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Minutes NSW Local Studies Librarians meeting
Local Studies Librarians’ Meeting 21 November 2023
Tamworth and online. * Tamworth Community Centre * 3A Darling Street Tamworth, NSW 2340
The meeting was streamed, recorded and made available online. Participation in this meeting is your agreement to this.
Present online: Adrienne Brown; Alison Wishart; Andrew Allen; Angela Phippen - Ryde; Belinda Vanderhel; Brigid Queanbeyan QPRC; Candisd; Courtney Simpson; Fran - Goulburn; Gialy; Gillian Allen, Ryde Library Service; Haining; Helen; Helen Thompson; Hilary Powell - Wollongong City Libraries; Jenny - Strathfield; Jessica - Ku-ring-gai; Jessica - Ku-ring-gai (Jess); joliver; Karen Richardson; Lauren Allan - MSL; Loretta Di Totto Maribel Morales R_Cumberland_libraries (Maribel Morales Rosales -Cumberland); Marilyn Gallo; Mark Petts; Megan Crook; Michael - SLNSW; MirandaH; Pauline Kidd Camden Libraries; Ravneet Gill; Roz Thomson; Ruth Bingham - Central West Libraries; Sarah Ranclaud; Sarah-Louise - Cumberland City Council Library; SFigueroa; Sharelle Ravenscroft; simonet; Sue Miller - Hornsby Libraries (Sue Miller); Sue Ryan; Tara_Liverpool Library; Veronica Shaw @ Parkes; Victoria; Victoria Bateman - Bathurst Library (Victoria.Bateman)
Present onsite: Robin King; Tully Boundy-Collis; Donna Braye; Michelle Nichols; Shiralee Franks; Megan Pitt; Robin King; Naomi Blakey; Miranda Heckenberg; Geoffrey Potter; Gae Sipple; Belinda Lancey; Lorrayne FISHENDEN; Makishia Felton; Fiona Sills; Robyn Draper Ellen Forsyth
NSW Local Studies Librarians’ Meeting at Tamworth Community Centre, 3A Darling Street, Tamworth
21 November 2023 9.15-4pm
9. 15 - 9.30 Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country: Donna Braye, Mosman Library and organising Committee member welcomed everyone, delivered acknowledgement to Country and introduced next speaker, Naomi Blakey.
9.30 – 10.10 Naomi Blakey, Museum Operations and Visitor Engagement, First City of Light and the Country Music Festival, one city with a rich history Presentation Naomi spoke about the history of Tamworth PowerStation Museum - Why Tamworth- On the 9th of November 1888 Tamworth became the first city in the South Hemisphere to have municipally funded electric street lighting. 100 years later on the site of Tamworth’s first PowerStation Australia’s only electric museum was opened. Collection Highlights: - Tamworth Borough Council “Veness” Letter book (1888-1890) - John Fowler Steam Engine No. 7586 (1896) - Last Australian Telegram (1993) - Dowsing Radiant Four Bulb heater (c1911) - Maytag Washing Machine (1929). In 1969, Radio 2TM proclaimed Tamworth as Australia’s ‘Country Music Capital’. Only four years later 2TM launched the Tamworth Country Music Festival and staged the first Australasian Country Music Awards. Collection Highlights: - Rodney Walk One Man Band (c1980s) - Rocky Cameron’s Three-Piece Cowboy Suit (1951) - Gordon Parsons Fish Shaped Tackle Box (1980 -81) - Karen Lee’s Homemade Redback on a Toilet Seat stage costume (1980) - Country Music Awards footage by Chanel 7 (1980s -2000s).
10.15 – 10.50 Mark Petts, Director, Imaging Australia New Zealand Scanning Microform by Scanpro (online) Presentation Ian delivered a brief history of the company, “Imaging Australia and New Zealand” (IANZ), Common ways for organisations to use microform, the new version of ScanPro and its innovative features. He then went to explain the upgrade options. Cost range between $11,00 for the standard unit and $18,000 for the 3500 all in one unit. Most libraries who have ScanPro are happy with its functionality.
As the meeting is ahead of time, it was decided to cover some of the general business issues. Ellen reported on Wider Local Studies and RAHS conference reports from those who attended and are present at this meeting. some of the wider Local studies' National collaboration presentations, one being a cataloguing session that was helpful and generated follow-up and questions. other interesting presenters were Meagan Crook's on oral histories; Angela Griffin on a program English and Mandarin; Queensland oral history around surfers. Comments from the audience were positive and highlighted that all states take different approaches and have unique ways and approaches which make it very interesting.
10.55 – 11.15 Morning Tea
11.20 - 12 Roz Thomson, Community Partnership Office and Kim Manwarring, Manager Community Services, Muswellbrook Shire Council, In Our Own Words: An Aboriginal Oral History Project Presentation In our own words - website The project included 19 video interviews, an exhibition and a book. Project was from the ground up, funding from ACDF $111,000 and in-kind matched by Muswellbrook council. Participants were involved throughout the project. Oral histories were transcribed by staff to ensure their accuracy. It was a good project as it engaged the community from the beginning.
12 – 1 General Business
1. Simone Taylor, Local Studies Officer, Dubbo, Time Management: a group discussion. Attendees are invited to discuss and share techniques used in handling the unique demands of local studies Presentation Simone suggested tips to improve time management by understanding how you use your time, how to manage interruptions, schedule priorities in a structural way, create to do lists, avoid multitasking; delegate where possible; outsource auto tasks and learn to say “no” at times. Participants feedback was to turn off email alerts, avoid multitasking and stick with priorities.
2. NSW State Government’s new Arts, Culture and Creative Industries policy currently under development and open for submission (Simone) The NSW State Government is developing a new Arts and Culture Policy based on the Federal Governments National Cultural Policy The policy is currently under review and is due to be delivered in Dec 2023. More information at: https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/arts-culture-creative-industries-policy My team at the Western Plains Cultural Centre attended one of the consultation meetings some of the things we highlighted included: The onerous nature of State Governments Grants and Acquittal procedures; Lack of support for long term digital archiving; Need for ongoing funding to manage and develop collections
3. Wider Local Studies and RAHS conference reports from those who attended and are present at this meeting.
4. Other items
5. Next meeting venue and topics. Next meeting will be held in March at Burwood Library.
Lunch 1- 2
2 – 2.40 Miranda Heckenberg, Consultant, Endless Access – Digitising Tamworth Regional Council’s Cultural Collections
Local Studies in a Flash
2.45 – 2.50 Jo Oliver, Specialist Local Studies, Wollongong Bonnie Vale: art, photos and oral histories in an exhibition (online) Presentation
2.55 – 3 Marilyn Gallo, Heritage Services Fairfield, Bite the Bullet – Digitisation of Fairfield’s vertical file collection (online)Presentation
3 - 3.05 Megan Pitt, Collection Team Leader Library Resources, Tamworth Library’s Local Studies Collection Presentation
3.05 – 3.30 Final matters