Tag Archives: Australia

Two new Australian reports

Two new Australian public library reports were released by the State Library of New South Wales (NSW) late last year. NSW is Australia’s most populous state whose capital is Sydney.

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Building on the bookends scenarios explores how the future of NSW public libraries might unfold over the next twenty year, specifically examining how longer term developments in the external environment may impact on the provision and perceived value of public library services. This builds on an earlier project undertaken in 2009 and highlights the rapid change during this time.

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The State Library also commissioned a project to explore the mobile and outreach services that are currently offered by NSW public libraries. The report identifies the range and scope of NSW public library mobile and outreach service models; explores the strengths, weaknesses, benefits and opportunities of different outreach models and provides good practice guidelines for outreach service models in NSW public libraries.

 

 

Librarians on (motor) bikes

Alan Flores, leader of Biblio Turisimo

Alan Flores, leader of Biblio Turisimo

This year Biblio Turismo is celebrating its tenth year in 2015.

Biblio Turismo is where a group of Australian librarians travel to rural public libraries spreading the word of literature and children’s books and novels. Most travel by motorbike.

This year they will  leave from Campbelltown Public Library on 24 October and will ride to Portland, Victoria by the Great Ocean Road returning via Ballarat and the Snowy Mountains to Canberra on the 31st.

For further information visit their blog

Five libraries nominated for the award as the world’s best public library

Five libraries are competing to win “Systematic – Public Library of the Year Award 2015”. The award was established by the Danish Agency for Culture and was sponsored this year by the IT company Systematic with a US $5,000 donation.

Libraries from New Zealand, Sweden, Australia, Kenya and Spain, respectively, are in the running for the honour and US $5,000 prize money at stake, when the Danish Agency for Culture and Systematic unveils the world’s best public library 2015. This will take place at the annual meeting of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in Cape Town, South Africa on 16 August 2015.
The award is a part of the Model Programme for Public Libraries project of the Danish Agency for Culture and Realdania.

The purpose of the programme is to develop the library of the future, taking into account, among other things, digital development, user demands, local culture, and the desire to accommodate diverse population groups with an open and functional architecture.

The library must be a newly-built or refurbished in buildings that have not previously been used as a library. The opening of the new library must have taken place between 1 January 2013 and 15 June 2015.

The five nominated libraries:

Devonport Library, New Zealand

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The nomination of the Devonport Library is based on its strong historical and cultural roots relating to the lifestyle of the Maori people. The building is shaped with respect for its surroundings. Wood as the main material reflects the locality of the library and contributes to the creation of a very sustainable construction. The library has had an extended and rigorous consultation process, involving a broad cross-section of the community.
Architects: Athfield Architects

Kista Public Library, Sweden

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The nomination of the Kista Library is based on its significant position, located in a multicultural setting. The interior is created through different conceptual ideas that create an intensive, spatial diversity, based on the particular use of the space. The library focuses on hiring staff with a wide range of expertise and language skills, a rich programme of digitisation from the traditional to the creative, and a high involvement with interactive social media.
Architects: Wester + elsner Architects

Library at the Dock, Australia

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The nomination of the Library at the Dock is based on its diverse range of learning opportunities from user-driven activities to formal learning. These are incorporated throughout the library’s highly flexible layout and are supported by technology. The building fits well into the environment, reflecting the industrial heritage of the area and blending into the high-rise development and open spaces around it. Furthermore, the construction has taken sustainable solutions into consideration.
Architects: Clare Design

Narok Library, Kenya

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The nomination of the Narok Library is based on its ambitious cultural project. The library has computers and internet connectivity, which is of huge value to the community helps to create digital citizens, opening the area up to the outside world. The library is working closely with the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture to give technical advice on livestock farming. The form of the building creates a fine outdoor space for activities and meeting places.
Architects: George W. Mwangi, Narok County Works Office

Sant Gervasi – Joan Maragall, Spain

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The nomination of the Sant Gervasi – Joan Maragall Library is based on its high architectural value. The shape of the building is integrated beautifully into the townscape, creating new urban spaces between the existing city and the new library. Because the building has been arranged as a construction of smaller cubes and most of the building has been placed below street level, the library’s design is at an admirably human scale.
Architects: BCQ arquitectura barcelona
Read more about the nominated libraries and the library of the future at the Model Programme’s homepage

Norwegian Tales in Outback Australia

Ruth Ornholt, Head of Hordaland County Library in Bergen Norway, travelled to Wagga Wagga in country Australia last weekend to speak at the Australasian Mobile Library  Conference. A former member of the Public Library Standing Committee Ruth wowed the audience with tales of her library ‘boat’. It goes to show how ‘mobile’ libraries come in all shapes and sizes!

http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/1729688/librarians-conference-looks-to-next-chapter-of-service/?cs=148