In the second half of 2022 ALIA held a series of small functions across Australia with members and leaders in the library and information services industry. The purpose was to facilitate discussion about industry trends, challenges and opportunities from the perspective of those working across all sectors, from schools to universities and from public libraries to special libraries as well as LIS educators and researchers. ALIA also wanted to hear feedback on its performance and where members thought it should be focusing its efforts into the future.
This report cannot possibly do justice to the broad range of discussions and commentary about a huge range of issues by experienced and thoughtful LIS professionals. What it will attempt to do is to present the key themes – the challenges and opportunities and the possible strategies or solutions proffered for consideration. At the end of each section is a statement about ALIA’s proposed actions in response to the matters raised.
The themes are:
- Advocacy and marketing
- Workforce and education
- Representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the industry and in collections
- Leadership
- ALIA’s communication and events