Biennial: Discovery

Five hundred librarians and information professionals have descended on Sydney this week for the ALIA Biennial conference. It's ALIA's 75th anniversary this year, and it's also the National Year of Reading - so it's a pretty special event to be a part of. The majority of attendees are from the library, with some delegates from archives and the education sector. This year's theme is Discovery. We're talking about discovering partnerships, services, search, library spaces, information, storytelling, research, and books. There will likely be even more to discover by the end of our three days here.



Vendors and universities are well-represented in the exhibition halls on floors 3 and 4, so stop in and say hello! For a chance to win a prize, you can get your "discovery passport" stamped by the vendor booths you visit. An impressive lineup of speakers are on hand to challenge, inspire, and teach us. Today brought Dr Tom Chatfield, an author and speaker from the UK, and The Honorable Michael Kirby AC CMG, a "living Australian treasure" and former high court judge.

Dr Chatfield got us thinking about how we use digital tools. Do they rule us? Do we feed the email machine? He believes we have swallowed the idea that digital tools are casual and impersonal, but they can push us into doing more - more email, more tweets, more work. Technology can give us the illusion of acquiring knowledge. The screen is just a portal, and we enter it to have an experience - but not all experiences are good. How can we improve our experiences? If you want more from Tom, try his latest book, How to Thrive in the Digital Age.

 Robin and I attended the "Demystifying Research" panel session and picked up some tips for our studies, including:  be passionate and share your research! 

Justice Kirby commanded a lot of respect before he even began speaking. He was so engaging and well-spoken, yet relatable - even vulnerable - as he spoke of his history. (You can buy his book, A Private Life, which he cheekily spruiked mid-talk.) In Kirby's future, algorithms don't take over the librarian role, because a machine can't replace values or ethics. Several people tweeted that it took an outsider to see what we're missing, and give us back our purpose: "The will to provide neutral and highly respected information is not going to go away."

He remembered his first librarian, and noted that his success in law was largely due to librarians who nudged him in the right direction and gave him suggestions for what to read. Stripping away technology, various formats, and the march of time, our profession still comes down to this: Providing access to information in safety, and asking the extra question: "Have you thought about this?" Lastly, he reminded us to be kind to one another "on this little blue planet," regardless of our origins, sexuality, beliefs, or refugee status.

 Be involved. Be visible. Be discovered. - ALIA Biennial 2012