TAFE LIBRARIES AUSTRALIA

Current events in TAFE Libraries across Australia

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia National Centre for Vocational Education Research

TAFE A.C.T.

Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) is the largest public provider of vocational education and training in Australia ’s capital. The CIT Library & Learning Centre supports over 450 programs across five faculties to local, national and international students to meet the changing needs of business and industry. Qualifications range from certificate to degree level and provide a range of flexible learning options.

CIT enjoys excellent working relationships with many international institutions and is host to 700 international students from over 50 countries. CIT has courses that articulate to the University of Canberra & the Australian National University . The CIT Library & Learning Centre is a member of the ACT Universities & Academic Libraries. It has also established close connections with the libraries involved with VET in schools and the ACT Library & Information Services.

The Cit Library & Learning Centre catalogue is available at http://www.cit.act.edu.au/study/library/

TAFE NSW Library Network

The TAFE NSW Library Network consists of 107 TAFE college libraries, joint use libraries and special libraries, as well as 22 resource centres located across ten TAFE NSW Institutes. These libraries work together in a co-operative network that shares information resources through reciprocal borrowing agreements, has common policies and accesses one integrated library management system that includes the catalogue of all TAFE NSW library resources.

The TAFE NSW Library Network Catalogue is available on the web at http://tafecat.tafensw.edu.au/tafecat.html. Further information about the libraries in the network can also be found at this site.

The TAFE Library Services unit provides state-wide library infrastructure support services for the entire TAFE NSW Library Network. This comprises management and support of corporate library systems, and library collection management support including acquisition and cataloguing of new library resources. The Manager TAFE Library Services represents the TAFE NSW Library Network in internal and external forums, and in consultation with a state-wide Library Strategy Group provides strategic advice on library developments, trends and opportunities to senior TAFE NSW management to inform decision making within the Department.

Communication between the libraries and the TAFE Library Services unit is facilitated through the Library Strategy Group and two user groups – one focusing on system issues and one on technical services issues.

Queensland

TAFE Queensland Libraries group was renamed in 2004. We are now known as TAFE Queensland Strategic Library & Information Consultative Committee, SLICC. Current information about activities in Queensland available from the Lincs newsletter

Victoria

Victorian TAFEs are represented by VATL (Victorian Association for TAFE Libraries). The Group includes representatives 14 TAFE Institutes, 5 combined HE / TAFE institutions and the CAE Library in Melbourne. The group has been going for over 25 years. Currently each institution pays an annual membership of $250, which enables it to fund some joint projects, namely the annual collection and collation of statistics as well as the hosting and maintaining of a web page. A Management Interest Group meets 5 times a year and other sub groups, reference and acquisitions less regularly. The membership is open to all interested library staff and the Institutional membership covers their staff.

Recently a VATL list was launched and is proving a good way to disseminate information and gain feedback. Documents and statistics are available on our web site.

The format of the management meetings includes a guest speaker followed by a meeting and library roundup. The TAFE Reference Interest Group (TRIG) arranges a couple of workshops each year. Different libraries host these events and although Melbourne is a central location at least one meeting each year is held at a regional institute.

The upcoming CAL negotiations for the new 5 year agreement are creating interest and discussion among Victorian TAFEs.

VATL information is available on the web site: http://www.vatl.org.au/

TAFE Tasmania Library Services

[January – March 2005]

Library Services moved from the former Learning Team to the new Career Pathways Team in February 2005.

The Career Pathways Team will focus on entry-level clients, career pathways and industry relevant learning in a quality, supportive and educationally rich on campus learning environment.

Library Services will also work closely with the new Enterprise Development Team whose focus is enterprise clients and relevant, just in time and customised training.

TAFEWA Libraries

[updated 21 March 2005]

TAFE Libraries in Western Australian and the Dept of Education and Training’s corporate library are members of the “Learning Resources Services Network”.  The network has a management committee and four key working sub committees: cataloguing, client services (including Information Literacy), consortia and systems administration. The Chair of the Management Committee is the Academic Director from Central West College of TAFE. The Libraries have recently jointly implemented the Endeavour Library system, Voyager and are working towards installing Encompass for Digital Collections as a learning object repository. All members make a contribution toward the salaries of the Convenor for the network.

Key issues facing the Network at the moment are:

• Improving the quality of the database, including de duplicating records

• Investigating new system functionality

• Setting up a TAFEWA Library portal for TAFE students

• Running trials of Encompass

• Setting up state wide consortiums

• Conducting training in a widely distributed network.

For catalogue records TAFEWA uses Kinetica, the majority of original records are contributed by the TAFEWA Kinetica bureau. The bureau is located at Swan TAFE, Thornlie campus, but funded by Dept of Education and Training.

Further information about these developments can be obtained from your TLA representative or the LRSN Convenor, Ms Alexandra Dailakis. alexandra.dailakis@central.wa.edu.au

Membership

ACT

NSW

QLD

NT: CDU / BI

SA

TAS

VIC

WA

NCVER