ALIA 2004 Annual General Meeting

Motion: Asia-Pacific Special, Health and Law Librarians' Conference: that the Asia-Pacific Special, Health and Law Librarians' Conference continue as a biennial event.

Rationale

The raison d'être of special libraries is to support the parent organisation in achieving its aim and objectives, and in creating a culture of best work practice.

Special libraries constitute a very diverse community of libraries, as the parent organisations span the public and private sectors, and profit and not-for-profit organisations, from government departments to support centres for people with disabilities, from mining companies to botanic and zoological gardens. Paradoxically, the only feature that special libraries have in common is their diversity, diversity within the group, and diversity from all other more homogeneous library groups.

Special librarians must often operate within severe budget and time constraints. Many special libraries are one-person or half-a-person libraries, a situation that can engender professional isolation.

The biennial Asia-Pacific Special, Health and Law Librarians' Conference was born from the need to bridge that isolation. It provides special librarians with a forum to debate common issues, to consolidate social and professional networks, to support each other in reaching a common goal, to capitalise on specialised CPD activities.

As Judi Lipp, National One-Person Australian Libraries (OPALs) secretary, pointed out in her letter of 10 October 2003 to the ALIA president, the trade exhibition is also an important part of the conference. 'As time poor people,' Judi wrote, 'OPALs appreciate the gathering of a variety of library suppliers. This allows comparisons, demonstrations and networking. Although a fairly small group, OPALs are an important group to the trade as we are customers with direct buying power.' The concentration of library suppliers focused on the particular needs of special libraries is a unique opportunity for very many delegates to keep abreast of the development in tools, technology and services.

We also fear that the demise of a biennial event will have a direct impact on the membership recruitment and retention of special librarians and OPALs, as the major forum for their issues, innovations, and professional development would disappear. The content of the ALIA National Conference is too wide and often too theoretical to be applicable to our work situations. That is the reason for the low attendance of special librarians at the ALIA National Conference. That is particularly true of OPALs, whose library budget imposes very careful choices on staff development activities.

We invite the ALIA Board to examine our motion in the light of the ALIA education policy: No.2 Continuing professional development:

The Australian Library and Information Association will: provide strategies for members to plan and undertake CPD, formally recognise those members choosing to participate in ALIA's professional development certification scheme; and facilitate forums where knowledge can be created, shared and disseminated and in this way collaboratively contribute to the professional development of its members.

We hope that ALIA Board will support our efforts to achieve excellence in our professional field and that our motion will be accepted.