In brief
Brisbane libraries to waive fees for food this Christmas City libraries in Brisbane will waive overdue fees in exchange for canned food this Christmas. The initiative last year resulted in...
Keele to leave Australia Council
The Australia Council for the Arts has announced that CEO Kathy Keele will step down from her role at the end of the year. The Australia Council said in a...
Bill to scrap library fees defeated in NZ Parliament
A private members’ bill that sought to scrap borrowing fees in New Zealand public libraries was defeated in its first hearing in the New Zealand parliament earlier this month. The...
Government to combine National Year of Reading, Let’s Read campaigns in 2013
The Federal Government has announced that that the National Year of Reading (NYR) Love2Read brand will continue after this year, with the campaign to be merged with the Let’s Read...
Coyne resigns from BICC; expert reference groups established
Penguin Australia CEO Gabrielle Coyne has stepped down from her position on the Federal Government’s Book Industry Collaborative Council (BICC). A spokesperson for the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research...
International Library News
UK report says all those involved in libraries ‘need to work harder’ In the UK, the Culture, Media and Sport select committee report into library closures has said that all...
SLNSW to administer $200,000 grant for Moree Indigenous centre
The State Library of New South Wales (SLNSW) will administer funding of $200,000 for the Dhiiyaan Aboriginal Centre in Moree on behalf of the NSW Government. The Dhiiyaan Aboriginal Centre...
In brief
Judge dismisses Authors Guild lawsuit against HathiTrust In the US, federal judge Harold Baer has dismissed the Authors Guild lawsuit against digital repository HathiTrust, ruling that HathiTrust’s book scanning project...
Government seeks community feedback on PLR, ELR schemes
The Federal Government’s Office of the Arts is seeking community feedback about the Public Lending Rights (PLR) and Education Lending Rights (ELR) schemes through an online survey. Interested parties have...
Government seeks community feedback on PLR, ELR schemes
The Federal Government’s Office of the Arts is seeking community feedback about the Public Lending Rights (PLR) and Education Lending Rights (ELR) schemes through an online survey. Interested parties have...
Govt launches online survey for PLR/ELR schemes
The Federal Government’s Office of the Arts is seeking community feedback about the Public Lending Rights (PLR) and Education Lending Rights (ELR) schemes through an online survey. The survey, which...
Literature Board publishing funding inadequate says Cunningham; successful applicants announced
The Australia Council’s Literature Board funding for publishing activities is insufficient, says recently appointed chair Sophie Cunningham. In announcing the successful applicants for promotion, publishing grants and residencies from the...
ALIA, VATL call for reinstatement of Victorian TAFE funding
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the Victorian Association of TAFE Libraries (VATL) have issued a joint statement calling for the Victorian Government to reinstate $170 million in...
2012 Softlink survey finds majority of school library budgets ‘unchanged’
A majority of the respondents to Softlink’s third annual Australian School Library Survey have reported no change to their school’s library budget over the past 12 months. However, 26% of the...
In brief
NZ council rules out library closures after community response Auckland’s mayor Len Brown has ruled out closing two of the council’s 55 libraries after 600 members of the libraries’ communities...
Copyright in Australia: Where to from here?
Two reports relating to the Australian copyright industries were released in August. One looks at the recent past: the economic contributions of our country’s copyright industries between 1996 and 2011....
Council endorses new Geelong Library design
The Greater Geelong City Council in regional Victoria has endorsed a design proposed by Melbourne architects for the new Geelong Library and Heritage Centre. The new dome-shaped, five-storey building has...
New research shows value of Queensland public libraries
New research commissioned by the State Library of Queensland (SLQ) has found that every $100 invested in Queensland public libraries by state and local governments during 2010-2011 delivered $230 of value to local...
Taskforce recommends new approach to processing low value parcels
The Federal Government’s Low Value Parcel Processing Taskforce has delivered its final report to government, recommending that reform to the current arrangements for processing low value goods from overseas suppliers...
National Library to share in $1 million from Federal Govt for touring exhibitions
The National Library of Australia (NLA) will receive $152,966 from the Federal Government to develop and tour three of its exhibitions. The NLA will receive $113,636 from the government for...