they advocated. The paper also discusses impediments to reform, particularly the response of the Victorian government. (Contains 79 notes.)

Drawing on recent experience and observation in New South Wales, this paper describes issues facing authorities, planners and librarians who are working on public library building projects. The author emphasises the need for all involved to focus not just on traditional good design principles, but also on user needs, consulting the community, assessing space and siting requirements and costs. This paper is based on part of a presentation by the author and Kathleen Bresnahan, assistant state librarian, Public Library Services, State Library of New South Wales, to the International Federation of Library Associations Metropolitan Libraries Section Conference, "Library as a fusion space--possibilities and opportunities" Singapore, 26 September-1 October 2004. (Contains 5 endnotes.)

This paper reports a research project funded by the State Library of NSW and the National Library of Australia which focuses on the training needs of public librarians for using electronic databases, and the subsequent development of training modules to address them. The paper discusses literature relevant to training issues in database use for public librarians and then presents the method for the project, along with the findings of the initial fieldwork: the results of the observation of skills in a sample group and the investigation of self-perceived skills and training needs in the same group. It concludes with the outline of the training modules which are proposed. These modules will use a "lens" to improve and fast track learning of databases. The researchers believe that, with the aid of the "lens", librarians can master any new database, including its idiosyncrasies, very quickly. In this way, librarians should gain more confidence in working with databases, and feel less stressed by the constant proliferation of interfaces and formats. (Contains 2 footnotes.)

Place, as a metaphor, can be experienced in different ways, existing or created. If created, space can be Foucault's "placeless place", a utopia. A place that exists, however, can be a heterotopic space. A heterotopia is what we as individuals interpret it to be: it can be a space for reconstituting the self, rewriting the scripts of identity and placing the self within a context. This paper looks at the experiences of 18 Greek and Italian women who found a heterotopic space in which to build new friendships and establish themselves in a local community, creating and weaving their experiences into a tapestry that tells their stories of immigration and resettlement. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

Learning is most effective when intrinsically motivated through personal interest, and situated in a supportive socio-cultural context. This paper reports on findings from a study that explored implications for design of interactive learning environments through 18 months of ethnographic observations of people's interactions at "Hack The Evening" (HTE). HTE is a meetup group initiated at the State Library of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and dedicated to provide visitors with opportunities for connected learning in relation to hacking, making and do-it-yourself technology. The results provide insights into factors that contributed to HTE as a social, interactive and participatory environment for learning--knowledge is created and co-created through "uncoordinated interactions" among participants that come from a "diversity" of backgrounds, skills and areas of expertise. The insights also reveal challenges and barriers that the HTE group faced in regards to connected learning. Four dimensions of design opportunities are presented to overcome those challenges and barriers towards improving connected learning in library buildings and other free-choice-learning environments that seek to embody a more interactive and participatory culture among their users. The insights are relevant for librarians as well as designers, managers and decision-makers of other interactive and free-choice-learning environments.

Libraries across Australia are becoming increasingly involved in the development and implementation of family literacy programs, placing librarians at the centre of this initiative. "Better Beginnings" is a family literacy program developed by the State Library of Western Australian and delivered throughout the state. The program involves a partnership between public libraries, health professionals and local governments that has developed to support the delivery of early literacy resources and strategies to parents of young babies. Librarians play a major role in the delivery, implementation and sustainability of the program. This paper reports the findings from the longitudinal evaluation of "Better Beginnings" in four communities, across four years, in relation to the perspectives of librarians responsible for the program in their library. Librarians were interviewed about their role in the program and its effectiveness, the training they had received and the collaboration between the professionals involved in the program. The data revealed that over a period of four years librarians had developed an understanding of the purpose and importance of the program, which had led to a sense of ownership and commitment. This was supported by central coordination of the program and collaboration with child-health nurses. Over the four years, they had developed and increased library activities and created "family spaces" linked to "Better Beginnings." They felt the program was effective in promoting literacy in families with young children, but sought more strategies for engaging families that did not traditionally visit libraries or have access to libraries.

On 1 January 2012, early-childhood and out-of-school-hours care services were mandated to begin working under a new framework, designed to deliver greater consistency in service provision across the sector. With the aim of raising quality and driving continuous improvement through consistency among services and service ratings, the National Quality Framework has been viewed by some as a long-awaited opportunity to affect long-lasting change in service provision, service delivery and outcomes for children. In this paper, the author seeks to outline what happens when this concept is extended beyond the early-childhood/out-of-school-hours care sector, and into the community sector, with a focus on public and academic libraries, and the role that these library services play in impacting upon outcomes for children and the services which they attend. With an optimistic vision of a utopian world where all sectors involved in caring for and providing services for children--education, community and beyond--work in a cohesive way to improve outcomes and to share understandings, the author strives to convey to you her role in being the change she wishes to see in the world.

Replicated across the globe, the Learning 2.0 programme--also known as "23 Things"--has been touted as a means to not only educate staff about emerging social and mobile technologies but as a means of moving the participating library forward as a learning organisation. This paper explores the results of a multi-faceted research project launched in Australia in 2009 as part of the CAVAL Visiting Scholar program, focusing on CityLibraries Townsville as a case study site. Methodology for the study included pre- and post-programme web surveys and focus groups with staff during the programme. Focus groups took place at all locations of CityLibraries Townsville. Findings from the surveys and focus groups include the following: for those who participated in a Learning 2.0 style programme there was an emphasis on perceived personal change, openness to emerging technologies and a willingness to explore. Library staff reported they were comfortable with emerging technologies and incorporated the tools into their work. Implications for exemplary practice for the programme were pulled from the overall data analysis.

This paper is an author-edited transcript of a presentation to the ALIA Public Libraries Summit, Canberra, July 2009. The author starts off by talking about what people know about children, early reading and a literate Australia. He then discusses three main reasons why public libraries have had success in children's literacy and related programs, as well as several early childhood literacy programs that have been making a difference in Australia. From a Public Libraries Australia point of view, he says the keys to greater success for libraries in purposefully engaging in community early literacy development are: (1) national collaboration; (2) partnerships with people outside the sector; and (3) reliable consistent funding. To do this librarians need to be able to engage with potential partners and funders on their terms, using their language, and identifying the compelling reasons why partnering with public libraries makes such sense.

The "New South Wales Learning 2.0" training program is being made available to the entire NSW public library work force of over 2300 people in 2008-2009. This paper is a snapshot of the impact of the course as at September 2008, five months after it was launched. It explores how the training impacted on the staff skill levels, knowledge, and confidence in relating to web 2.0 tools and their potential use in the library environment. (Contains 8 tables and 14 notes.)

This article argues that the classification of adult fiction according to "genre" in public libraries causes more confusion than clarification. Whilst the system purports to model itself on bookstore design, the reality is that the actual arrangement is quite different. In the bookstore model, genre is a marketing category and not a literary category as it is currently used in many Western Australian public libraries. The use of a genre system also alienates many readers, with good reason, as the nature of the system is ambiguous. The adoption of a "reader-centred" method for adult fiction classification would mean that the library collection was more accessible because the underlying principles are easier to understand. (Contains 1 footnote and 1 table.)

A growing number of libraries have installed wireless data connections as a way of providing access to the Internet for members of the public. Some libraries have used their wireless networks to enable staff to use wireless devices to increase their mobility, effectiveness and responsiveness to client need particularly in providing reference and information services. This paper will look at some of these innovative applications of wireless data technology in libraries.

This submission represents the views of a newly formed organisation known as Public Libraries Australia. Formed to aggregate the political, service and infrastructure capacity of Australia's 1510 (ABS June 2000) public libraries, Public Libraries Australia will support and represent public libraries on a national basis. Networked across Australia there are 1510 public libraries. These are well-patronised access points for equitable access to recreational, information and educational support for Australian residents. There were 93.3 million visits made to public libraries in Australia in 1999-2000 (ABS June 2000). Public Libraries Australia has been formed to be the collective voice for this vital community-based network. In addition to public library support the organisation is supported by the Australian Local Government and Shires Association, the National Library, all State libraries and professional associations across Australia. In this article, Public Libraries Australia wishes to make comment on the aspects of the online environment where it believes that a consolidated approach to online infrastructure, connectivity and content would establish a national information distribution network through public libraries that has never been achieved in Australia.

This paper reviews the research literature in Library and Information Sciences in Australia as well as related disciplines in Australia and internationally with the purpose of identifying leadership approaches best suited for developing and supporting culturally safe libraries in Australia. The paper identifies a lack of debate within Australian Library and Information Sciences in respect to cultural safety and leadership. It looks to research conducted into leadership approaches in related disciplines in Australia and internationally and explores several leadership approaches. It concludes that the intercultural leadership approach, an approach developed with Aboriginal Australians in the Northern Territory provides Australian library leaders with the most authoritative approach to leadership when embarking on developing culturally safe libraries. Implications for practice also suggest that increasing discussion and research into leadership approaches for Australian libraries is fundamental to growing the capacity of the Australian library sector to conceptualise and discuss leadership strategically and with purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first of two articles examines the process of obtaining federal aid in Australia by comparing a successful effort by school libraries and a failure to obtain public library funding. The second explores the potentially negative effects of defending professional rights and status to the extent of alienating funding agencies. (CLB)

An introduction to the June 2022 edition of the scholarly periodical the "Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association" (JALIA) in which the authors briefly discuss articles in the journal about topics including the writing of Croatian immigrants in Australia, the role of public libraries, and academic integrity in Australian higher education.