ALIA Launches Groundbreaking Principles for Multicultural Collections and Services 

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has officially adopted its first comprehensive ALIA Principles for Multicultural Collections and Services (the Principles).  Led by the ALIA Multicultural Special Interest Group, this significant piece of work is the culmination of over three years of dedicated collaboration. The Principles reflect ALIA's commitment to supporting the library and information sector work for multicultural communities and affirm that multicultural services should have formal policy recognition within the Australian library and information sector.

Addressing a Critical Gap

The journey began in 2022 when ALIA Multicultural, led by Oriana Acevedo, who then worked at the State Library of New South Wales, and Mare Maticevski from RMIT, identified a concerning oversight: despite Australia's rich multicultural landscape, ALIA lacked a dedicated multicultural policy. While multicultural services were referenced in various documents, including the ALIA APLA Public Library Guidelines, there was no dedicated document specifically addressing multicultural collections and services.  In the past, ALIA had a Statement on libraries and multiculturalism, first adopted in 1984 but withdrawn in 2002. 

This two decade long gap prompted ALIA Multicultural to action, and a dedicated working group was formed comprising experts from across the sector, including: 

  • Alice Chik from Macquarie University 

  • Kath York from Latrobe City Council

  • Laney Robinson from Logan Council

  • Helen Kwaka from Public Library Services South Australia

  • Barbara Parnaby from the State Library of Western Australia

  • My Van Dang from Greater Dandenong Libraries

  • Rita Hardy from Merri-bek City Council

  • Lucia Johns from the Association for Brazilian Bilingual Children’s Development

  • Angela Kolar from Campion College

  • Ellie Sayyad Abdi from Curtin University

  • Bhuva Narayan from the University of Technology Sydney

  • Mare Maticevski from RMIT University 

  • Jacqui Lucas from ALIA. 

The group’s ultimate goal was to produce comprehensive guidelines for multicultural collections and services; however, it was decided that the wisest approach was to first develop the higher-level principles that would frame the guidelines.

A Collaborative Development Process

The working group produced a first draft of the Principles and presented them to the ALIA Board in August 2024. Following constructive feedback from the Board, a refined working group undertook additional revisions and consulted with the ALIA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Expert Group.  A final version was sent to the ALIA Board and endorsed at the May 2025 ALIA Board meeting. 

Ten Transformative Principles

The adopted principles establish a comprehensive framework that addresses key areas including workforce development, community engagement, collection development, and service delivery. These principles emphasise the importance of cultural awareness training, accessible formats, and culturally responsive practices. They call for proactive community engagement, evidence-based approaches to understanding diverse needs, and the development of local partnerships that enrich library services.
Particularly noteworthy is the emphasis on representation – ensuring that multicultural communities see themselves reflected not only in collections and services but also in the library workforce itself. The Principles recognise that cultural knowledge and experience from multicultural communities are valuable assets that should be actively incorporated into library operations.

Looking Forward

The Principles are a call to action for all library and information services. ALIA strongly recommends that people working in the sector read them carefully and consider how their programs, collections and services align with the principles.  
Looking forward, the Principles have set the structure in place  for the next major project - the development of ALIA Guidelines for Multicultural Collections and Services. This is work which ALIA Multicultural will lead over the coming period, with the Guidelines providing greater details and practical advice to library and information services. 

The ALIA Principles for Multicultural Collections and Services are a valuable resource for the sector and demonstrate what can be achieved when passionate professionals collaborate to create meaningful change.