Tag Archives: ALIA

Cooking for Copyright Day

Cooking%20for%20Copyright%20-%20Graphic

FAIR (the campaign for Freedom of Access to Information and Resources) has announced Cooking for Copyright Day on Friday 31 July, using classic Aussie recipes for lamingtons, pavlovas, canteen biscuits and soldier cake tins to drive the copyright reform agenda.

The campaign focuses on the fact that in Australia copyright in published works lasts 70 years after the death of the creator, but for unpublished works, copyright lasts forever. This means old diaries, letters, photographs, even recipes are locked away.

National and State Libraries Australasia, the Australian War Memorial, University Libraries, Public Libraries, Archives and Historical Societies are all participating in the FAIR Cooking for Copyright campaign, developed by the Australian Library and Information Association in partnership with the Australian Libraries Copyright Committee.

Sue McKerracher, spokesperson for FAIR, and CEO of the Australian Library and Information Association, said, ‘We’d like the same copyright terms for unpublished works as for published works. Then our libraries, museums and historical societies could put these treasures on the web for family historians, researchers, and everyone else who is fascinated by our social history.’

FAIR has delved into library and museum collections across Australia and posted more than 20 handwritten recipes to its website – effectively contravening the current copyright law. It’s asking Australians to cook one of these recipes – or choose an old favourite – and post a photo to Facebook or tweet with the #cookingforcopyright hashtag.

Sue McKerracher again, ‘We will put all the images together, create a buzz on social media, and deliver them to the Attorney General, who has the unenviable task of unravelling the current copyright regime.’

Public Library Advocacy in the US and Australia

Ilovelibraries

Often it takes everyday people to really bring issues home to local legislators. That’s the thinking behind the American Library Association’s Ilovelibraries.org initiative.

One of the features on the Ilovelibraries.org site is a library value calculator (What’s your library worth?) that visitors can use to determine how much they would pay for library materials and services if they actually had to buy them. Categories like the number of e-books downloaded, computer hours logged, and database searches conducted are included in the calculation.

The calculator, like most of the resources available on the site, is designed to help support ALA’s position that libraries remain relevant and much-needed information centres for local communities.

A key section of the Ilovelibraries.org site is dedicated to “real stories.” The site makes it easy FOR users to share their stories online by just clicking on the photo that asks, “Has the library made a difference in your life? Tell us your story.”

ALA believes the overall success of the initiative rests on its ability to continue to engage everyday advocates.

 

FAIR-Logo

Meanwhile the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has launched FAIR which campaigns for a fair, open and democratic society where information belongs to everyone.

FAIR stands for Freedom of Access to Information and Resources.

It will lobby for a series of issues including well funded libraries, copyright law reform, the digitisation of our history, evidence-based policy making, lifelong learning and qualified library staff in schools.

ALIA created FAIR to give people a way to actively support all kinds of libraries including public, TAFE, university, health, law, business, government as well as our National and State Libraries.

FAIR enables people to show their support for the FAIR issues and will help secure the future for libraries.

 

 

 

The Future of the Profession; themes and scenarios 2025.

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The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has released a discussion paper The Future of the Profession; themes and scenarios 2025.

The purpose of this paper is to promote discussion across the sector between library leaders, information service providers, vendors, practitioners, students, commentators, colleagues in Australia and internationally – anyone and everyone with an interest in the field. The paper is intended to engage, excite, provoke. It is not ALIA’s blueprint for the future.

Interested? Go to the ALIA Futures wiki and join in the discussion.