Pete Elderkin with ALIA’s Hajnalka Molloy, Cathy Warburton, and Zola Maddison The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) delivered an engaging and very full programme that I attended in Adelaide from May 6 to 9. It was an opportunity to meet with my Australasian colleagues and to learn from Australia’s library and information experts and practitioners. With the strong theme of ‘Truth and Dare’, here’s two of the top sessions I attended.
Alison Hamilton from Northern Beaches Library Service delivered an engaging presentation on their library's 24/7 branch service. The library implemented this service to offer a space for library users to work and socialise at no significant extra cost. It resulted in a 45% increase in visits compared to the previous year, with 20% of visits occurring outside regular staff hours. The service attracted new members and provided an innovative way to connect with the community.
New features, such as a touchscreen OPAC and noise requirements, were introduced to manage the extended service effectively. Safety and security were paramount in the design, incorporating measures like low shelving, secure work rooms, CCTV, and duress buttons.
While unauthorised access has been the primary ongoing issue, the library has addressed this through inductions, feedback channels, and follow-up on reports of inappropriate behaviour.
Despite minor challenges, such as people attempting to sleep in the library and higher-than-expected popularity, the library has not experienced any theft or property damage. The presenter stressed the significance of risk assessment, appropriate building location, and fostering a culture of shared responsibility among members to ensure a successful 24/7 library service.
Lydia Hartwig, La Trobe University's Bendigo campus, delivered a thought-provoking presentation on participatory design and its potential to enhance social design through participatory frameworks and initiatives in academic libraries.
The ‘participatory library’ concept emerged in 2006 amidst the rapid growth of digital technologies. This concept involves engaging library users to influence the operation and collection of the library through their participation. Many libraries, particularly public libraries, still use participatory design principles as an integral component of user-focused action and impact assessment.
Lydia emphasised the importance of defining the ‘library user’ and proposed a new definition that includes any person who interacts with the library in any capacity, such as patrons, students, staff, academics, industry partners, vendors, and the local community. By redefining the library user in this way, their value is no longer transactional, and they become an integral part of the library, actively influencing its physical and digital spaces.
Lydia shared insights from La Trobe University Library's social initiative, the IDEA Network. This initiative incorporates elements of participatory design to support and enhance Inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility for all users. The network connects individuals and pre-existing support groups, highlighting the experiences of marginalised groups and informing library stakeholders about the issues they face.
By incorporating participatory elements and bypassing traditional research hierarchies, the ISEA network fosters a co-design relationship with library users, actively involving them throughout the design, feedback, and implementation processes.
Lydia concluded by emphasising that the movement towards user-centric and social design philosophies has laid the foundation for a new form of participatory design that re-examines the role and perceptions of the modern library user. By incorporating participatory elements throughout LIS research and design processes, libraries can build meaningful relationships and authentic actions, ultimately fostering a collective belonging that better reflects libraries as social institutions.
Alison Hamilton from Northern Beaches Library Service delivered an engaging presentation on their library's 24/7 branch service. The library implemented this service to offer a space for library users to work and socialise at no significant extra cost. It resulted in a 45% increase in visits compared to the previous year, with 20% of visits occurring outside regular staff hours. The service attracted new members and provided an innovative way to connect with the community.
New features, such as a touchscreen OPAC and noise requirements, were introduced to manage the extended service effectively. Safety and security were paramount in the design, incorporating measures like low shelving, secure work rooms, CCTV, and duress buttons.
While unauthorised access has been the primary ongoing issue, the library has addressed this through inductions, feedback channels, and follow-up on reports of inappropriate behaviour.
Despite minor challenges, such as people attempting to sleep in the library and higher-than-expected popularity, the library has not experienced any theft or property damage. The presenter stressed the significance of risk assessment, appropriate building location, and fostering a culture of shared responsibility among members to ensure a successful 24/7 library service.
Lydia Hartwig, La Trobe University's Bendigo campus, delivered a thought-provoking presentation on participatory design and its potential to enhance social design through participatory frameworks and initiatives in academic libraries.
The ‘participatory library’ concept emerged in 2006 amidst the rapid growth of digital technologies. This concept involves engaging library users to influence the operation and collection of the library through their participation. Many libraries, particularly public libraries, still use participatory design principles as an integral component of user-focused action and impact assessment.
Lydia emphasised the importance of defining the ‘library user’ and proposed a new definition that includes any person who interacts with the library in any capacity, such as patrons, students, staff, academics, industry partners, vendors, and the local community. By redefining the library user in this way, their value is no longer transactional, and they become an integral part of the library, actively influencing its physical and digital spaces.
Lydia shared insights from La Trobe University Library's social initiative, the IDEA Network. This initiative incorporates elements of participatory design to support and enhance Inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility for all users. The network connects individuals and pre-existing support groups, highlighting the experiences of marginalised groups and informing library stakeholders about the issues they face.
By incorporating participatory elements and bypassing traditional research hierarchies, the ISEA network fosters a co-design relationship with library users, actively involving them throughout the design, feedback, and implementation processes.
Lydia concluded by emphasising that the movement towards user-centric and social design philosophies has laid the foundation for a new form of participatory design that re-examines the role and perceptions of the modern library user. By incorporating participatory elements throughout LIS research and design processes, libraries can build meaningful relationships and authentic actions, ultimately fostering a collective belonging that better reflects libraries as social institutions.
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