Join us for the launch of a stunning report Designing for the Future: A Retrospective on the ALIA Library Design Awards
The report's authors Professor Lisa Given (RMIT), Dr Kirsten Day (UniMelb), Dr Katherine Howard (Deakin) and Professor Helen Partridge (Deakin) will showcase their research that delved into the trends, forward thinking and best practices in library design over recent years, using the archives of the ALIA Library Design Award nominations, refurbishments and newbuilds, longlisters, shortlisters and award winners.
The report walk us through case studies that demonstrate leadership in sustainable design, community-centred thinking and builds that bring together architectural design and information needs.
The report focuses on Australian library design, with comparisons made to global trends and research into best practice. The report also explores the potential influence of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for future library designs.
The research and report was commissioned by ALIA and the report serves as a valuable resource for library and architectural educators, practitioners, and researchers, to inform innovative, future designs that best meet their constituents’ needs.
There will be time for questions at the end of the session. If you would like to send questions ahead of the webinar, please send them to [email protected] by Monday 9 October.
A link to download the report at the launch.
The Zoom link will be sent to registrants the day before the event.
About the presenters
Professor Lisa M. Given, FASSA is Professor of Information Sciences and Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform at RMIT. She is an expert in information behaviours, user-centred design, and mixed methods research. She has previously researched projects exploring students’ use of academic libraries and families’ experiences in hospitals. Lisa co-created the award-winning 'seating sweeps' methodology to assess people’s use of library spaces, which is used by library managers to inform space design. Lisa is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and author of Looking for Information: Examining Research on How People Engage with Information (2023).
Dr. Kirsten Day, an academic and practicing architect, lectures in Technology and Practice in Architecture at the University of Melbourne while also principal architect at Norman Day + Associates Architects. With a focus on educational institutions, she has designed libraries from primary to tertiary levels, championing inclusive design through thorough stakeholder consultations. Dr. Day's core commitment lies in creating spaces that embrace neurodiversity and prioritize accessibility for individuals living with disability. She has played a pivotal role in establishing the Gregory Burgess Archive, contributing significantly to architectural preservation. As a Chief Investigator on the Australian Research Council (ARC) LIEF project, she collaborates closely with the GLAM sector, ensuring the preservation and accessibility of digital architectural collections for future generations.
Professor Helen Partridge is Pro-Vice Chancellor, Teaching and Learning, Deakin University. Prior to this she held leadership roles at the University of Southern Queensland, and Queensland University of Technology. Helen is active in Australia’s library and information science sector, she was twice elected to the Board of Directors of the Australian Library and Information Association, and was appointed as a Fellow of the Association in 2012. Her research explores the interplay between information, technology and learning. She investigates the ways people experience information and/or technology to learn as students, as professionals, and as people in their everyday life. Helen was a visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, and the Berkmein Klein Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University.
Dr Katherine Howard has extensive national and international experience as a researcher and academic, having given presentations, guest lectures and workshops in many countries across Europe, Botswana, Indonesia, Thailand, and New Zealand. She has previously worked with Profs Given and Partridge as a Research Fellow, with expertise in qualitative data collection and analysis. She is an active member of ALIA and the information science sector, currently serving on the Research Advisory Committee, as the Treasurer for ALIA LARK (Library Applied Research Kollective) and running courses in Bibliometrics and Research Methods for ALIA’s CPD Program.