An Historical Analysis of the Library Technology as Described and by Practitioners: Exploring Themes in VALA Conference Papers.

Conference proceedings are valuable sources for research, providing insights into individual or organisational projects. Australian library and information services (LIS) professionals have the opportunity to contribute to a robust conference culture, including the biennial library technology VALA conference. Practice-driven conferences can offer interpretations of LIS practitioner experiences, however, there is limited research focusing on Australian LIS conference proceedings. The VALA conference papers offer a unique record of technology's impact, influence, and implementation in Australian LIS organisations over the last forty years. This article will outline the objective and methodology of an ongoing research project undertaking historical analysis of VALA conference papers. The research project seeks to examine key themes, theories, and tools discussed in VALA conference papers and will attempt to identify if evolving technology influences the practices and attitudes of Australian LIS practitioners. The article will identify the research methods and the content analysis techniques that will be used in the project, and present preliminary results from a pilot study presented at the 2023 RAILS conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]