Working Group on Multicultural Services (NSW) 10am 15 February 2018 Campsie Library
Minutes
Apologies: Pauline Chan (Parramatta), Kaye Johnson (Sutherland), Stephanie Lee (Rockdale), Roman Ciereszko (Liverpool), Nada Antoun (Parramatta), Jann Debenham (Canterbury).
Confirmation of previous minutes
The previous minutes were accepted unchanged by Oriana Acevedo and seconded by Shauna Miller.
Business arising from previous minutes Update on unclassified DVDs (Oriana) The Office of Classification has taken advice from libraries and from the LOTE suppliers of DVDs, and is in the process of preparing a legal instrument that should be completed by July. This will mean that suppliers will need to undertake classification training in order to do selection for LOTE DVDs for libraries, and can legally resume selling DVDs to libraries.
Bulk Loans (Oriana) There are a number of libraries who have reported that they have not received their Bulk Loans. These boxes have left the State Library, but have not reached their destinations. The State Library is currently enquiring about this with TOLL, and hope to have this resolved soon. Action: Libraries to report to Oriana if they have not received their bulk loans from January.
Multicultural Excellence Awards We will start a report on new and interesting CALD programs and services at each MWGM to encourage people to start thinking about what they could submit for this award. Libraries were encouraged to think ahead, retain documentation from events and promotional material and to submit an entry this year.
Guest Speaker – David Weir – Residential Fire Safety Check program David spoke about the role of prevention and awareness in reducing fires in the home, and a government program in which local fire stations can be contacted for a free assessment and installation of smoke alarms in people’s homes. One of the vulnerable groups is the CALD community, and so David encouraged libraries to think of events in which local fire stations could present to this part of the community and also provided promotional material in other languages. Shauna will forward around further details of this government program. Multicultural Seminar The Multicultural Seminar is to be held 13 March 9am-4pm at the State Library, and has been shaped around the findings of the research into multicultural library services in NSW. There were 6-7 recommendations that came out of this report, and there will be a speaker addressing each topic at the seminar.
Tech Savvy Seniors and Be Connected There has been a recent agreement to continue the funding of Tech Savvy Seniors until the end of 2019. In facilitating Tech Savvy Seniors, libraries should note that Edwina has been temporarily seconded to another section for 4 days per week, therefore Shauna can also be contacted for all Tech Savvy Seniors enquiries. Libraries were encouraged to send through promotional material to Shauna, and to actively promote the CALD Tech Savvy Seniors through a variety of media channels. Oriana reminded the group that there is grant money available through Be Connected initiative. Action: Libraries to email through to Shauna feedback about Tech Savvy programs and any promotional photos or media links regarding their programs.
Journey to Freedom DVD (Oriana) Oriana reminded libraries of the ‘Journey to Freedom 2’ DVD that was available for purchase from the State Library, which could then be shown to the public. This could therefore be used for Multicultural March, Refugee Week etc. The DVD is $290, with all proceeds going back into the program initiative used to create the short films. Action: Libraries to contact Oriana to purchase DVD
Mother Language Day The State Library is hosting a forum on 17 February to showcase languages from around the world. Blacktown Library is also celebrating this day with a Moving Forward Together Festival on 18 February in the Blacktown Showground.
Junior Books We were shown board books and early readers in Tamil, German, Indonesian, Indigenous languages, Japanese, Turkish etc. published by Five Senses Education.
Bulk Loans Statistics (Oriana) Libraries were asked if they could have all of their bulk loan statistics compiled by May.
Public Libraries Report Cumberland – ran an initiative from Multicultural Communities for one on one computer classes; they are planning a ‘Say hello to your neighbours’ event in Multicultural March; and they have a partnership with Navitas English whereby they bring in a class for an hour and teach them in the library; and they run a technology club at Merrylands called Digital Dabblers
Willoughby Library Bilingual robotics class - parents and Grandparents are teamed up with their kids and taught robotics. They have a robot lending library which is available to everyone, and includes makerspace kits.
Randwick Library Multicultural March program Showing 4 international films Greek performance French talk from Alliance France Origami in the library Chinese calligraphy K pop workshop
Rockdale – held over to the next meeting
Other Business None
Next Meeting The next meeting will be at Blacktown Library 17th May 20