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HOME LIBRARY WORKING GROUP MINUTES

June 1 2026 – ONLINE VIA TEAMS

HOSTED BY CANTERBURY BANKSTOWN AGED & DISABILITY TEAM

10.00 AM TO 11.24 AM

ATTENDANCE: ALISON CLARKE, BERNEDETTE STEPHENSON, DEIRDRE THRUSH, MARY CASEY, GAYLE DONALDSON, JAWED WIJNGEBRAEL, KATIE WINTEN, STEPHEN PEACOCK, CATHERINE BRYANT, SAQIB MAHMOOD, CATHERINE GUNTHER, ANNE MARIE BORBE, JENNY ARGYROUS, PETER GREEN, MALLORY SALTER, KRISTY NIGHTINGALE, LOUISE MILNE, DANA HAWKINS, ELIZABETH THORNTON, SUZANNE SPENCER, MONIKA GUDOVA, JODIE DOLDEN, ANNA VIGLIANTE, KAHLUA CHARLTON.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY - SANDRA BICE, FROM DARUG COUNTRY AS PART OF RECONCILIATION WEEK, MEETING ATTENDEES WERE ASKED TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND THE COUNTRY ON WHICH THEIR LIBRARY SERVICE IS LOCATED.

BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES

• DEIRDRE THRUSH TAKING OVER FROM ALISON WARD AT PENRITH, WHO IS OCCUPYING A DIFFERENT POSITION WITHIN THE SAME SERVICE. DEIRDRE IS RECEIVING SUPPORT IN HER NEW ROLE AND CONFIRMED TO BE IN THE OLDER PERSONS MAILING LIST.

ISSUES TO DISCUSS

1. SPOKEN WORD COLLECTIONS GOING FORWARD (SANDRA)

• EMAIL RESPONSES SENT OT SANDRA ARE NOW IN THE WIKI
• MOST SERVICES ARE MAKING IT INCREASINGLY REDUDANT AND NO LONGER PURCHASING HIGH VOLUMES
• SERVICES ARE GOING DIGITAL DUE TO THE LOWER MAINTENANCE COST AND HIGHER USAGE
• PHYSICAL COLLECTION IS BEING MOSTLY USED BY A SMALL AMOUNT OF REGULAR USERS AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF HLS PATRONS
• IT IS HARD TO OBTAIN AFFORDABLE CD PLAYERS, NEW CARS AND FARM VEHICLES DONT EVEN HAVE CD PLAYERS ANYMORE
• DEIRDRE: PENRITH IS ACTUALLY DOING QUITE WELL WITH PHYSICAL SCDS, BUT NO THAT KEEN TO PURCHASE SO MANY
• ALISON HAS A SIMILAR SITUATION - OLDER POPULATION AND ALSO ACTIVELY MAINTAINING THEIR COLLECTION FOR VISION-IMPAIRED HLS MEMBERS
• JAWED - LESS AND LESS DEMAND, FEW USERS AND STARTING TO LEAVE SERVICE. PUSHING FOR E-FORMAT AS MORE POPULAR AND COST EFFECTIVE
• SANDRA - HARD TO GET PHYSICAL TALKING BOOKS IN OTHER LANGUAGES FOR CALD POPULATION
• ELIZABETH - SMALL AREA BUT STILL POPULAR WITH HLS MEMBERS, APPROXIMATELY HALF OF SCD USERS ARE HLS MEMBERS. STILL NEED FRESH TITLES - PROCUREMENT AND A BIT OF STANDING ORDER. SHOALHAVEN DOES PURCHASING WITH THEIR INPUT
• JAWED BROUGHT UP THAT SLNSW LONG-TERM LOANS ARE AN OPTION
• ALISON INTERESTED IN TRADE OF SCDS BETWEEN LIBRARY SERVICES
• SANDRA DISCUSSED THE RELUCTANCE TO DISPOSE OF WITHDRAWN ITEMS AND LIKES THE IDEA OF DONATING OR EVEN EXCHANGING INSTEAD, CALL FOR EOI TO ORGANISE AMONGST THE GROUP?
• ALISON - COMMUNITY TRENDS ARE IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO

• SANDRA ASKED HOW SCD PURCHASING IS DONE AT OTHER LIBRARIES?
• SUZANNE - USED TO DO STANDING ORDERS BUT THE TITLES FROM THEM WERE NOT POPULAR - SELECTION INSTEAD ESPECIALLY WITH HLS MEMBERS IN MIND AND PAST LOAN TRENDS - IT ENDS UP TRANSLATING TO THE PREFERENCES OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ANYWAY
• SANDRA RPREFERS SELECTION OVER STANDING ORDERS IN THE FUTURE
• STEPHEN STRUGGLES TO JUSTIFY THE SPENDING FOR SCDS, CUTTING BACK ON STNADING ORDERS, PILLAGES FROM THE GENERAL COLLECTION INSTEAD WHICH IS NOT BEING USED MUCH AND WHICH IS BEING REDUCED

2. VISION AUSTRALIA RESOURCES (STEPHEN PEACOCK)

• STEPHEN CAN ONLY USE BORROWBOX TO DOWNLOAD TO ENVOYS. WHILE VA IS GREAT AND USED BY OTHERS, SUTHERLAND COUNCIL IS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IT FOR SECURITY REASONS, TRYING OT REASON WITH THEM AND CLAIM DISCRIMINATION BUT NO LUCK
• STEPHEN WANTS TO AGITATE WITH OTHERS FOR CHANGE. STEPHEN TO COALATE AND SHARE RESOURCES

• DANA ASKED HOW LIBRARIES MANAGE BORROWBOX
• STEPHEN - CHECKS OUT TO 3-4 LIBRARY ACCOUNTS AND THEN DOWNLOADS AND SENDS TO MEMBERS

• DANA LOOKING INTO VA
• STEPHEN MIGHT LOOK AT TABLETS AND APPS INSTEAD - NOT SPECIFIC ABOUT KIND YET, BUT NOT TOO EXPENSIVE
• JAWED - IPADS BEING USED - ONE PATRON DOING REALLY WELL WITH IT. A PATRON HAD ALSO SIGNED UP WITH VA BEFORE HLS - MAY ENCOURAGE MORE ADEPT MEMBERS TO SIGN UP FOR VA INDEPENDENTLY
• STEPHEN ALSO SUGGESTED GETTING FAMILY MEMBERS TO HELP THEM
• DEIRDRE HAS A COLLECTION OF DAISY PLAYERS THROUGH VA - ALSO USED BORROWBOX, SD CARDS AND ENVOYS
• ANNA HAS TWO VA MEMBERS BUT THEY ALSO REQUEST OTHER TITLES ON ENVOY - NOT POPULAR BUT ENOCURAGED DUE TO SMALL PHYSICAL COLLECTION. ANNA'S DRIVER HELPS INSTRUCT PATRON IN ENVOYS, MOST CAN ONLY HANDLE 1 OR 2 TITLES AT MOST
• SANDRA - DAISY PLAYERS ARE GREAT BUT STARTING TO GET OLD AND CHALLENGING TO REPLACE. EVEN A SIMPLE CD PLAYER IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE
• ANNA DOESN'T HAVE INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS ON BORROWBOX FOR MEMBERS. A COLLECTION OF 13 ENVOYS - EACH MEMBER HAS 2 ALWAYS IN USE - WANTES A SMALL AMOUNT OF ACCOUNTS AND LOAN LOGS TO TRACK
• DANA HAS QUITE A FEW VICTOR READERS - USES LIBBY APP TOO - BROWSER IS SIMILAR TO APP
• STEPHEN TO LOOK INTO LIBBY

3. DAY TO DAY ISSUES FACING HOME LIBRARY STAFF

• PATRON FROM HOSTEL CANCELLED SERVICE AS SHE RECEIVED A LETTER ABOUT HAVING OT PAY A DELIVERY FEE FROM RECEPTION TO ROOM. SO FAR ONLY A PROPOSED CHANGE - AT THIS POINT IN TIME NO SUCH CHARGES WILL BE LAID!
• RESTRUCTURING OF FEES DUE TO AGED CARE REFORMS - ACCOMODATION COSTS AND DIFFERENT CHARGES TO BE ITEMISED SO PEOPLE ARE MADE AWARE IF THEY ARE CHARGED FOR THINGS THEY DON'T OR CAN'T USE (EG. BUS TRANSPORT SERVICE IF IMMOBILE)
• ALISON - TALK TO RAS TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY DO WITH OUR SERVICE - COULD BE CHARGING WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE
• CATHERINE SUGGESTED ADDING IT TO GUIDELINES/ CONTRACT TO DISCOURAGE SUCH PRACTICES AT INSTITUTIONS

4. HLS WIKI

• DANA THOUGHT SHE NEEDED APPROVAL FOR HER PROFILE, READY TO LAUNCH SOON
• SANDRA - YOU CAN ASK FOR ASSISTANCE WITH WIKI - BETWEEN WORKING GROUP OR SL STAFF

5. STEERING COMMITTEE

• MICHELLE EXPRESSED HER INTEREST - WANTED MORE INFORMATION
• PURPOSE IS TO HELP ORGANISE MEETINGS, GUEST SPEAKERS AND SEMINARS, WORK WITH MEETING HOST AND STATE LIBRARY
• MEETING HOST ORGANISES AGENDA, VENUE AND ONLINE MEETING LINK
• SANDRA CURRENTLY A PART OF COMMITTEE
• CAROLINE TO PUT HER HAND UP A SECOND TIME IF NOT ENOUGH TAKERS
• KYLIE FROM CANADA BAY CURRENTLY IN COMMITTEE
• LOOKING FOR FOUR MEMBERS
• MALLORY INTERESTED
• STEPHEN, KYLIE, BERNADETTE AND MALLORY PUT THEIR HANDS UP FOR THE COMMITTEE

6. GENERAL BUSINESS

SENIORS FESTIVAL

• MALLORY - LIFE HACKS FOR EVERYDAY LIVING FOR SF. GREAT TURNOUT. 3D PRINTER DEMO - EXCELLENT FEEDBACK. MYRTLE COTTAGE BOUGHT SEVERAL 3D-PRINTED ITEMS THAT WERE MADE FOR THEIR RESIDENTS TO SEE. AGED CARE TALKS - POPULAR AND INSIGHTFUL.
• JAWED - SENIORS CRYPTIC CROSSWORD WORKSHOP - NICHE, 90% OF ATTENDEES FROM FIRST PART RETURNED FOR 2ND BUT NOT THE BIGGEST NUMBERS - IDEAS WAS TO TRY SOMETHING NEW AND GOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN.
• DIGITAL SERVICE LIBRARIAN DID A CYBERSECURITY QUIZ
• DEIRDRE - MOVIE SCREENING OF AUSTRALIAN MOVIE 'TRACKS,' CYBER SECURITY SESSION, HISTORY WALK, SERVICE AUSTRALIA TALKS, SCAM AWARENESS AND AGED CARE, 3D PRINTING WORKSHOP, MORNING TEA. WILL HAVE MOVIES FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION WEEK TOO

• SANDRA ASKED IF ANYONE TAKING PART IN OPEN DOORS, OPEN BOOKS, OPEN MINDS EVENT?
• SAQIB - YES, ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER. ALSO PLANNING A FEW TALKS FOR LIW & WORKSHOPS
• KRISTY - TOURS FOR SENIORS AND FAMILIES AND DIGITAL CONTENT. REALLY TAKING IT ON! PRECURSOR TO 80TH ANNIVERSARY
• SANDRA - LIBRARY TOURS, DEMOS, STORYTIME ACROSS BRANCHES, STALLS, CHATS, BOOK REPAIR DEMO. WE'RE HAVING A BIG CAMPAIGN - LET'S GO TO THE LIBRARY - A STEPPING STONE INTO THIS.
• SANDRA - SOME MOVIE SCREENINGS HAD A HUGE TURNOUT. LOOKING NEXT YEAR AT SCREENING 'AUNTIE MAME' AND 'GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER'
• ELIZABETH - EIGHT-WEEK COURSES SUCH AS TECH SAVVY SENIORS COVERING DIFFERENT SUBJECTS
• KRISTY - TRAINING IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. TECH SAVVY CONTENT OUTDATED. BE CONNECTED UPDATED AND RECOMMENDED
• BERNADETTE - SIMILAR CROSS-GEN PROGRAM WITH NON-MAINSTREAM STUDENTS
• ALISON - INTERESTED IN HAVING DUKE OF EDINBURGH VOLUNTEEERS
• STEPHEN - HIS PROGRAM DESIGNED BY THE TECH TEAM

NEXT MEETING MONDAY 2 NOVEMBER AT HORNSBY - ONSITE AND ONLINE

SONYA TO DRAFT THE AGENDA

TO ACTION: ORGANISING A GROUP BETWEEN LIBRARY SERVICES TO SWAP ITEMS FROM PHYSICAL COLLECTIONS

MEETING CLOSED 11.24AM.