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This article reports the findings of a survey of more than 100 Australian outer regional and remote public library managers. Public libraries in these areas serve more than 2.5 million Australians, representing an important yet under-researched topic. Using an online questionnaire, with a response rate of more than 40%, we asked public library managers in rural Australia about the services provided by both fixed-site and mobile libraries (where applicable), as well as online and other outreach services. Questions also covered the value, issues and challenges of respondents' library services. Findings suggest that while rural libraries perform some similar functions to their more urban counterparts, and share some challenges, they are especially valued by their communities in the absence of alternative services and social outlets, making the library even more of a key facilitator, potentially, of social inclusion and community interaction. Respondents also noted an increasing demand for IT services and digital literacy support among their users, a need sometimes at odds with the challenge these libraries face maintaining up-to-date technical infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to find out how knowledge and skills in demand by libraries compare with librarians' preoccupations and aspirations. Two sets of data were analysed using content analysis. A) 972 criteria in 127 Australian library-related job advertisements (from 2021) were coded against ALIA's Foundation knowledge for entry-level library and information professionals. B) 465 articles published in INCITE (an Australian professional LIS magazine) from 2018 to 2020 were mapped against the framework afforded by the IFLA Trend Report 2019 Update. From the ten domains in ALIA's foundation knowledge, behavioural skills were the most sought domain in the job advertisements (84.3% of advertisements), followed by those of leadership and management (58.3%), digital technologies (49.6%), and literacies and learning (22%). Professionalism (5.5%) and research (14.2%) were the least sought domains. Of the three key trends identified by IFLA, the top preoccupation in the professional literature was found to be 'dealing with uncertainty' (60.2% of articles). This is the first study to analyse both job advertisements and professional literature and map them against expected professional competencies and the sector's emerging trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to gauge how much, and why, people value visiting public libraries by asking them about the impact of the library closures. A questionnaire survey was administered to users of four library networks in New South Wales, Australia. About 19% of 1,295 respondents missed their library "a great deal," another 28% "quite a lot." Most commonly respondents missed browsing the shelves, taking children for visits, studying, reading, and socializing there. They also missed the quiet, relaxing, and friendly environment, and the resources provided. For many, the closures impacted their lives in a critical way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on public libraries around the world. In Australia, almost all public libraries experienced some period of building closure, requiring libraries to adapt their services and delivery models. This article reports findings from a large-scale survey of public library managers in Australia, which was conducted in August 2020. In particular, it presents the results of a thematic analysis of the participants' free-text responses to open questions asked as part of the survey. This analysis reveals important insights relating to responses to library closures, staffing issues, new and expanded services and programmes, relationships with parent bodies, and the role of public libraries during the crisis and beyond. While public libraries are perceived by managers to have been agile and adaptable, and to have utilised technology effectively, the findings clearly demonstrate the value to users of library buildings, with important consequences for understanding the role of public libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to articles in the issue is presented on topics including perceived levels of risk associated with different forms of disaster, examples of how Australian libraries have demonstrated resilience in the face of natural disasters, and findings from interviews with eight public library staff from Australia.

This chapter explores the provision of library services to children residing in juvenile justice facilities. The small body of scholarly literature published on the topic over the last 50 years is examined, followed by a description of the findings of a recent Australian survey of juvenile justice library provision in that country. Australia presents a very poor example of the provision of library services to children living in correctional detention. A contrast to the Australian context is provided through a case study of the library service to the South Carolina Birchwood School, in the United States. Housed in the South Carolina Juvenile Justice Centre, the Birchwood School library is presented as an example of better practice and an illustration of what can be achieved by a juvenile justice facility library when it is sufficiently staffed and funded. Opportunities for further research are identified and conclusions are drawn regarding the need for libraries in juvenile justice facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the literature relating to libraries in prisons and introduces findings from a recent study that explores the lived experience of using Australian prison libraries. The paper identifies literature regarding the history of libraries in prisons, both in Australia and elsewhere, and then studies contemporary prison libraries and the standards and documents that guide their management and practices. One of the main roles of incarceration is the reform of the individual. As the role of education in this process is considered to be crucial, the educational and broader information needs of prisoners are discussed, along with the role prison libraries can play in supporting prisoners to satisfy these needs. This discussion is followed by a study of the nature of existing research and publications relating to prison libraries. The lack of understanding of the prison library user experience, particularly within the Australian context, is identified. A recent doctoral study designed to address this lack of knowledge is introduced, and the paper ends with the identification of five themes identified by that study that describe the experience of using Australian prison libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on a phenomenological study on the use of Australian prison libraries. Topics discussed include role of prison libraries to educate, rehabilitate and reform prisoners; experience of using Australian prison libraries from the prisoner perspective and their use as means of experiencing autonomy and responsibility for themselves; and provision of a quality library service to prisoners.