Library Strategic Priorities 2022

The Library Strategic Priorities for 2022 have been finalised by the Library Leadership Team. Thanks to everyone who contributed their ideas through the survey in 2021. Joanna Logan (Quality and Planning Manager) is currently working with Marketing and Communications staff to create a client-facing version.

There are eight themes and an updated Vision:

To find out more, go to the Library Sharepoint site:

• Library Strategic Priorities 2022 (Summary)
• Library Strategic Priorities 2022 (Detailed List and Progress Tracker)

Sector Engagement and External Partnerships

ALIA National

I attended the ALIA National 2022 Conference in Canberra from 17 -19 May. The theme for the conference was Diversity.  It was a fabulous chance to network with colleagues in person and hear from leaders both within the library profession and externally about the work they are doing to support equity, diversity and inclusion.

I presented on two QUT Library projects:

• Creating safe, inclusive, and welcoming spaces for LGBTIQA+ students at QUT Library, co-written with Lukas Starling.
• Creating better library spaces for students with low sensory needs, co-written with Sarah Howard.

National Simultaneous Storytime

I was thrilled to attend a National Simultaneous Storytime 2022 event (25 May), organised by the Kelvin Grove Library team. QUT students studying in their first and second years of  Early Childhood Teaching read the chosen book (Family Tree by Josh Pyke and Ronojoy Ghosh) to students and carers from two local C&K Centres. For many of the students it was their first real-world chance to put into practice what they are learning. Big thanks to the Education Team (especially Denise Frost) and Mimy Andre for their hard work in organising this great event.

Kelvin Grove State College

Sarah Howard, Michael Wallace  and I met with staff from the Kelvin Grove State College, including the Principal and Head Librarian, to explore ways we could revitalise our partnership, following COVID-19 distruptions. As a first step, Michael Wallace (as Service Manager) will present to students and staff about the services available to them. We have already received queries from teachers about how to borrow from the Kelvin Grove collection.

CAUL

I attended the CAUL Annual General Meeting, 11 May.

QUT Partnerships and Engagement

QUT Giving Day

It was great to support the annual Giving Day fundraiser. Over 924 people donated and $2,778,491 was raised. Thanks to everyone who was able to support this great cause.

Education Portfolio Meeting

I attended the first Education Portfolio Forum, hosted by the QUT College. Professor Robina Xavier presented on activities happening across the Portfolio and Ken Beutel spoke about the priorities for QUT College. The Library will host the next event on 22 August.

QUTYou Workshop

I attended a workshop for QUTYou on 13 May. My table, which included staff from the Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice as well as the Learning and Teaching Unit came up with an idea to host a series of creative writing events as part of the Festival of Learning and to  capture outputs from the Festival through a student-led, online journal. I am continuing to explore this idea with fellow participants with a view to submitting it to the QUTYou organisers for consideration. Also, I had a great conversation with a lecturer from Creative Writing about the student-created magazine  Scratch That   – which you will soon see promoted on the digital screens at Kelvin Grove and Gardens Point libraries. If you’ve got an idea for getting more student-created content on the digital screens, please let me know.

Staffing News

Bruce Munro started as Manager, Library Service, Kelvin Grove.

Service News

Spaces

It was wonderful to see Reconciliation Week celebrated in Library and HiQ spaces. Below are shots of the fantastic book display (thanks to KG L&R Team) and the new digital signage celebrating local Indigenous languages.

This month I met with:

• QUT Elder in Residence, Uncle Gregory (Cheg) Egert. We discussed ways the Library can suport his priorities. We also talked about Uncle Cheg meeting with library staff in the future, which I am following up.
• The Vice-Preseident (Administration) and University Registrar, Leanne Harvey, along with Andrew Drylie (Manager, Security and Emergency Management) and members of the QUT Pride Staff Network to discuss the National Student Safety Survey results. LGBTIQA+ students across all universities were identified as more likely to have experienced assault on campus and ther discussion centred on what QUT can do to help.  One outcome from the meeting was that the QUT LGBTIQA+ Awareness training (originally developed by the Library) will be rolled out to all QUT Security staff to complete.
• Academic Finance Parters, Flamur Cocaj and Dalton Ton (5 May). The Library budget, including the Library Resource Allocation, is all on track.
• Natalie Ryan (Associate Director, Brand and Digital Communications)
• Jenny Boreland (Manager, QUTeX Design Studio)
• Rowena Barrett (Pro Vice-Chancellor – Entrepreneurship)
• Kevin Ashford-Rowe (Pro Vice-Chancellor – Digital Learning)
• Deb Duthie and Kevin Yow Yeh to organise an event for  NAIDOC week. The planned event – a film showing of Incarceration Nation and a panel discussion –  is likely to be on Wednesday 6 July, KG Library (HiQ Activity Rooms) at lunchtime.

Upcoming

ALIA Queensland Event: Report back from the ALIA National Conference: Wednesday 6 June, 6.00pm, Southbank Campus TAFE (C Block Level 3)