Libraries and community

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), the Australian Public Library Alliance (APLA) and National and State Libraries Australia (NSLA) submission in response to the 2020 Senate inquiry into the issues facing diaspora communities in Australia.

This response provides a summary of libraries' services for multicultural communities.

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) submission to the Australia Council for the Arts discusses how libraries across the sector have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Libraries have been highly agile, adapting and embracing new technologies, delivering online forums and making electronic resources widely available. As a sector, libraries have proved to be proactive and exceptionally resilient throughout the pandemic.

This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) highlights three major issues—the importance of libraries and information centres in assisting high quality policy advice and service delivery, the need for whole of government approaches to information for an efficient and effective public service and the need to make government information widely available with web 2.0 technology to enable a high level of citizen participation in policy development a service delivery.

This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) highlights the role public libraries can play as part of the emergency management process and reinforces their contribution, not only to information and learning, but also as a ‘third place’ – not home, school or work, but a shared community space.

This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) outlines the ways public libraries help community members break the cycle of disadvantage through the provision of literacy support and free access to the internet and e-resources.

This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the Public Libraries Victoria Network (PLVN) outlines the role public libraries as a part of the emergency management process.

This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the Queensland Public Libraries Association (QPLA) outlines the role public libraries as a part of the emergency management process.

This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) discusses the essential services Australia Post provides to libraries and the communities they serve.

This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), highlights the success of public libraries, as government entities on the frontline of service delivery for diaspora communities. While public libraries are very much involved in this field, they are rarely recognised for this work.

This joint submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) covers access to information, cultural materials and education, and the rights of vulnerable groups such as indigenous people, migrants, refugees and those with disabilities or on lower incomes.