ALIA Board To Adopt A Global Perspective
Over the last two days I have had the privilege to attend the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board of Directors meeting as we say goodbye to outgoing members Patricia Genat, Ghylene Palmer and Fi Emberton and welcome incoming Board members Anne Reddacliff, Jonathon Guppy and Lyndall Osborne — superstars all.
One of the key developments since the last Board meeting is the work the ALIA team has been doing to articulate how Australian libraries and our library and information professionals support and deliver on the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These goals provide a roadmap for global development efforts and International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) have clearly identified the role that libraries can play to deliver on the goals in their communities. ALIA have been active advocates for the Australian library and information industry since 2015 to be part of the Sustainable Development Goals agenda and set out our initiatives based on 3 roles for libraries:
- Supporting freedom of access to information outcomes
- Providing examples of success, which can be used as part of Australia’s reporting
- Helping to communicate the 2030 Agenda to the general population
ALIA has also included an additional Object in our Constitution that incorporates the principles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 19 and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals which was passed at our AGM on 17 May 2017.
Under our new incoming President’s, Vicki McDonald, stewardship the Board will also introduce a new committee: the International Affairs Advisory Committee. This Committee will be focused on increasing ALIA’s voice in international discussions and debates and raising awareness of the UN 2030 Agenda in the Asia Pacific Region. Keep an eye on the ALIA Website for more on this committee as we work through the details to establish it.
Three years on from the 2014 ALIA Future of the Profession report ALIA has produced a report card: how have the themes and actions stacked up and what have we learned since. The 2017 updates have been developed for 7 aspects of the industry and ask the following questions:
- Themes: Did we get it right?
- Scorecard: How did we perform?
- Conclusion: What have we learned?
Australian Library Industry professionals are active, innovative and future focused which is very evident in the Association that represents us at International forums, in key National Government initiatives and responding to the local and member needs. It is indeed a privilege to represent members on the Board of our Association.
Remember though that an Industry Association is only as strong as its member base. You can join ALIA here
