2026 reference and information services working group online seminar
10 June 2026 10.00am - 1.00pm
Book for the online seminar here
Note this program is draft and subject to change. It will be recorded and made available online.
10.00am Welcome to the reference and information seminar and Acknowledgement of Country + housekeeping
10.05 Ian Philipps Director – I & J Management Services Library Non-Users: What are they thinking? And what (if anything) can we do to engage them?
Libraries are welcoming, resourceful and vibrant places, yet some of the people in our communities who could most benefit from library collections, services and spaces don’t know about or use their local library. Why not? This presentation expands on a 2025 article in Public Library Quarterly – “The Other Half: Who Doesn’t Use Public Libraries? Why? And What Can Be Learned from This?“ Ian has identified six broad types of library non-user and will discuss who they are, why they don’t use libraries, and most importantly, what (if anything) libraries can practically do to understand and engage them. Go beyond the comfortable relationship with your known users and reach out to people who need you most.
Ian is Director of I & J Management Services, a small consulting firm that has worked with public libraries and library associations across Australia since 20021 on strategic planning and service reviews. Ian compiled the national Standards and Guidelines for Australian Public Libraries in 2016 and 2020 for APLA/ALIA. Ian also managed and analysed the 2022 Victorian Public Library Census and Survey project for the State Library of Victoria (SLV) and Public Libraries Victoria (PLV) which obtained feedback from more than 34,000 library users. Ian writes a blog that looks for all the fun things in library data www.analibraryse.com
10 minute talks Each speaker has 10 minutes for their presentation and questions. If they choose to speak for 10 minutes they are choosing not to answer questions as part of the webinar, but can be contacted later for more information.
- 11.00 Jacinta Herborn Citizen science corner Penrith City Library
- 11.10 Alana Choice Seed sharing Richmond Tweed Regional Library
- 11.20 Karen Miller Neurodivergent social group Singleton Library
- 11.30 Renee Waters Inquisitive minds Central Coast Library
- 11.40 Rubaiyat Howlader Game a week and community hub studios Burwood Library
- 11.50 Victoria Murray Unfiltered voiced LGBTQIA+ Bathurst Library
- 12.00 Holly Shortridge & Katherine Zhu Around the world Randwick Library
- 12.10 Elisha Schnell Tech hobbies and seniors week
12.20 Update on question research data collection + what we know so far
12.45 close and evaluation