52/53 <strong>Library</strong> Board <strong>of</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong> Annual Report O7—O8
Image Marc Testart, winner <strong>of</strong> the National Poetry Slam, competing in the national fi nals Redefining Our Role as Leaders in the <strong>Library</strong> Sector <strong>Library</strong> Sector Leadership This has been a watershed year for the Board and the <strong>State</strong> <strong>Library</strong>’s work with <strong>Victoria</strong>’s 45 public library services. It has brought to completion a three-year plan <strong>of</strong> collaborative action and delivered a new three-year plan which will contribute in a variety <strong>of</strong> ways to library services for <strong>Victoria</strong>’s communities. <strong>Library</strong> Board President the Hon. John Cain has again demonstrated the value that the Board places on its relationship with public libraries, visiting libraries in Geelong, Sydenham, Brighton, Beaumaris, Cheltenham, Clarinda, Hawthorn, Wodonga and Box Hill. The Libraries Act 19888 defines the Board’s responsibilities in relation to the wider library world. These include exercising leadership and promoting high standards, and overseeing cooperation that promotes access to library and information resources. In fulfi lling these responsibilities the Board allocated approximately $4 million to its 2005–08 plan <strong>of</strong> action with public libraries, known as the <strong>State</strong>wide Public <strong>Library</strong> Development Projects. The plan focused on three areas: the community-building role <strong>of</strong> public libraries; collections and access issues; and supporting development <strong>of</strong> the public library workforce. In this, the final year, much was achieved. Strengthening g Communities In support <strong>of</strong> the community-building role <strong>of</strong> public libraries a third year <strong>of</strong> funding was provided for development initiatives <strong>of</strong> individual library services: High Country <strong>Library</strong> Corporation received $51,900 for Pages for Life, an initiative that provides informal learning opportunities for some <strong>of</strong> the most disadvantaged youth in country <strong>Victoria</strong>. Mildura Rural City Council <strong>Library</strong> Service received $75,000 for LISN @ Your <strong>Library</strong>, a project that provides adult literacy and numeracy resources and training programs. Vision Australia Information <strong>Library</strong> Service, with Eastern Regional, Goldfi elds, Whitehorse Manningham and Yarra Plenty library services, received $73,100 for Service Enhancement through Partnership, an initiative to improve access to public library programs by people with visual impairment. The fi nal two <strong>report</strong>s in the Libraries Building Communities series were published in 2008. Showcasing the Best: Volume 2 presents more than 40 case studies <strong>of</strong> the innovative ways in which <strong>Victoria</strong>n public libraries are developing their services to meet community needs. Connecting with the Community looks in-depth at barriers to public library usage for ‘hard to reach’ groups such as Indigenous Australians, Horn <strong>of</strong> Africa communities and disadvantaged youth. Both publications provide inspiration and practical advice to public libraries, and will contribute signifi cantly to shaping their services. Improving Collections and Access Collection Management Standards were developed with public libraries, with the aim <strong>of</strong> helping to lift the quality <strong>of</strong> general collections across the state. Local history collections were separately addressed through the Memory <strong>Victoria</strong> project. In the third and fi nal year <strong>of</strong> this project conservation assessments <strong>of</strong> collections held by 33 library services were undertaken and <strong>report</strong>s were provided to each service. Items from these collections were showcased in events held in libraries around the state. A highlight <strong>of</strong> the year was the award to Memory <strong>Victoria</strong> <strong>of</strong> an Arts Portfolio Leadership Award for Leadership in Community. The location, design and condition <strong>of</strong> their buildings are critical to community access to public library collections and services. During 2007 an audit <strong>of</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong>’s 250-plus public library buildings was completed and <strong>report</strong>s provided to service managers. Access to public library services for people living in aged-care centres is <strong>of</strong>ten diffi cult. In 2008 Goldfi elds Regional <strong>Library</strong> Corporation received the $15,000 Pierre Gorman Award to extend library services to aged-care centres around Bendigo, with the assistance <strong>of</strong> volunteers from SCOPE. This initiative benefi ts both the aged community and SCOPE’s disabled clients by providing them with an opportunity for community engagement. Developing the Workforce A major piece <strong>of</strong> strategic work conducted over three years was completed with the publication <strong>of</strong> Workforce Sustainability and Leadership: Survey, analysis and planning for <strong>Victoria</strong>n public libraries. This <strong>report</strong> provides recommendations to help ensure that <strong>Victoria</strong>n public libraries maintain an appropriately skilled workforce over the next 15 years. Many <strong>Victoria</strong>n public library staff participated in pr<strong>of</strong>essional-development opportunities throughout the year: 1000 staff registered in the Learning 2.0 online program, designed to increase their skills in use <strong>of</strong> new social networking technologies and their application in libraries. Over 300 staff attended seminars on ‘Libraries, Web 2.0 and other Internet Stuff’ and ‘Reaching the Hard-to-Reach’. Nearly 150 public library staff from <strong>Victoria</strong>, other parts <strong>of</strong> Australia and New Zealand attended the Auslib public libraries conference on the theme <strong>of</strong> ‘Reading Critical’, hosted by the <strong>State</strong> <strong>Library</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong>. The Margery C Ramsay Scholarship was awarded to Lesley Fell (Monash Public <strong>Library</strong> Service) to travel to the United <strong>State</strong>s to study innovative services to baby boomers. The Barrett Reid Scholarship was awarded to Pam Howard (Goldfi elds <strong>Library</strong> Corporation) to travel to the United Kingdom to investigate delivery <strong>of</strong> library services in remote areas. Six <strong>Victoria</strong>n public library places were subsidised in the prestigious Aurora Leadership Institute, for Georgina Earl (Whitehorse Manningham Regional <strong>Library</strong> Corporation), Donna Edwards (City <strong>of</strong> Greater Dandenong Libraries), Donna Leung (Yarra Libraries), Leslie Sharples (Yarra Plenty Regional <strong>Library</strong> Service), Colin Waring (West Gippsland Regional <strong>Library</strong> Corporation) and Leonee Zito (Melbourne <strong>Library</strong> Service). Planning for the Future While the 2005–08 <strong>State</strong>wide Public <strong>Library</strong> Development Projects were being completed, an extensive planning process also took place to ensure that a new three-year plan <strong>of</strong> action was in place to commence on 1 July 2008. The process was overseen by the Board’s Advisory Committee on Public Libraries – the <strong>Library</strong> Board <strong>of</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong> and <strong>Victoria</strong>n Public <strong>Library</strong> Network’s Framework for Collaborative Action guided the way. A critical component was a three-day planning retreat for public library managers and senior <strong>State</strong> <strong>Library</strong> staff in October. In April the Board approved the new three-year plan containing fi ve initiatives covering development <strong>of</strong> a new evaluation framework for <strong>Victoria</strong>’s public libraries; an assessment <strong>of</strong> the economic benefi ts <strong>of</strong> public libraries; a leadership-development program; a newspaperdigitisation program; and the development <strong>of</strong> a travelling exhibition. In addition to the <strong>State</strong>wide Public <strong>Library</strong> Development Projects, the <strong>State</strong> <strong>Library</strong> and public libraries continued to work together on diverse programs such as Travelling Treasures, the National Poetry Slam, WikiNorthia and Reading <strong>Victoria</strong>, mentioned in detail elsewhere in this <strong>report</strong>.