Pathways Projects

The Australian Library and Information Association Framework of Skills, Knowledge and Ethics for the Library and Information Services Workforce is the first major output of the wider and ongoing Pathways Project, which comprises several component parts.

We are delighted to launch the LIS Workforce Framework that so many members of the sector have contributed to as the first deliverable in this body of work, and we are looking forward to the work to come as the Pathways Project continues.

Code of Ethics for the Australian LIS Sector - Consultation Paper out now! 

What: Consultation of the Draft Australian Code of Ethics for the LIS sector

When: by Sunday 7 July 

How: Answer the questions in the consultation paper, or write a submission or email with your feedback and send to [email protected]. We can also take feedback over the phone on (02) 6215 8222. If you require additional specific accommodations please contact the office. 

Throughout the public consultation periods, focus groups and workshops, we heard just how important the ethics and values that unite the library and information services sector are to those who work in it. They are our foundation and they are what unite and guide our work to provide services to our communities. We heard your concerns that the library and information sector in Australia lacks a Code of Ethics that is specific to our country and our communities.

We announced our commitment to developing a Code of Ethics for the Australian LIS sector in November 2023, and now the ALIA Board of Directors and the LIS Workforce Advisory Board are delighted to officially launching the ALIA Code of Ethics Consultation Paper for feedback from individuals, communities and organisations across the sector.

The Code of Ethics is intended to be representative and supportive of the entire LIS sector, so everyone in the sector, ALIA members and non-members alike, is invited and welcome to contribute feedback, with the aim of creating a Code of Ethics that embraces the sector’s diversity and unites the workforce in ethical practice.

The draft Code of Ethics takes the IFLA Code of Ethics as its base, and develops a uniquely Australian approach. Each of the eight clauses contains a description of the clause, highlights the related ALIA Core Values and elaborates and illustrates the clause with a number of action examples. Institutions will be encouraged to tailor the resource to their needs.

The Consultation Paper is in fillable PDF format with questions added throughout the paper. You can respond to all or one of these questions, and provide feedback or input on any other area or aspect of the Code of Ethics either through the Consultation Paper or by sending an email to: [email protected] or calling the ALIA Office on 02 6215 8222.

The public consultation phase is open now and will conclude on Sunday 7 July 2024. ALIA is hosting a free information session with Geoff Strempel, Chair of the LIS Workforce Advisory Board, and Jane Cowell, ALIA President on 19 June 2024. Register for the event here.

Download the Code of Ethics Consultation Paper

Code of Ethics Information Session 

ALIA held an information session on June 19 on the draft Code of Ethics for the Australian LIS Workforce and the consultation process.

ALIA President Jane Cowell and ALIA Deputy CEO Trish Hepworth discussed the development of the Code of Ethics, why it matters, how the project developed, and how you can get involved. Geoff Strempel, South Australian State Librarian and Chair of the LIS Workforce Advisory Board, which oversaw the development of the Code of Ethics, was unable to join as planned due to connectivity issues, and would like to share the following:

'The LIS Workforce Advisory Board thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on our shared ethics and values in developing the draft Code of Ethics from the first versions through to the draft that is open for consultation presently. Working on the Code of Ethics urged members of the Advisory Board to think deeply about what makes the library and information sector unique compared with other sectors, as well as what it is that makes our country and communities in Australia different from LIS sectors in other countries. Our ethics are what make us strong and united as a sector, and we see contemporary and enduring ethics and values reflected in the draft Code of Ethics.

The Code of Ethics provides a means to embrace and articulate our shared ethics internally with new members of the sector joining us from other industries, bringing with them diverse skillsets and knowledge. It also creates a clear pathway for these shared ethics to be visible and understood externally, by partner organisations, funders and external stakeholders that are not embedded in the LIS sector. One of the important and valuable aspects of adding this Code of Ethics to our suite of professional statements is that we can manage up to promote and explain our professional practice, how our shared ethics influence the formation and delivery of services, and demonstrate how we would like to see the Code embedded and recognised by funders and decision makers.'

The Code of Ethics is in the draft phase and we want it to be representative and supportive of the entire LIS sector, so we welcome and encourage everyone in the sector, ALIA members and non-members, to contribute feedback, with the aim of creating a Code of Ethics that embraces the sector’s diversity and unites the workforce in ethical practice.

Watch the recording of the Information Session here: 

What’s next?

The LIS Workforce Framework is one component of a larger scheme of work. Here’s what you can expect to see next.

First Nations Core Domain course

There was overwhelming support from all sectors for the Core Domain ‘Respect and recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges, cultures and Country’. To support competency in this crucial area for current and new entrants to the sector, ALIA is working with First Nations LIS experts to develop a training course that addresses this domain and will be available for enrolment in coming months.

ALIA Values Statement

Embracing and connected to the call for greater clarity around our shared vales, the ALIA Core Values Policy Statement, which was last updated in 2018, has been revised and updated to better reflect the central importance of respect and recognition for First Nations’ priorities in the library and information services sector. Read the updated Core Values Policy Statement.

Continuing Professional Development

• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a central component of Active Professionalism and the commitment to lifelong learning. Tracking your skills development will be streamlined through the mapping of the Framework Domains to the CPD scheme. These will be closely aligned, so that you can articulate your professional development to corresponding key knowledge domains in the Framework.
• The CPD scheme has historically only been open to some membership categories of ALIA. We are delighted to announce the imminent opening of the CPD scheme to all ALIA members!
• Because all achievements are worthy of recognition, ALIA will be consulting broadly, including with educators and employers, to develop credentialling guidelines to recognise competency against the Framework domains and subdomains.

Universities and TAFE

At ALIA, we have been guided by the expertise and experience of TAFE and higher education educators on the Pathways Advisory Board, and we will continue to work with all LIS university and TAFE educators to ensure that the accredited courses align with the Framework. This means that we can move forward together with a shared vision of the sector’s skills and knowledge.

Because the sector and individuals need skills that respond to a fast-changing professional landscape, we are working with universities, TAFEs and training providers to develop new courses targeting specific areas.