NSLA update: looking towards 2018

Since 2007, NSLA has undertaken an extensive program of activity to maximise the benefits of working together to achieve common outcomes. NSLA libraries share strategic thinking, expertise and specialist solutions; NSLA collaboration aims to increase productivity and achieve better outcomes.

At its meeting of 21-24 November 2017 NSLA addressed its long-term business model with the approval of its Strategic Plan 2018-2020 and a re-shaping of its membership. As NSLA moves into its next phase it will do so with a focus on its Australian constituents and stakeholders.

Latest Australian public library stats

The annual Australian public libraries statistical report for 2015-16 is now available. Compiled by the State Library of Queensland's Regional Access and Public Libraries division, the report is an overview of the services, infrastructure, income and expenditure of each state and territory's public libraries.

In 2015-16:

1656 public library service points and outlets with 1,408 branches, 78 mobiles and 170 other outlets.
Over 165.3 million items were lent to 9.3 million members of Australia’s public libraries.
Over 113 million customer visits annually, or more than 9.4 million per month.
Over 36.9 million items (1.5 items per person) were made available for the use of the community and more than $126 million was spent on ensuring that these collections remain up to date and relevant.
Total expenditure on public libraries has increased from $1.01 billion in 2011-2012 to over $1.18 billion in 2015-2016, representing a 17.3% increase.
Library programs totalled over 211,000, with attendance of over 6.1 million.

Read the full report.

Literacy & Learning project update

The Literacy and Learning project group met in Hobart in October. Their visit coincided with 26Ten Week, celebrating Tasmania’s ambitious strategy to lift adult literacy and numeracy rates across the state. The group attended the official 26Ten reception at Government House and visited Huon LINC to share lessons from the field with 26Ten community stakeholders. During the meeting, the project group reviewed previous achievements, considered emerging literacy and learning trends relevant to libraries, and discussed initiatives to activate and bolster the Libraries and Digital Government strategy for change.
Photo courtesy Huon News

International Digital Preservation Day 2017

On 30 November NSLA joined cultural and research institutions around the world for the first annual day celebrating the value of preserving digital materials and making them accessible, now and in the future. Led by the members of the Digital Preservation project group, NSLA libraries contributed a post to the official IDPD blog, ran onsite events and spread the word via social media. The popular Personal Digital Archive Toolkit was also given a refresh for the occasion.

Demystifying digital access to collections

Wendy Quihampton and Lucinda Davison are hitting the road to spread GLAM Peak's message about the value of digital access to the collections and objects hidden in cultural and collecting organisations across Australia. Read Wendy's article about the workshops so far and proposed regional locations for 2018.

In brief...

The eResources Consortium and SAI Global have signed an agreement to restore access to Australian Standards via NSLA libraries.
The State Library of New South Wales has released Indigenous Spaces in Library Places, an online toolkit to provide guidance for the public library network to enhance services dedicated to the local Indigenous population.

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NSLA eNews by National and State Libraries Australasia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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