Draft program for wider local studies seminar 2026
Register for wider local studies seminar here. You can register for one or both days at the same link.
This program is draft and subject to change. The seminar, other than the discussion session, will be streamed, recorded and made available online later on.
Housekeeping:
- Microphones and cameras off once the presentation starts to keep the focus on the speakers
- Submit your comments and questions via chat - we will save them for the end
- The session is being recorded. The recording (public on the internet) and any links to resources will be sent to you as an email in the next few days.
2 June 2026 will be recorded
Wider local studies seminar 2 June session will run:
- 9.00am to 1.30pm AWST (Western Australia)
- 10.30am to 3.00pm ACST (South Australia and Northern Territory)
- 11.00am to 3.30pm AEST(ACT, NSW, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria)
11.00am Welcome to the seminar and Acknowledgement of Country
Contemporary collecting including rapid response collecting
11.05 Simon McKinnon about National Library of Australia Covid Oral History collection https://www.library.gov.au/news-media/australian-responses-covid-19
11.45 Ellen Spalding from State Library of Victoria's Collection Curation about Taylor Swift concert collecting.
12.00 12.00 Robyn Hamilton, Lead of Collection Building at State Library of Queensland about collecting after natural disasters and the pandemic
12.20 10 minute talks part 1
For the 10 minute sessions there is a total of 10 minutes for the presentation and questions. It is suggested that presenters speak for 7-8 minutes to allow time for questions. If they choose to speak for 10 minutes there will be no time for questions. This will be the same for all the 10 minute talks.
- Danica Micallef, Georges River NSW, Rehousing and Conservation: Building Skills and Safeguarding History
- Sally O'Connell, Waimakariri Libraries New Zealand, Using a variety of oral history technologies to record stories
- Kerrie Shaw, City of Newcastle NSW Professional Development in Digital Preservation
1.00pm 30 minute break
1.30pm Community Oral History Online Guide – Alistair Thomson
1.55pm Tim Sherratt to present on his digital residency with State Library of Victoria and making place based collections more accessible
2.25pm 10 minute talks part 2
- Kristianne Bucknall Redland City Council, Queensland, Willard's Farm Tours: Developing community and local history resources from a decade-long heritage building project
- Jeff Walker Birtwistle Local Studies Library, WA Documenting Big Infrastructure - Armadale's Elevated Rail 2023-2025
- Wren Moore Townsville City, Queensland Vinegar Syndrome - A case study
- Ellen Worgan City of Ryde NSW The Apple Doesn't Fall Far: Keeping History at the Heart of the Granny Smith Festival
Close 3.20pm
3 June 2026 part 1 will be recorded
Wider local studies seminar 3 June session will run:
- 9.00am to 2.00pm AWST
- 10.30am to 3.30pm ACST
- 11.00am to 4.00pm AEST
11.00am Welcome to the seminar and Acknowledgement of Country
Cataloguing
11.05 Raelee Lancaster (AALIA) Pronouns: she/they Principal Advisor, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services and CollectionsLibrary
Elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledges in Collections Local studies collections play a vital role in truth-telling and preserving the histories of place, yet many teams work with limited time, staff, and resources. This presentation shares a practical and scalable approach to respectfully embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and perspectives into collection management. Drawing on the University of Queensland Library’s research project, Elevating and Respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledges and Perspectives in UQ Special and Research Collections, this paper explores relationship-building, culturally informed description practices, access considerations, and community-led approaches. While grounded in work undertaken within a large university library, this paper highlights tools, frameworks, and adaptable strategies suitable for libraries of any size. Participants will be invited to reflect on their own contexts and identify achievable first steps for strengthening First Nations representation within their local studies collections.
11.45 Rachel Merrick, Lead of Metadata State Library of Queensland - presentation on reparative and inclusive description practices at State Library of Queensland - an overview with guidelines we follow and practical examples
12.15 Careen Dunbar, Coordinator in Metadata State Library of Queensland lightning talk on how the Retrospective Description unit works with legacy materials to enhance descriptions and rearrange collections
12.25 Lisa Jackson, Coordinator in Metadata State Library of Queensland - 8 min lighting talk on arranging and describing the All Shades First Nations portraiture collection
12.35 Stephanie Morton, Specialist Librarian State Library of Queensland - 8 min lightning talk on the harmful language audit on State Library's records
12.45 30 minute break Collecting stories from people who are culturally and linguistically diverse
1.15 Sandra Endrez speaking about oral history recordings of Nepalese speakers from Bhutan who live in the Albury area.
1.45 10 minute talks part 3
- Juliet Beale City of Wollongong NSW Out in Wollongong - proactive collecting to create representative collections
- Katherine Day Northern Beaches NSW Collection development: partnering with council teams to create contemporary, diverse and interactive collections
- Adam Mitchell Moree Plains NSW Making Local Studies Public; The Moree Local Studies Journal
- Danni Reade, Mount Gambier SA Children's History Walk
2.30 pm 30 minute break
3.00pm Discussion session about local studies 3 June part 2
This is your opportunity to talk with local studies staff across Australia, some of this will be large group discussion, and other parts will be small group to give you an opportunity to talk with your peers. Participation in this session will be aided by people having video and microphones. This session will not be recorded
4.30pm close