Professional Placement Report- Darwin City Libraries

Section 1: About the placement organisation

I was fortunate to have been placed at the city of Darwin Libraries branch, Casuarina Library for my professional placement. The city of Darwin Library consists of four library branches in total, Darwin City, Casuarina, Karama and Nightcliff, each led by a customer liaison officer, with 36 staff who are employed in a variety of roles. Within each library, there are three teams; Business Systems and Collection Management, Programs and Library Learning, and Library Operations and Customer Experience.

The City of Darwin Libraries fits the objectives of the “Standards and Guidelines for Australian Public Libraries”, as it targets the framework objectives of Community Engagement and Individual and Community Outcomes (I & J Management, 2021, p. 9). The Mission Statement accurately summarises what the library prioritises. What was especially evident was how it addressed “literacy and lifelong learning” through its many programs that support all ages from “baby story-time” to technology help sessions for seniors (City of Darwin, 2020). Personal development and wellbeing is strongly evident in the library with the recent appointment of Andrew Aragala, as the Community Wellbeing Officer. Since his appointment, programs such as the therapy dog sessions and outreach programs for many of Darwin’s homeless people are run. Homelessness is 12 times higher per capita in Darwin than in the rest of Australia (City of Darwin, 2020). Many of Darwin’s homeless rely on the library’s services for referral to accommodation and food service providers in the community. Cultural sensitivity is important as Joanne Wood, the Indigenous Program Coordinator acts as an advisor for all staff and organises many culturally rich programs and events. As a result, many services provided by the City of Darwin Libraries, “stronger and more creative communities are created” (I & J Management, 2021, p. 9).

The way that the City of Darwin Libraries are regarded by the community, is evident in the media and social media interaction. A good example is the enthusiastic response that the library has in the education community. There is a strong partnership with home parenting networks and STEM/STEAM clubs that run after school and in the school holidays.

On my first afternoon at the service desk, I experienced the busiest time of the day with many young children and families visiting. All families have access to programs such as story-time programs and STEAM clubs as well as access to laptops, iPads and free PC access. A message that was very clearly shared in the baby book time was, it is an introduction to a lifetime love of books and literature, which will have an impact on their life. Storytelling and live reading creates immense happiness for children and “instils in them positively from an early age, a love of libraries, learning and literacy” (Agosto, 2016, p. 25).  This is not just good for libraries but for the young children to have their best start to their lifetime of learning.

Without the City of Darwin libraries, our community would no longer be able to access the literature and learning opportunities on offer and the much utilised technology services. More urgently, people who would miss out would be the most vulnerable members of our community, the homeless and those experiencing mental illness or emotional distress. The library provides the first port of call and an opportunity to reach out and make a difference that could be life-changing or even lifesaving.

Section 2: Theory into practice

While my placement required many of the objectives covered across the course, it was ETL 503: Resourcing the Curriculum I would like to specifically address. Though this subject focuses on the collection and management of a school library collection, much of the focus is on how the collection addresses what needs to be covered in the curriculum. The first assessment of this subject looked at how the school library provides for the Cross Curriculum Priorities in the Australian Curriculum. Much of the school library books and resources aim at engaging students and encouraging literacy and learning. In public libraries, such as the City of Darwin Libraries, the focus is on “lifelong learning” and “providing the public with engaging reading material”, so in many cases, especially in the children’s collection, the aims have much in common as they address both learning and engagement (City of Darwin, 2021a).

Two of my professional goals for my placement were: understanding relevant aspects of library management, and collection development and developing and delivering engaging programs for a variety of stakeholders. Both of these goals stem from the knowledge and insights gained from ETL: 503, particularly in Assessment 2: The Collection Development Policy and Reflection, where the collection development policy of a school was critically assessed for its role in the assessment of needs, selection, acquisition, de-selection, and collection evaluation.  For a collection development policy, it is important to understand how it addresses the needs of the patrons, whether that be the learners in a school or the users of a public library. The Standard and Guidelines for Australian Public Libraries emphasises that a collection needs to “reflect community needs and the demographic makeup of the library users. Regular analysis of the collection and programs are important to ensure the library address the needs of all users” (I & J Management Services, 2021, pp. 47-48).

On my first day, Lynette Loone, my supervisor and Coordinator of Programs and Lifelong Learning, discussed my goals and introduced me to the City of Darwin Library Strategy 2020-2024 and the draft of the latest Collection Development Policy. From engaging in the content, reading and completing the assessments in ETL 503, I had an understanding of the purpose of the policy. It was enlightening to see how the policy addressed the requirements of the strategy and drew from the 2016 census data for demographic statistics, “to direct quality library resources and services to address a diverse community such as Darwin effectively” (City of Darwin, 2021b, p. 2). To reflect Darwin’s diversity the libraries need to offer books and resources that “benefit and reflect the lived experiences, ideas, and culture of all community members” (Wood, 2021, May, 25).

I was fortunate to also work with Tara Gibson, Coordinator Business Systems & Collection Management, during my placement. Tara discussed the draft of the new collection development policy with me and was able to answer any questions, especially around the differences between the requirements of a public library and a school library. One aspect we discussed was reviewing the collections, considering the “selection and deselection of materials in the collection” (City of Darwin, 2021b, pp. 20-21).

Tara also asked me if I would be interested in helping with the Children’s Collection Review- “The Diversity Audit”. As module 5.1 of ETL 503 focused on collection evaluation I thought this would be particularly relevant to my placement goals. In 2020, Northern Territory public libraries, coordinated by the Libraries NT Collection Development Working Group, instigated a review and diversity audit of all their children’s collections, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child position on “recognising and respecting diverse families, cultures, languages and values” (Adam, et al., 2019). The purpose for the diversity audit was to establish baseline data in order to develop an “evidence to base collection development decision making” for acquisitions for the public libraries in the Northern Territory (Hay & Masterson, 2020. p. 14).  As part of the project, a working group of library staff across the Northern Territory “analysed samples of the children’s collections” with respect to representation in the following areas: “Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, multicultural, female, disabled and LGBTQIA+ protagonists” (Hay & Masterson, 2020. p. 14).

A year has passed since the initial step in the audit and the NT libraries are ready to undertake a second audit of the same collections to investigate whether changes in acquisitions strategies over the last 12 months have led to a change in diverse representations in children’s collections. Involvement in the second audit stage has been insightful, particularly when presented with some unexpected findings when comparing the data from 2020 to 2021. With the exception of books with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander protagonists, the collection appears much less diverse. When presented with this date, Tara wasn’t surprised and suspected the collection methods in 2020 were inaccurate. The collection only counted the items on the shelf and not in the whole collection. We then conducted a survey of the collection in OCLC using a Boolean search with relevant terminology. This data combined with the diversity audit data was able to present a wider picture of the collection’s diversity and demonstrated the extent of the acquisitions since 2020.

As we know libraries can make a difference in children’s lives, but to maintain this we must keep “questioning, reviewing and refining the process” (Hay & Masterson, 2020. p. 14). I was pleased to be able to put forward some recommended resources for the library listed in the Massachusetts Library Systems Inclusive Collections List (Massachusetts Library Systems, 2021, May, 27) and the IBBY Australia Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities, (International Board on Books for Young People Australia, n.d.), especially for books with “disabled and LGBTQIA+ protagonists”, which “in the collection are the most underrepresented”. (Hay & Masterson, 2020, p. 14).

 

Section 3: Critical reflection

My placement at Darwin City Library, Casuarina enabled me to achieve the aims of my professional goals. I feel grateful to Lynette Loone for how she tailored a program specifically to address these goals (Appendix 1). The placement enlightened me to how important libraries and librarians are to all members of our community, especially our most vulnerable.

A valuable aspect of my placement was engagement in educational and youth programs, particularly the STEAM and the children’s reading programs. These gave me some great ideas for building resources to develop programs in schools. The STEAM programs run by Nicole Nurse, the STEAM coordinator engaged young people with the latest technology that targeted a range of age groups. This has been very relevant and has assisted me to look at how many of these programs could be linked to Australian Curriculum learning areas through STEAM learning and design thinking.

Collection development was another area where I was able to engage in a meaningful way. The participation in the Diversity Audit and involvement in purchasing and end processing of resources put the content from my studies in ETL 503 into practice. Involvement in the Diversity Audit was insightful as it demonstrated that it was important to not just rely on one method of collecting data.

Some of the more challenging aspects of the placement were probably those most associated with public libraries. Though daunting at first, they were also what I found most rewarding towards the end of the placement. The first was customer service, which 75% of the time involved booking computers, issuing printing cards with credits and doing EFTPOS payments for printing. The patrons usually checked out books using a self-serve kiosk. I learned to issue new and replacement library cards as well as helping many clients scan documents, format photographs and print resumes and job applications. On a few occasions had to get assistance from other staff but became quite confident to manage the help desk by the second week.

The second challenge for me was with helping members of the public who are emotionally distressed or agitated. Fortunately on one occasion when a patron was suffering from some emotional distress, Andrew was at the branch and was able to spend some time with her. Later in the afternoon, she joined the group in the therapy dog session which helped her open up and talk to others. By the end of the day, she was smiling and left the library on a positive note. My placement has helped me realise the value of a well-being program, and a dedicated staff member to support others in the library cannot be underestimated. In many ways the library is a safe place for children in our schools, and training in well-being and counselling programs should be part of a school library’s strategic plan.

At the beginning of my placement in conversation with my manager, Lynette, I discussed that one of my goals, was to gain skills and confidence step into the role as a teacher librarian.  By the end of the placement, I feel that I have a greater understanding of the purpose a collection development/management policy. I also feel confident in being able to design programs that can meet the educational objectives of the school, as determined in the policy.

Feedback received from the placement meeting was both encouraging and supportive. Lynette mentioned that my strengths lie in my ability to work with people and engage with the public. What was also highlighted was my ability to present the findings of the Diversity Audit promptly. When I spoke of my challenges around assisting with unfamiliar technology as part of customer service, Lynette reassured me that this causes anxiety for everyone and takes time to master. At the conclusion of our meeting, Lynette commented that I seemed suited to public libraries and should consider this as a future option.

Something valuable that I will take with me from the placement, was the opportunities for future partnerships with the library and the Education Department. I was able to provide a point of contact where information about programs, could be shared with schools in the NT. The experience and insight of contributing to the Diversity Audit taught me first-hand the importance of data gathering to make decisions around collection development decisions.  Overall, I believe the professional placement experience in the City of Darwin Libraries helped me put theory into practice, to feel more confident in stepping up to the role of a librarian in the future.

References

 

Adam, H., Barratt-Pugh, C., & Haig, Y. (2019). Portray cultures other than ours: How children’s literature is being used to support the diversity goals of the Australian Early Years Learning Framework. The Australian Educational Researcher, 46(3), 549-563. https://doi:10.1007/s13384-019-00302-w

Agosto, D. E. (2016). Why storytelling matters: unveiling the literacy benefits of storytelling. Children and Libraries, 14(2), 21-26. https://journals.ala.org/index.php/cal/article/view/5990

City of Darwin Libraries (August 20, 2021). Darwin City Libraries Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CityofDarwinLibraries/photos/a.300972239926941/4566731116684344

City of Darwin Libraries (October 28, 2021). Darwin City Libraries Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CityofDarwinLibraries/photos/4786101714747282

City of Darwin. (2020). Libraries for People, Library Strategy 2020-2024. City of Darwin Council. https://www.darwin.nt.gov.au/council/about-council/publications-and-forms/library-strategy-2020-2024

City of Darwin. (2021a). City of Darwin Public Library Policy, City of Darwin Council. https://www.darwin.nt.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/attachments/Public%20Library%20Service%20-%20044.pdf

City of Darwin. (2021b). Collection Development Policy- 176 City of Darwin Council. https://www.darwin.nt.gov.au/libraries/about/libraries-policies

Harlin, R., & Morgan, H. (2009). Review of Research: Gender, Racial and Ethnic Misrepresentation in Children’s Books: A Comparative Look. Childhood Education, 85(3), 187-190. https://doi:10.1080/00094056.2009.10521389

Hay, A & Masterson, M. (November/December, 2020). Reflecting who we are. Incite, 41(11/12), 14. https://read.alia.org.au/incite-novemberdecember-2020

I & J Management Services (May, 2021). Standards and Guidelines for Australian Public Libraries, Australian Library and Information Association. https://read.alia.org.au/apla-alia-standards-and-guidelines-australian-public-libraries-may-2021

International Board on Books for Young People Australia (n.d.). Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. https://ibbyaustralia.wordpress.com/awards/outstanding-books-for-young-people-with-disabilities/

Kennedy, J. M. (2021, January, 22). Reflective Practice- Resourcing the Curriculum. [blog post]. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/kenneja/2018/03/05/the-perception-of-the-teacher-librarian-by-parents-and-the-community/

Massachusetts Library Systems (2021, May, 27). Inclusive Collections: Building the Collection. https://guides.masslibsystem.org/c.php?g=814126&p=5809430

Wood, C. (2021, May, 25). Counting the Collection, Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/Counting-the-Collection-Conducting-a-Diversity-Audit-of-Adult-Biographies