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Tasmanian Library Advisory Board Annual Report
On behalf of the Tasmanian Library Advisory Board (TLAB), I am pleased to submit the 27 th annual report of the board as required under
the Libraries Act 1984 as amended in 2000.
Role and
structure
The statutory role of the TLAB, as defined by the
Libraries Act 1984, is to advise the Minister for Education
and Skills, and the Secretary of the Department of
Education on matters relevant to the provision of public
library services in Tasmania. The Libraries Amendment Act
2000 extended the membership structure to provide
a wide representation from the Tasmanian community,
comprising a mix of rural and urban interests.
The current board was appointed on 1 January 2012 until
31 December 2013.
Board
membership
Ministerial nominees:
Ms Mary Bent (Chair)
Ms Donna Bain
Dr Mark Briggs
Ms Sue Chapple
Ms Jen Fitzgerald
Ms Beverley Jennings
Ms Kate Mollison (resigned 22 June 2013)
Dr Dianne Snowden
Local Government Association of Tasmania
nominees:
Mr Stephen Brown
Mayor Tony Foster OAM JP (resigned 22 November 2012)
Alderman Sandra French
Alderman Doug Chipman
Councillor Susan Nolan (appointed 7 May 2013)
Nominee of the Secretary of the
Department of Education:
Ms Jenny Rayner, Director, LINC Tasmania
Board
meetings
The board held four meetings during 2012–13 in:
• Launceston on 13 September 2012
• Bridgewater on 6 December 2012
• Hobart on 7 March 2013 and 20 June 2013.
Major issues
considered by
the board
Leisure and Lifestyle program
The Leisure and Lifestyle program was a major topic of
discussion in 2012–13. The board is very supportive
of lifelong learning and recognises that informal and
recreational learning has an important place in community
life. However, the board has endorsed the government’s
budget decision of 2010–11 to give greater priority to
courses that lead to increased skills or employability,
and place leisure and recreational classes on a cost
recovery footing. The board is concerned that the
program’s declining enrolment base is affecting its viability
and may impact adversely on LINC Tasmania’s other
priorities and its reputation.
eBooks
LINC Tasmania’s eBook holdings continue to steadily
increase. Circulation figures suggest that eBooks are
replacing print for some clients. The board endorses
LINC Tasmania’s continued active contribution to national
strategies being developed by the Australian Library and
Information Association (ALIA) and National and State
Libraries Australasia (NSLA) that: promote the extension
of public lending right royalties to eBook authors to
ensure that authors receive a fair return for eBooks;
encourage the extension of purchase/subscription options;
and collaborate on ventures designed to encourage
publishers to engage with this format.
Modernising Tasmania’s Archives and
Libraries legislation
The board provided a formal submission in May 2013
in response to the Modernising Tasmania’s Archives and
Libraries legislation consultation paper. This paper outlined
recommendations for amendments to the current
legislation which governs Tasmania’s public library
and archives services, the Libraries Act 1984, and the
Archives Act 1983. The board also received a briefing
on stakeholder feedback received by LINC Tasmania in
response to the consultation paper.
In its submission to the consultation, the board expressed
its support for LINC Tasmania and for the expanded role
it has taken up since the Libraries Act 1984 was drafted.
LINC Tasmania is a leading example of how a state
library service can meet the challenges of library
provision in contemporary society and adapt its services
and priorities to remain relevant in this digital age.
The board is also aware that since the creation of
the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office there has
been increased collaboration and consistency across
the archive, heritage and reference sections of the
LINC Tasmania service. This is welcome and establishes
a strong foundation for future rationalisation of roles
and processes.
The revisions of the legislation proposed through this
process will assist it to meet these challenges.
90 Required Reporting » Other Annual Reports