Australian Library And Information Association Research Articles

Establishing Professional Pathways to Facilitate a Sustainable and Educated School Library Workforce in Australia

This paper presents an overview of a research project commissioned by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) in November 2021 to address the specialised needs of school libraries within the context of ALIA’s (2022) vision for developing aprofessional pathways framework. Recommendations are based on the findings and conclusions, while also takinginto consideration the ALIA Professional Pathways Board’s recommendations in response to the Professional Pathways Technical Report.

Facing Threats to Libraries and Cultural Heritage in the Russia-Ukraine War: A Case Study and Comparative Review of the Library and Information Community’s’ Responses to the Conflict

On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded and began a war in Ukraine. After it commenced, the international library and information community began responding. Specifically, formal public-facing response on the conflict were released by the American Library Association (ALA), Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA), Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), Danish Library Association (DLA), European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations (EBLIDA), International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), Library Association of Latvia (LAL), and New Zealand Library Association Inc. (LIANZA). Chronicling and describing the international library and information community’s first public-facing responses addressing Russia’s war in Ukraine is the main objective of this article. Drawing upon a combined policy and thematic analysis of some of these first formal public responses, the article aims are to help account, review, and contextualize the ways in which this community considered the war during its first week and, in turn, reveal areas or issues of convergence or divergence between them. Specifically, it provides a snapshot in time revealing the international library and information community’s immediate perspectives and positions on the war during its earliest stages. For instance, the formal public responses released by the ALA, ALIA, CFLA, CILIP, DLA, EBLIDA, IFLA, LAL, and LIANZA during the war’s first week demonstrates international concern about the conflict and its affects on their Ukrainian counterparts and cultural heritage. Broad thematic convergence surfaces across the responses. Almost all plead for solutions to and resolution of the war. A majority offer solidarity for Ukrainian colleagues and all Ukrainians, support democracy and freedom of expression, asseverate for spreading accurate information about the war, and condemn Russia’s assault. Additional themes appearing in some of the responses include assisting Ukrainian refugees and displaying dismay regarding threats confronting Ukrainian cultural heritage.

A Call to Develop Standards for Those Delivering ‘Research Practice’ Training

The nature of the research endeavour is changing rapidly and requires a wide set of skills beyond the research focus. The delivery of aspects of researcher training ‘beyond the bench’ is met by different sections of an institution, including the research office, the media office and the library. In Australia researcher training in open access, research data management and other aspects of open science is primarily offered by librarians. But what training do librarians receive in scholarly communication within their librarianship degrees? For a degree to be offered in librarianship and information science, it must be accredited by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), with a curriculum that is based on ALIA’s lists of skills and attributes. However, these lists do not contain any reference to key open research terms and are almost mutually exclusive with core competencies in scholarly communication as identified by the North American Serials Interest Group and an international Joint Task Force. Over the past decade teaching by academics in universities has been professionalised with courses and qualifications. Those responsible for researcher training within universities and the material that is being offered should also meet an agreed accreditation. This paper is arguing that there is a clear need to develop parallel standards around ‘research practice’ training for PhD students and Early Career Researchers, and those delivering this training should be able to demonstrate their skills against these standards. Models to begin developing accreditation standards are starting to emerge, with the recent launch of the Centre for Academic Research Quality and Improvement in the UK. There are multiple organisations, both grassroots and long-established that would be able to contribute to this project.

A thematic analysis of library association policies on services to persons with disabilities

PurposeLibrary association policies and guidelines are important to study because they reflect consensus values of the profession. As such, they can shape the association, itself, and set the tone for the values of its individual members in their professional practice. From the titles alone, these documents proclaim themselves to be guides for the development of individual library policy. Additionally, as library and information science (LIS) graduate education programs are accredited by national associations, LIS schools pay attention to association policies and guidelines to help shape professional and continuing education. In these ways, they have a role in shaping professional ideology around a topic. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe services to persons with disabilities policies from three national-level LIS organizations were analyzed through a thematic analysis.FindingsThe guidelines speak to a shared understanding of disability and accessibility around the themes of library staff, library policies and library resources and services. While not surprising, additional themes around disability context and legislation show a shared understanding of accessibility that is much broader than what the legislation requires.Originality/valueAn analysis of guidelines on services to persons with disabilities from the American Library Association (ALA), Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) is of interest because of the ways these organizations intersect. The ALA and ALIA have reciprocal agreements so that students in LIS education programs are recognized as equivalents. Second, the ALA accredits library education programs in Canada. Given these intersecting relationships, the guidelines-shared notions of accessibility become of high interest.

What if I Speak Another Language? Many Libraries, Many Languages

ABSTRACT The work of the State Library of New South Wales (SLNSW) with and for NSW public libraries is examined here to highlight public library collections and services for people who speak languages other than English. Three case studies are presented. Together, these studies demonstrate ways in which public libraries support their communities. The first project examined considers the SLNSW’s work with the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) to seek changes to the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 (NSW). The proposed changes to the Act would enable unclassified films in languages other than English to be purchased in Australia for public libraries. At present unclassified films can only be purchased overseas. The second project reflects on research conducted in 2018 into multicultural public library services across NSW which led to benchmarks for current services and a basis for improvement. Finally, a case study on the SLNSW’s work on portable local studies is presented. This is a collaboration with 16 public libraries collecting local studies material in partnership with people from their culturally and linguistically diverse communities. These case studies highlight the social value of this work and offer examples for similar practice across the public library network.

Make It So: Harnessing Technology to Provide Professional Development to Regional Museum Workers

Make It So: Harnessing Technology to Provide Professional Development to Regional Museum Workers

ANZTLA and the ALIA Professional Development Scheme

This paper reviews the results of a survey of members of the Australian and New Zealand Theological Library Association (ANZTLA). The survey asked whether ANZTLA members were also members of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and ALIA's Professional Development Scheme. It also sought general comments about professional develpment in the theological library environment. The implications of these results for the ongoing professional development of theological librarians are discussed, and some of the challenges that limit or prevent individuals from pursuing professional development opportunities are noted. A number of questions for consideration, and areas for potential further research are also proposed. If ANZTLA wishes to take a more active role in advocating for the value of professional development for its members, these may assist the organisation to determine the most appropriate path forward.

ALIA Information Online 2019 conference

Mary Coe reports on the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Information Online conference, held at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney from 11 to 15 February 2019.

Professional Ethics, Copyright Legislation and the Case for Collective Copyright Disobedience in Libraries

ABSTRACTAustralian library and information science (LIS) professionals face conflicting legal and ethical obligations in relation to copyright. As law-abiding citizens, they have a legal duty to adhere to the Australian Copyright Act 1968. However, as LIS professionals, they are expected to uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and access of information as outlined by the code of conducts of professional associations such as the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the American Library Association (ALA). This article explores the paradoxical relationship between copyright compliance and LIS’s professional ethics. A comparison between the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and core LIS values reveals that legislative guidelines contradict the aims and principles of the LIS profession. Consequently, a case can be made for collective copyright disobedience within the LIS profession. Collective acts of copyright disobedience such as online piracy and the Freedom of Access to Information and Resources (FAIR)’s Cooking for Copyright campaign have influenced major copyright reforms and the advent of new scholarly communication models. Based on these results, it can be argued that collective copyright disobedience by LIS professionals is not only justified, but necessary to fulfilling professional and ethical responsibilities.

Do Libraries in Queensland Prisons Align with Australian Library and Information Association Minimum Standard Guidelines for Library Services for Prisoners?

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) produced guidelines for library services in prisons in 2015. Written by a working group of academics, law librarians and prison librarians,...

Learning from the Holdings Protection Team at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), USA

In 2011, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in the USA faced worldwide attention when it was revealed that thousands of documents had been stolen from its collection, including rare Civil War documents and presidential papers. The response by NARA was to create a Holdings Protection Team, with the task of overseeing and managing the collection security at NARA's multiple locations across the United States. In this paper NARA's strategy for collection security management (CSM) is placed alongside current research into CSM in libraries and archives to demonstrate how NARA exhibits a ‘house’ model of collection security, as seen through their slogan ‘Protect Our House’. From this discussion, some lessons for Australia are explored, with calls for some specific CSM guidelines from Australia's professional bodies in the information sector, such as the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).

Designing A Specialist Post-Graduate Qualification and Continuing Professional Development Structure For The Health Librarian Workforce of The Future

Through a grant received from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), Health Libraries Australia (HLA) is conducting a twelve-month research project with the goal of developing a system-wide approach to education for the future health librarianship workforce. The research has two main aims: to determine the future skills, knowledge, and competencies for the health librarian workforce in Australia; and to develop a structured, modular education framework for specialist post-graduate qualifications together with a structure for ongoing continuing professional development. The paper highlights some of the drivers for change for health librarianship as a profession, and particularly for educating the future workforce. The research methodology is outlined and the main results of the second stage of the project are described together with the findings and their implications for the development of a structured, competency-based education framework.

Are librarians the ultimate knowledge managers? A study of knowledge, skills, practice and mindset

This paper seeks to establish the state of knowledge of Knowledge Management (KM) among Library and Information Services (LIS) professionals, the extent to which they find positions in the KM sector, the extent to which they practise identifiable KM processes in their work and the adequacy of educational preparation and professional development opportunities. It draws on research begun in 2005, which included a survey of advertisements for KM positions, a survey of KM courses in Australia; and an online questionnaire for LIS and KM practitioners and educators. The literature review highlights knowledge, skills and attributes associated with KM, and notes some overlap with those required for the LIS profession. The job analysis suggests that there may be some overlap between LIS and KM practice and between what are perceived to be LIS and KM core competencies, but that the two are quite distinct. Findings from the survey of KM courses suggest only a limited amount of overlap between what are considered by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) to be core LIS professional attributes and the curricula of the KM courses offered by Australian universities. The survey of practitioners did not reveal significant differences of perception between the LIS and KM groups, but noted that the two were not mutually exclusive. Significant comments from survey respondents are reported. Conclusions are mainly concerned with education and professional development, and are aimed primarily at educators and the professional association.

How relevant are library and information science curricula outside their geographic domain?

Australian library and information science (LIS) courses are popular outside Australia, and Australia is a popular study destination for students in the region. This paper takes a comparative approach to attempt to determine whether ALIA (the Australian Library and Information Association)’s core curriculum for LIS education is appropriate outside Australia. It is based on research into the future needs for education of library professionals in the digital era with special consideration of the needs of the Special Administrative Region (SAR), Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China (PRC), on ALIA education statements, and on curriculum statements from the US and Europe. Recent research attempted to identify an ideal curriculum especially for use in Hong Kong and also in other areas of Southeast Asia. A consensus was reached regarding appropriate curriculum content which tended to concentrate in seven areas. These results were mapped against ALIA’s education statements, and compared with statements about LIS curriculum from IFLA (the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) and from European educators. The paper concludes that the relative lack of consensus about what constitutes a core curriculum may not have major implications for LIS education and course recognition processes, and raises questions for further investigation.

Case studies and codes of ethics: the relevance of the ACS experience to ALIA

This paper comments on a recent Code of Ethics project conducted on behalf of the Australian Computer Society, and proposes a similar project for the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). It reviews the scope and methodology of the project, which developed a comprehensive set of case studies and related them to the ACS Code of Ethics and to specific standards of conduct in the Code. It discusses a small selection of the case studies and suggests that a similar series for ALIA could assist in the provision of useful context for ALIA’s Statement on Professional Conduct, material for the profession’s continuing professional development (CPD) programs and a stimulus to further ethical debate in the profession.

Defining fundamentals and meeting expectations: Trends in LIS education in Australia

The current state of Australian library and information studies (LIS) education is characterised by unresolved tensions, only some of which have been accommodated. Our objective in this paper is to ascertain current trends in LIS education in Australia, rather than to compile an inventory of current programs and courses. We focus on a framework of tensions whose accommodation by the Australian LIS community form the trends. Australia has no central data source for LIS education comparable to the statistics compiled by ALISE (the Association of Library and Information Science Educators) about LIS schools in Canada and the United States. Consequently our evidence comes from a range of sources, with varying degrees of validity. Some of it is based on our experience of LIS education in Australia, while other evidence is taken from material produced by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and other sources.

Australia's Professional Excellence Policy: Empowering School Libraries

All sectors of Australian education are currently seeking to define and promote quality teaching and are developing policies on teacher quality and educational leadership. The national Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching sets out agreed foundational elements and dimensions of effective teaching and provides an architecture in which generic, specialist, and subject-area-specific professional standards can be developed. In 2005, the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) released the joint publication Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians, a document that helps teacher librarians find their place in the professional teaching standards agenda. This article outlines the policy framework underpinning the ALIA-ASLA document and shows how the project seeks to empower school libraries by helping teacher librarians evaluate their professional practice.

Trends and Transformations: The Changing Face of Library and Information Studies in Australia

Since the late 1980s, library and information science (LIS) education in Australia has undergone substantial change. This study compiles and analyzes data from LIS schools and departments' annual statistical returns to the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) for the first time. Tracking returns from eight schools between 1991 and 1999, the research provides quantitative support for what LIS educators have often noted from personal observation: that institutional restructuring and financial cutbacks have had an impact on the number of schools offering professional LIS education, students completing courses, and academic staff (or faculty). The researchers also comment on changes in schools' institutional location and name. Finally, they conclude that structural change has not banished issues of critical mass - the notion that the small size of LIS schools and departments puts them at a disadvantage when competing for resources in their parent institutions - and suggest that LIS educators revisit the debate about size and number of schools.

Australian Professional Library and Information Education: Structural Changes in the 1990s

ABSTRACTImpacts of the substantial changes in Australian higher education during the 1990's on LIS professional education are discussed. The study draws on documentary and statistical data from the annual returns of LIS schools to the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) to review trends in graduation rates, staffing levels, institutional placement and course offerings.

ALIA and the logic of collective action

This article reports some of the findings of a test of Mancur Olson's theory of collective action. The empirical basis for this test is the case of a voluntary professional Association: the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). The study addressed two questions. Do individuals join voluntary professional associations in order to underwrite the provision of collective goods to obtain the selective incentives? Do non-members employ a strategy of free riding? The research design called for two groups to be surveyed. The first, and larger, group, consisted of librarians who were current members of ALIA. The second, comparison group, consisted of librarians who had discontinued their membership of ALIA. The major finding of this research is that ALIA members joined the Association to obtain selective incentives rather than to underwrite the provision of collective goods. In the case of non-members selective incentives were not valued sufficiently to influence this group to retain their membership.