STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA - PUBLIC LIBRARY UNIT
VICLINK REPORT - APRIL 2004
Prepared by
Brendan Fitzgerald (Manager Public Libraries Unit)
Debra Rosenfeldt (Statewide Public Library Projects Manager, Public Libraries Unit, State Library of Victoria)
Frances Savage (Online Projects Coordinator)
Andrew Cunningham ( e-diversity and content infrastructure solutions )
Nicole Lowndes (Project Officer)
Wendy Quihampton (Project Officer)
Sue Ward (Project Officer)
Kirsty Wilson (Project Officer)
Beata Wacek (Events and Business Support)
1. State Library of Victoria – update
1.1 State Librarian’s Program of Public Library Visits
Over the last few months Anne-Marie Schwirtlich has visited: Adele Keneally at Glenelg Regional Library Service (27 February), Anna Cook at East Gippsland Library Service (12 March) , Suzanne Gately at Hobson's Bay Library Service (16 April) Anne-Marie will be on Leave during May. She will visit Yarra Plenty and Casey-Cardinia Regional Library Services during June.
1.2 Library Board of Victoria Advisory Committee on Public Libraries( ACPL)
The ACPL has met twice since the last Viclink meeting. On 9 March it met at the University of Ballarat. Agenda items included the Framework for Collaborative Action, the committee structure to support the Advisory Committee on Public Libraries; the assessment panel for the Pierre Gorman Award; an update on relevant activities of recipients of the Margery C Ramsay Scholarship; a response to the report on the Senate Inquiry into the Role of Public Libraries in the Online Environment; a joint meeting of the ACPL and the Ministerial Advisory Council on Public Libraries. The ACPL agreed that the Framework was ready to go out for consultation to the public library network.
At its meeting of 15 April, which was a joint meeting with the Statewide Projects Steering Committee, the ACPL Agenda items were the Framework for Collaborative Action and the Statewide Projects for 2004/07. The Committee accepted Viclink's/CPLG's recommended changes to wording in the Framework, which will now be presented to the Library Board of Victoria for adoption at its next meeting on 2 June. The Committee also agreed that 2004/05 should be a transition year for the Statewide Projects and that one year of funding for projects should be allocated while further work is done with the Library Board of Victoria and public libraries on developing a three year plan.
1.3 Travelling Treasures Program and Commonwealth Writers Prize
The State Library is eager to celebrate its 150th anniversary with public libraries and with Victorians in all parts of the State. The Travelling Treasures program gives people an opportunity to see and hear about some of the State Library's most iconic collection items and the Library is both pleased and grateful to be involving public libraries in the program as host venues for events displaying these items. In the week beginning 26 May Ned Kelly's Jerilderie letter and a pistol from the Burke and Wills collection will be showcased in the north-east at events in the Shepparton, Wangaratta and Wodonga Libraries. The Commonwealth Writers Prize is also being hosted by the State Library. On 10 and 11 May previous CWP winners and regional winners will participate in literary events at Warrnambool, Bendigo and Ballarat Libraries.
1.4 Pierre Gorman Award
The closing date for applications was 16 April and it is hoped that a winner will be announced in late May/early June.
2. Public Libraries Unit - Update
2.1 Public Libraries Unit Staff
We anticipate advertising for Damians replacement within the next month.
2.2 PLU visits to Public Library Staff meetings
The staff of the PLU has begun a round of presentations to library branch and staff meetings to introduce the new unit and its activities to the frontline key public library staff. Libraries visited in Jan/March include Bayside, and Kingston.
3. Public Libraries Unit - Projects and Activities Progress Report
3.1 Statewide Public Library Development Projects 2003/2004 –
§ Statewide Training Project $300,000
The proposal for 2003/2004 was to assess and respond flexibly to the training needs of Victorian public libraries. This was to be demonstrated through targeted, high quality, cost effective training for 1000 public library staff through the Statewide Training Calendar, in line with an annual theme and three-year strategic plan. The training was to target public library staff at all levels, in locations across Victoria. IT skills training was to be provided through a program of grants to public library services, to train approximately 500 public library staff. Professional development seminars are to be offered to public library staff
By the end of June 2004 the proposed indicators for the Statewide Training Project will have been fully achieved, even exceeded, with 22 unique courses in 99 sessions, offering 98 days of training, with 1180 participants. In addition, IT Skills Training grants were accepted by 40 services with an estimated 350 participants. Satisfaction with the training offered remains very high, with upwards of 95% of participants rating their training either ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’. The Project also supported 6 candidates for the Aurora Leadership Institute, and finalised the 2nd updated and expanded edition of the manual Managing Human Resources: A Guide for Public Libraries. Copies have been distributed to every library branch in Victoria. ‘The 4C-able Future’ seminar has been organised for late April, with an estimated 200 attendees. The proposed budget has been completely utilised.
§ Statewide Marketing Project $200,000
The key elements of the 2003/2004 proposal were delivery of the @yourlibrary campaign and development of a Statewide Marketing Plan. The proposal also included redevelopment of the library locator web site, a major seminar on marketing for public library staff, public relations activities for Library and Information Week, and a research initiative in partnership with Deakin University.
The Marketing Project has successfully commenced the @yourlibrary promotional campaign in libraries across Victoria. Through contractors The Marketing Bank, the project has provided workshops, kits, promotional material, production of TV and print advertisements, marketing advice, and statewide media support, and secured advertising sponsorship with Channel 10 and Leader Newspapers. With almost universal library service participation in each of six themed campaign months during 2004, the campaign has encouraged libraries to increase their promotions and events, and has already attracted good media and public attention. A highlight of the campaign so far has been the stall at The Age Careers Expo to coincide with the Your Future campaign, which was also linked to several newspaper articles about careers in public libraries. The library locator web site has been redeveloped and incorporated into the www.libraries.vic.gov.au site. Both the marketing seminar and statewide Library and Information Week public relations activities are in hand.
The Statewide Projects Steering Committee accepted a recommendation from the Marketing Project Advisory Committee to defer development of the Marketing Plan in order to incorporate the Framework for Collaborative Action and Libraries Building Communities research, with some funds reallocated to additional @yourlibrary public relations activities. An application for matching Commonwealth funding for the partnership research project with Deakin University was not successful, so this will not proceed. In light of these changes to the Project during the year, the Statewide Projects Steering Committee determined that budget savings of $40,000 should be re-allocated in part to the Training Project to provide additional courses in high demand areas, and in part to the Project Reserve Fund.
The @yourlibrary campaign is scheduled to run until December 2004, and will require a minimum of $32,100 in the 2004/2005 budget to complete planned activities. An additional $21,000 is recommended to ensure optimum benefits from the campaign.
§ Writers on the Road $130,000
In 2003/2004 the proposal was to fund 24 days of touring of writers for adult audiences, with a focus on country public library services, and 18 days of tours for youth. After three years of funding, it was also deemed appropriate to conduct a formal review of the program.
The review was carried out by Murray Consulting and Training during October/November 2003 and the final report made available to all Viclink members via the Infonet. A key recommendation of the review was for continued funding of the program over the next three years through the Statewide Public Library Development Projects. In terms of program delivery, the target of 24 days for the adult stream was exceeded. By 30 June 2004, 28 days of touring to 16 library services will have been completed, predominantly in country areas. The extra days were made possible through a small carry-forward of funding from the previous year and savings achieved through changes in procedures related to program advertising and vehicle hire. In line with the proposal, 18 days of youth touring will have taken place, with 11 library services involved. The budget for Writers on the Road will have been fully expended.
§ LBV/Victorian Public Library Network Statewide Strategy, 2004/2009 $125,000
The Library Board of Victoria’s Advisory Committee on Public Libraries (ACPL) adopted this project as its own. The Committee re-named the project Framework for Collaborative Action. The Committee comprises Lynne Makin and Barb Horn (Viclink), Adele Keneally and Chris Payne (Country Public Libraries Group), Rod Fyffe (Municipal Association of Victoria), Vicki Williamson and Greg Hywood (Library Board), and Anne-Marie Schwirtlich, Michael Bertie, Brendan Fitzgerald and Debra Rosenfeldt (State Library).
Under the direction of the ACPL the Framework for Collaborative Action has evolved in a way that is quite different to that originally envisaged in the project proposal for a Statewide Strategy. This has impacted on the budget allocated to the project. The project proposal outlined a process of extensive and intensive consultation over a period of several months with a wide range of stakeholders, requiring the services of a highly skilled facilitator and planner. This was the main item in the budget for the project. However, the ACPL has chosen to approach the Framework differently and with significantly less requirement for external facilitation. At this stage it appears that the majority of the budget allocated to this project will not be expended. It is also anticipated that the Framework will be completed in April for presentation to the Library Board of Victoria with a recommendation for its adoption in May 2004.
§ SWIFT Phase II: Communication Strategy $70,000
In 2003/2004 this project aimed to communicate the recommendations of the SWIFT Business Case to library managers, Councils, the MAV, and relevant Victorian Government Ministers and senior department staff. Consultants CPR Communications & Public Relations successfully created and completed a Communication Strategy of briefing documents and meetings, targeting these potential project partners.
The primary objective of the Strategy was to attract funding to commence a staged implementation in 2004/2005. On advice from the Victorian Government that funding would be more likely in the next financial year, CPR recommended that the SWIFT working group take over responsibility for further communications. A group of 16 libraries is currently working on an implementation and governance strategy, with the aim of commencing SWIFT in at least five libraries during 2004/2005.
The SWIFT Communication Strategy and its implementation were completed at a cost of $17,000, leaving $53,000 of the total budget for the project unexpended.
§ Libraries Building Communities Phase II: Communication Strategy $55,000
In 2003/2004 the proposal was to fund development and implementation of a strategy that would communicate to a range of audiences the findings of the research funded by the Statewide Public Library Development Projects in 2002/2003. It was envisaged that this strategy would include publication of the research findings and recommendations in a variety of formats, a media campaign, workshops and presentations.
The size and complexity of the project has meant that Phase I, the actual research funded in 2002/2003, has taken longer than anticipated. The research tasks were completed by New Focus in December 2003 and included: 24 focus groups with users, non-users and staff from nine libraries; a telephone survey of 400 library users and non-users; 50+ face-to-face interviews with key stakeholders; completion of 9,000 online surveys through Victoria’s 43 public library services; and, collection of relevant ABS census data. Background reports on each component of the research have been received. From February to June 2004 project activity is focused on developing strategic recommendations and writing and producing the final suite of reports including: a project information guide; a report on community views on the contributions and benefits of public libraries; a report on libraries as a vehicle for social engagement; a report showcasing examples of best practice in community building by Victorian public libraries; a ‘how to’ guide for public libraries to conduct their own social capital audits; an executive summary. This work will be carried out by New Focus with Carol Oxley from I&J Management, but will not be fully completed by 30 June. By 30 June the original $200,000 for Phase I of the Libraries Building Communities Project will have been fully expended, and approximately half of the funds allocated in 2003/2004 for Phase II will have been expended.
§ Middle Years Information Literacy Partnership Project $50,000
This project was conceived as a three-phase project, to be carried out over three years, with each phase able to ‘stand alone’. The first phase, funded in 2003/2004 was to develop a ‘Toolkit’ of practical resources for public librarians to utilise to improve information services for youth. By the end of July a draft Toolkit will be completed and will include: advice on ways librarians can service teen queries, and build information literacy skills; ideas to foster a youth presence in public libraries; encouragement of the use of peers, parents, schools and special youth events to develop youth involvement with libraries; identification of the growing number of community projects and programs that aim to service teens; potential resources and partnerships for public libraries across the State, geared for the youth market; a choice of ideas to empower librarians, so they can select strategies that fit local needs and are most appropriate to their present resource levels; exploration of possible partnerships with teacher librarians and Middle Years’ Clusters.
§ Local History Digitisation Project (Picture Victoria) $50,000
This project has been carried forward from 2001/2002. The proposal at that time was to make local historical materials available online to local and non-local users, and to make online historical collections readily accessible through a common approach. This was to be achieved through opening a pilot link to PictureAustralia, with 2 or 3 libraries, and creating a web site with local and state ownership with basic information linked to local training sites and training. Standards for digitised collections were to be developed, and a presence for the project was to be established with introductory regional workshop and a seminar. The proposal also included a major funding proposal to link digitising and workplace skills and aim to provide local money.