The Australian Library Journal
volume 45 issue 4
[guest editorial] Virginia Walsh
Letters
'Most important for the people': Australian libraries and the profession
Warren Horton
An address given at the Opening Plenary Session, Australian Library and Information Association Biennial Conference 6-11 October 1996, World Congress Centre, Melbourne; its title is taken from the speech by Sir Charles Hotham [1804-1855] Governor of
Victoria, on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone for what is now the State Library of Victoria.
Planning for success: vision and values for the James Cook University Library
Richard Sayers and Carloyn Tredrea
In early 1996, the James Cook University Library recognised a growing need to develop a statement of organisational values and vision. Two library staff volunteered to facilitate the process, applying skills they had acquired at the inaugural Aurora
Leadership Institute. An AIMA training consultant also provided practical support in the form of a customised facilitation assistance package. This paper provides details of the envisioning and planning processes followed by the Library, and comments on
the outcomes.
In recent years, declining budgets, the rapid growth of electronic networks, and increasing demand for specialised services have all served to focus attention on strategic planning and customer service practices in many university libraries. Central to
this introspection has been a widespread recognition of the need for an image of what the future should look like; a vision which clarifies purpose or mission. The James Cook University Library first recognised the importance of strategic planning
processes in 1990. The Library's initial strategic plan was developed in late 1990, finalised in March 1991, and revised in 1993 and 1994. From 1991-1995, senior staff prepared annual action plans based on agreed strategies, and linked them to budget
outcomes. The Library's current mission statement and broad goals were developed by a working group in 1994. Although paper copies of the mission and goals were distributed widely, and abbreviated forms appeared at regular intervals in the Library's annual
report and client brochures, many staff were obviously not familiar with the statement. Furthermore, this lack of understanding suggested that few staff felt any real ownership of the mission.
Manuscript received October 1996
Rethinking indexing: the impact of the Internet
Susal MacDougall
Manuscript received September 1996
Development of guidelines for the management of material in electronic format
Keith Parrott
The Towards Federation 2001 Preservation of Australian Digital Information Working Party held its first meeting in November 1994. The aims of the working party are, within the context of the management of material in electronic format, to link
institutional policies into a cooperative national policy and to create a wider understanding of preservation concerns resulting in increased support for desirable preservation activities. The Working Party seeks to develop guidelines for the management of
material in electronic format building on work already done by the organisations represented by the working party members. The working party has developed a good level of understanding and agreement on the issues relating to the preservation of the digital
objects. A recently completed consultancy has helped the working party develop a framework for the guidelines for the management of material in electronic format. It is intended that the framework be published on the Internet as a dynamic document that
supports access to a range of perspectives on the preservation of digital objects. Such an approach should ensure that a suitable Australian perspective is achieved that draws on the latest information available. The model will also help identify gaps in
the knowledge base and identify areas for further research and development.
This contribution was originally presented as a paper at the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee Symposium on Australian Electronic Publishing held in Sydney on 30 May 1996 - Manuscript received August 1996
Consolidating information for information technology managers
Christine Power
Information consolidation is a process used to identify and provide a better understanding of the concepts, processes and options involved in evaluating and compressing relevant documents in order to provide specific user groups with reliable and concise
bodies of knowledge. The outputs of information handling by producing reliable and concise products usually carrying an added value. This article describes aspects of the information consolidation process as applied in the planning and evaluation of an
electronic information service for a group of managers working in the computer industry. The managers are the prime users of information for the ongoing functioning of their organisations and the specialised nature of the industry requires timely and
accurate information. The characteristics and information needs of the managers were primarily derived from three sources:
- A survey of the defined user group conducted by the writer
- Personal contact between the writer and the managers
- From the literature on managers and their information needs.
The literature and the survey revealed the managers need brief, factual information delivered to them via their most preferred electronic format, the Internet. Currently, printed documents are delivered in a hard-copy paper-based format which need to be
evaluated and compressed for effective and efficient Internet use. The topic was chosen to demonstrate that while there have been considerable advances in the sophistication of information technology, these advances have not necessarily been matched by
effective delivery and use of information by middle- and senior-level management.
Manuscript received September 1996
Benefitting the bottom line
Jennifer Cram
This paper examines the positive and negative impacts of the internet on costs and productivity in libraries. The internet can simultaneously have positive and negative impacts in both areas. It is necessary to identify both actual and opportunity costs.
The nature of these costs is explored, and the significant savings which can be achieved are detailed. The impact of use and misuse on staff productivity is discussed. The origins of questionable beliefs are examined and careful and sceptical management is
recommended.
The Australian Indigenous Resources Project: a proposal from the Northern Territory Library
Maja Risler
After arriving back in Australia from an exchange in Germany in 1993, Maja Risler completed a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies at the University of South Australia. She returned to Darwin in 1995 and worked in several positions before
commencing employment with the Department of Housing and Local Government in the Northern Territory Library Division.
Watch out Australia! Information policy in Singapore
Mark Hepworth and Ross Harvey
Australia is re-aligning itself as part of Asia. It will need to compete on the same terms (or, at least, perform in the same quantum) as its Asian neighbours. The Asian tigers are realising the vital role that information plays in their development.
Information policy in one Asian country, Singapore, is examined and some aspects of it are compared with Australia: the emphasis is on developments in Singapore since the publication of the Library 2000 report in 1994. Recent developments in the provision
of public library service and progress in their implementation, are the main themes of the article. The conclusion is that Australia is set to become an underdeveloped nation in Asian information policy terms.
Manuscript received August 1996 - This is a refereed article
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