ANNUAL REPORT 2023 WORKING GROUP ON MULTICULTURAL LIBRARY SERVICES (NSW) Introduction: Working Group on Multicultural Services, NSW is to promote the library resources and services to wider multicultural community, bringing together the collections and professional expertise across the state for excellent resources and services that meet the needs of the CALD community.
Multicultural Library Services Group at a glance 2022-23
Chairperson: Sujatha Thadakamalla, Fairfield City Open Libraries Secretary: Jadwiga Krejza, Liverpool Library PLN Representative: Nicole Byrn State Library of NSW Representatives: Oriana Acevedo, Shauna Miller, Joanna Goh/Abby Dawson
PROFILE OF WORKING GROUP The working Group on Multicultural Services of NSW was established in June 1983 by several Librarians working in the field of library services for the CALD community. The Working Group’s role is to promote the provision of library resources and services to clients in a range of community languages.
VISION: Every NSW library will have access to an excellent resource collection and services that meet the needs of their CALD communities.
MISSION: To lobby, advice, promote, and improve the importance of library services for the CALD community. Achievements, Changes and Activities
Multicultural Excellence Award reviewed in May / June 2023: The Multicultural Excellence Awards are awarded annually by the Working Group on Multicultural Library Services (WGMLS), a working group of the NSW public libraries network. The awards recognise a public library service and an individual practitioner for demonstrated excellence in the delivery of multicultural library services. Multicultural library services encompass a range of services provided to a culturally and linguistically diverse community (CALD) and acknowledge and celebrate Australia's rich cultural diversity. Multicultural library services are an important aspect of public library services. This prestigious award has been established to recognise and promote this importance.
Award categories: Multicultural Excellence Awards Application Criteria There are two categories of awards.
ORGANISATION: this award honours two NSW public libraries that have demonstrated excellence in the provision of multicultural library services. A sponsor of the annual SWITCH Conference will provide the $750 award for each category. 1. NSW Public library serving a population of more than 100,000 2. NSW Public library serving a population of less than 100,000
2023 – AWARD WINNERS Winner - Metropolitan - City of Ryde Libraries. Winner – Regional / Rural – Albury City Council. Winner – Individual award – Eugenia Ng – Burwood Council
ALIA Multicultural Working Group: Oriana initiated actively the conversation to form a group that is inclusive of people working in different areas, providing services to culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities (CALD). ALIA established the Multicultural Working Group and launched ALIA Multicultural in November 2022, with an aim to facilitate networking, support, professional development and resources for the information sector with a focus on culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Visit the webpage https://multicultural.alia.org.au for more information on the news, events and resources, including research and community information – resources across the states and ACT.
Oriana Acevedo, Multicultural Services Consultant, SLNSW announced her retirement in June 2023. She has been an inspiration to many librarians, especially multicultural service librarians with incredible enthusiasm and spirit, always looking at projects to improve the services we offer to the diverse community of New South Wales. We will miss her.
The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) hosted the first inaugural Multicultural Community Engagement Conference: Filling in the puzzle: The bigger picture of engagement on Thursday, 27 October 2022 at PARKROYAL Parramatta, 30 Phillip Street, Parramatta New South Wales.
Multicultural Bulk Loans 2022-23: Recorded highest loans in 5 years – 75,137 items were loaned. Following were the languages for top collections loaned during 2022-23. • French • Spanish • Italian • Russian • German • Japanese • Chinese • Polish • Arabic • Greek
The service received requests from 83 libraries, 30 metro, 52 regional and Metropolitan Remand and Reception centre, Silverwater.
Multilingual glossary: This is being reviewed.
Tibetan Language Collection Launch: In collaboration with the State Library NSW, Northern Beaches Council launched the Tibetan language collection at Dee Why library.
Indyreads: Indyreads platform provided public libraries with free access to eBooks and eAudio and new titles are constantly added including 'Learn English collections'. Marketing material is updated for promotion of collections at indyreads promotional resources.
In 2022-23, There were several presentations given Seniors Connected Program Seniors Connected Program Young Mentors Program:
Korean Cultural Centre: WONDER - Korean picture books and artworks, May 2023. This exhibition featured wordless picture books, original illustrations, preliminary sketches, drawings, artists’ video and ephemera from 7 Korean artists; Nahye, Hyungshik Nam, Inkyung Noh, Barim, Gihun Lee, Sumi Lee and JiHyeon Lee. Picture book artists created a story from pictures, giving the people to complete the story, adding to it with their imagination.
Shauna provided information on multicultural websites for mental health for help to the CALD community. Transcultural Mental Health Centre (nsw.gov.au) and Multicultural Health Week
• LOTE DVDs ALIA is still looking into classification of Community language DVDs. With the classification challenges it was evident that not much of a variety of titles were available for purchase.
• New Liverpool library - Yellamundie, Council’s new Civic Place Library and Gallery will open on 3 December 2023, giving Liverpool an amazing state of the art building to enjoy. Dedicated children’s and youth floors, Create space studio for STEM and creative programs, Comfortable and quiet spaces to study and work, Heritage research facilities, 24hr returns and book pickups and much more for the community.