National Library of Australia - Gateways

ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 57| June 2002


Libraries’ National Plan of Action: The Peak Bodies Forum

On 15 February 2002, the National Library convened a meeting of representatives of peak library organisations. The purpose of the meeting was to identify significant issues facing the Australian library sector and to develop a national plan of action to address those issues that participants agree can be successfully managed at a national level.

The attendees included Jan Fullerton, David Toll and Jasmine Cameron (National Library), Jennefer Nicholson and Joyce Kirk (ALIA), Helen Hayes and John Shipp (Council of Australian University Librarians), Fran Awcock (Council of Australian State Libraries), Helena Zobec (ALIA TAFE National Group), Mary Greenfield (Australian Law Librarians Group), Jill Smith (Health Libraries Australia), Paul Bentley (ALIA Information Specialists Group), Roslynn Membrey (Parliamentary Libraries Association of Australasia), June Wall (Australian School Libraries Association), Karen Vitullo (Federal Libraries Information Network).

The Peak Bodies Forum discussed issues such as collecting, finding information, access to collections, information literacy, national information policy, workforce planning and support for libraries. A number of action items were agreed and are being worked on. The minutes of the meeting, including the agreed action items, and a general issues paper prepared by the Library as background reading for the Forum, are available on the Library’s web site at www.nla.gov.au/initiatives/meetings/#peak

The action items resulting from the Forum are:

Principles of Mutual Support

One of the action items from the Peak Bodies Forum was to develop a statement of principles of mutual support for Australian libraries. The following statement was developed by the National Library, and has been circulated to those who attended the Forum.

The members of the Peak Bodies Forum are committed to a set of principles that encourage all Australian libraries to support each other in achieving their respective goals, and to contribute to the achievement of shared goals in the national interest.

—Sandra Henderson

| Contents list for this issue of Gateways |

Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: gateways@nla.gov.au