Program
All conference session will be held online via Zoom. Attendees will be emailed a Zoom link once they have registered. Speaker bios can be found further down the page.
| Session Details | |
| Tuesday 1 July (morning) 10:00-11.30am AEST Chair: Professor Philip Hider (CSU) | The Role and Function of Public LibrariesDr Africa HandsUniversity at Buffalo The Community’s Swiss Army Knife: On the Nimbleness of Public libraries Dr Salene Schloffel-Armstrong University of Auckland The Public Library and the Futures of Social Infrastructure Associate Professor Spencer Lilley Victoria University of Wellington Connecting with Indigenous Communities |
| Tuesday 1 July (afternoon) 2:00 – 3:30pm AEST Chair: Dr Simon Wakeling (CSU) | Public Library Collection Development & ManagementAssociate Professor Jane GarnerCharles Sturt University More Than Words: The Emotional and Cultural Value of First-Language Reading for Migrant Communities in Australia Professor Anne Goulding Victoria University of Wellington Local Realities, Global Pressures: Contemporary Collection Practices in Aotearoa Libraries Ellen Forsyth State Library of New South Wales Collecting Opportunities: Local studies Collections in Public Libraries |
| Wednesday 2 July (morning) 10:00-11.30am AEST Chair: Associate Professor Jane Garner (CSU) | Public Library Programs, Services & Community EngagementDr Jo KaedingUniversity of South Australia Enhancing Access in Public Libraries for People with Print Disability: An Australian Focus Nerida Dye Campaspe Library The Social Prescribing Library Ian Phillips I & J Management Services Understanding Library Non-Users: They’re not all the Same |
| Wednesday 2 July (afternoon) 2:00 – 3:30pm AEST Chair: Dr. Elise Rosser (CSU) | Indigenous Perspectives on Public Library ServicesPippa Herden University of Sydney First Nations Collections Jasmin Ratana Whanganui District Library Haere ake nei! From Here to infinity! Activating Indigenous Perspective to Transform the Library Experience Paige Johnson University of Sydney Codesigning with Community: Tea, Yarns and Rule-breaking |
| Thursday 3 July (morning) 10:00-11.30am AEST Chair: Dr Kasey Garrison (CSU) | Public Libraries and Early Childhood LiteracyAssociate Professor Emilia DjonovMacquarie University Picture Books, Puppets and Craft in Preschool Storytime: How Artefacts and their Connections can Foster Children’s Language and Literacy Learning Stella Read The State Library of Queensland Now and for their Futures: Libraries Brain Building in the Early Years Dr Ruth Campbell-Hicks Binningup Public Library How Public Libraries in WA Support Language and Literacy for 0 to 3 year olds |
| Thursday 3 July (afternoon) 2:00 – 3:30pm AEST Chair: Dr Anita Dewi (CSU) | The Public Library WorkforcePanel members:Dr Jennifer Campbell-Meier Victoria University of Wellington Associate Professor Mary Carroll Charles Sturt University Nicole Hunt President of Queensland Public Libraries Association ARC Discovery Project LaunchesProfessor Philip HiderCharles Sturt University The Role of Public Library Services for a Changing Rural Australia Professor Tina Du Charles Sturt University Australian Public Libraries and Social Capital: An Exploratory Study |
Speaker Bios (in aphabetical order)
Dr Ruth Campbell-Hicks
Title: How public libraries in WA support language and literacy for 0 to 3 year olds
Bio: Ruth has been a public librarian in regional Western Australia for more than 30 years. She has been intricately involved with local communities, especially young families and the early childhood sector. After becoming concerned about young children’s declining early language skills, Ruth enrolled in PhD studies to investigate how public libraries support the language and literacy learning of 0 to 3 year olds. The study found that while public libraries run many programs which are enjoyed by families, knowledge of their availability and outcomes is limited. In addition to supporting the educational role of libraries, Ruth has taught at all school levels, and at a range of overseas countries including Haiti, Mongolia and Kenya. She lives by the beach in WA, and can frequently be found relaxing with a book after spending hectic times with her grandchildren.
Dr Jennifer Campbell-Meier
Bio: Jennifer joined the School of Information Management in 2014. She holds a Master of Library Science degree from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in Communication and Information Sciences from the University of Hawai’i. Jennifer has taught classes in information services, project management and technology at the University of Hawai’i, the University of British Columbia and the University of Alabama. She teaches both the Information Studies and Information Systems programmes. Jennifer draws on her experiences as an academic and solo librarian and discusses the role of theory in practice in information organisations.
Jennifer researches in 3 primary areas: Digital Inclusion, Information Behaviour, and LIS Professional Development. Her research is unified by her commitment to develop LIS professionals capable of engaging with communities and instilling life-long information literacy practices to support critical evaluation of information.
Associate Professor Mary Carroll
Bio: Mary’s research draws on a multi-disciplinary background and is focused on the intersection of libraries, books and learning in both the contemporary and historical context. Crossing sectors and historical eras her research examines the role information and information agencies play in addressing equity, promoting social inclusion and influencing broader social issues. She has also researched extensively in the area of education for the information professions both in Australia and internationally from the 1930s onward examining factors which have shaped the development and constructs of contemporary LIS education.
Associate Professor Emilia Djonov
Title: Picture books, puppets and craft in preschool storytime – how artefacts and their connections can foster children’s language and literacy learning
Bio: Emilia Djonov is Associate Professor at the School of Education, Macquarie University, with research expertise and interests in early language and literacy learning, educational linguistics, and multimodal communication. She led the project “Early language and literacy in NSW public libraries“, in partnership with State Library of NSW, and has supervised PhD projects and co-authored articles on the language environment of infants and toddlers in early childhood settings, reading of picture books in home contexts (including multilingual) and on TV, and children’s engagement with and authoring of audio-visual and transmedia narratives.
Nerida Dye
Title: The Social Prescribing Library
Bio: Nerida Dye has worked in the library industry for over 30 years. She has worked with the State Library of Victoria Shared Leadership Program workgroup, on the joint Public Libraries Victoria/State Library of Victoria Research Report ‘Victorian Public Libraries: Our future, our skills’, and was a member of the Public Libraries Victoria Executive Committee 2013/14. Nerida has been working in Community Outreach with Campaspe Library since January 2015 engaging those in need at locations such as care facilities, hospitals, community groups and individual homes. In March 2022 Nerida was awarded the 2021 Barrett Reid Scholarship to undertake research in public libraries and social prescribing, and in May presented her work at the ALIA 2024 Conference.
Ellen Forsyth
Title: Collecting opportunities: Local studies collections in public libraries
Bio: Ellen is a Consultant, Public Library Services at the State Library of New South Wales. Ellen is interested in how public libraries manage collecting current materials for local studies and has experience with collaborative projects. Her work involves providing advice to public libraries, reviewing their services and in coordinating statewide working groups for local studies, readers’ advisory and reference and information services. Ellen’s PhD is about local studies collections in public libraries.
Associate Professor Jane Garner
Title: More Than Words: The Emotional and Cultural Value of First-Language Reading for Migrant Communities in Australia
Bio: Dr Jane Garner is an Associate Professor with the School of Information & Communication Studies at Charles Sturt University. She researches the roles of reading, libraries and information in closed, restricted and marginalised communities, including people living in prisons and people experiencing homelessness and other forms of poverty and disadvantage. Jane is also interested in the impact of user behaviours on the wellbeing of library workers.
Professor Anne Goulding
Title: Local Realities, Global Pressures: Contemporary Collection Practices in Aotearoa Libraries
Bio: Anne Goulding is Professor of Library and Information Management at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. She is Programme Director for the Information Studies programme in the School of Information Management. Her research interests lie primarily in the area of the management of library and information services, and she has a particular interest in how library and information services demonstrate the impact of their programmes and services. She is currently leading projects investigating collection management practices in libraries including the management of Open Education Resources (OERs). Anne is Editor in Chief of The Journal of Librarianship and Information Science.
Dr Africa Hands
Title: The community’s Swiss Army knife: On the nimbleness of public libraries
Bio: Africa S. Hands, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Information Science at University at Buffalo in New York. Her research examines public library access in marginalized populations, information access in higher education settings, and first-generation student experiences. She is the author of Successfully Serving the College-Bound (ALA Editions, 2015).
Pippa Herden
Title: First Nations Collections
Bio: Pippa Herden is a Gomeroi woman originally from Tamworth NSW, and now based on Gadigal Country in Sydney. After completing a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History and English she is now almost finished a Master of Museum and Heritage Studies at the University of Sydney. She is working as the First Nations Collections Curator at the University of Sydney Library in the Rare Books and Special Collections team. Her professional career began in book selling and public libraries and continued as the Indigenous Engagement Officer at the University of Sydney Library until October 2024 before shifting into collections focused work. Pippa is focusing on understanding the First Nations knowledges in legacy collections, how to improve access to these knowledges for communities, and helping mob feel comfortable and have agency in the archives. As an early career curator, she is looking forward to working building relationships with community and learning from other Indigenous professionals in the sector.
Nicole Hunt
Bio: Nicole Hunt is Team Manager, Libraries & Community Hubs with Townsville City Council, current President of Queensland Public Libraries Association, Chair – ALIA Community on Resource Description Special Interest Group and a member of the Trove Strategic Advisory Committee. Nicole has over 36 years’ experience in the library and information sector including roles within Council Executive/Administration, TAFE, Hospital and Public libraries across Queensland and Victoria, along with Resort & Events management in the public sector. All of these roles have been underpinned by a commitment to advocating and highlighting the role libraries have in connecting people and communities with opportunities for engagement, collaboration, innovation and experience to enhance and enrich their lives.
Paige Johnson
Title: Codesigning with Community: Tea, Yarns and Rule-breaking
Bio: Paige Johnson is a Gamillaroi woman, born and raised on Gadigal, Wangal and Bidjigal Country. She completed a Bachelor of Arts (English and Creative Writing) at UNSW and fell into the GLAM sector unexpectedly, after a temp role in the Sisters of Charity of Australia Congregational Archive, where she discovered how much fun can be had reading through hospital annual reports from before 1900 (all able-bodied patients had to be up at 6am to help clean and maintain hospital facilities!)
Dr Jo Kaeding
Title: Enhancing access in public libraries for people with print disability: An Australian focus
Bio: Dr Jo Kaeding is a Program Director and Course Coordinator in the postgraduate Library and Information Management degrees at the University of South Australia. Jo has a Doctor in Philosophy from the University of South Australia. Her research focus is inclusive and accessible public libraries for people with disability. She is a past recipient of the following awards: South Australian Catherine Helen Spence Scholarship, Public Libraries of South Australia Rod East Memorial Award and the Australian Library and Information Association Twila Ann Janssen Herr Award.
Associate Professor Spencer Lilley
Title: Connecting with Indigenous communities
Bio: Dr Spencer Lilley is an Associate Professor in the Information Studies programmes in the School of Information Management. He has genealogical affiliations to Māori (Te Atiawa, Muaūpoko and Ngāpuhi), Samoa and the United Kingdom. Prior to commencing his academic and research career, he worked as a library professional for 23 years in special and academic libraries. He is a former President of the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA) and an Honorary Life Member of Te Rōpū Whakahau.
Ian Phillips
Title: Understanding library non-users: They’re not all the same
Bio: Ian is Director of I & J Management Services, a small consulting firm that has worked with public libraries across Australia for 25 years on strategic planning, service reviews, community consultation and statistical analysis. Ian compiled the national Standards and Guidelines for Australian Public Libraries in 2016 and 2020 for the Australian Public Library Alliance (APLA) and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Ian also managed and analysed the 2022 Victorian Public Library Census and Survey project for the State Library of Victoria (SLV) and Public Libraries Victoria (PLV) which obtained feedback from more than 34,000 library users. Ian writes a blog that looks for all the fun things in library data.
Jasmin Ratana
Title: Haere ake nei! From here to infinity! Activating indigenous perspective to transform the library experience
Bio: Whanganui/ Ngāti Maru.
He muka nō te taurawhiri o Hine Ngākau.
Jasmin Ratana is the Pou Whiria/ Māori Information librarian at the Whanganui District Library. She completed her studies in Mātauranga Māori and Puna Maumahara Māori Information Management at Te Wānanga o Raukawa. Prior to working in libraries Jasmin worked in Te Kōhanga Reo early childhood education. Jasmin is passionate about bringing a local indigenous perspective to the the library service and believes in the limitless potential of the public library.
Stella Read
Title: Now and for their Futures: Libraries Brain Building in the Early Years
Bio: Stella Read is Manager, Children and Families at State Library of Queensland. Stella and her team develop and deliver programs for children aged birth through to eight years, including the creative play space, The Corner. In addition, the team provide backbone support for First 5 Forever program delivery in public libraries and Indigenous Knowledge Centres across Queensland. Stella has an educational background in Visual Arts and Museum Studies, and has developed and delivered children’s programming for Out of the Box, The Brisbane Writers Festival and The Ideas Festival, and loves working side by side with children and families on these programs.
Salene Schloffel-Armstrong
Title: The Public Library and the Futures of Social Infrastructure
Bio: Salene is a feminist political geographer whose work is concerned with collective resources, public good and the possibility of envisaging alternative, just futures. She has written extensively about libraries as forms of social infrastructure, but is also involved in research on housing futures, dark skies as nocturnal commons and futures of bioprotection in Aotearoa. She is a founding member of the Politics, Economies, Place Research Group (PEP) based at the University of Auckland and is currently a co-chair on the Australasian Early Career Urban Research Network (AECURN). Additionally, she is interested in collaborative research and writing with emerging geographers and runs a Geography Reading Group for undergraduate students at The University of Auckland.
