The ALIA Victoria Group were delighted to receive a high number of Victorian Library and Information Award (VLIA) nominations, highlighting the diverse and innovative work being done in our field.
The judging panel, consisting of Nina Whittaker, Anne Girolami and Dr Mary Carroll, deliberated at length to shortlist these 4 inspiring library and information professionals. The decisions were not easy!
The shortlisted nominees demonstrate some of the very best leadership, engagement and community connection in the Victorian library and information sector.
From the judges: “The shortlist highlights a diverse range of library services - from library education to public libraries, special/ medical libraries and school libraries. The opportunity to highlight their work as the shortlisted candidates will shine a spotlight over a great breadth of talented librarians across Victoria”.
The Award winner will be announced at the ALIA Vic: Book Week Soirée on Friday 22nd August, in the State Library of Victoria’s Isabella Fraser Room. The winner will be presented with the VLIA perpetual trophy (which is currently being created by woodcarver Olivia O’Connor) as well as a year’s ALIA membership or training voucher.
Book your attendance now – refreshments will be provided thanks to the generous sponsorship of Swinburne University of Technology and James Bennett. Venue provided thanks to the State Library of Victoria. As well as the award presentation, drinks and canapés, guests are encouraged to come dressed as a book character to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Children’s Book Week!
Congratulations go to the VLIA shortlisted nominees:
Alice Anderson - Monash Health Library
Alice Anderson transformed the library into a dynamic, forward-thinking service that not only supported clinical staff and students, but also proved its value across the organisation. She sought to increase visibility, attract talent, and build capacity through innovative initiatives, partnerships, and evidence-based practices. A key aim was to create career pathways and encourage research and development in health librarianship.
Alice’s leadership has elevated her health library into a national exemplar of innovation, advocacy, and impact. Her initiatives have become a model replicated by other institutions. The grants secured under her mentorship have expanded the library's research profile and enhanced the professional development of her team. Her publications are cited across the sector, influencing policy and practice. Moreover, her advocacy has resulted in the library being seen as an indispensable partner in her organisation’s education, research, and clinical governance frameworks. Through her passion, strategic thinking, and collaborative spirit, Alice has not only transformed her own service but has significantly contributed to the advancement of health librarianship across the country.
Emily Johns - City of Melbourne Libraries
As Community Learning Team Leader, Emily Johns has led many incredible initiatives, including the Need to Know editorial group and Local Lunch Club. Need to Know is a bimonthly zine that is written by people with lived experience of homelessness. Each edition contains information about services such as food programs, public showers, and community health facilities, as well as individual stories, poetry, artwork, and words of encouragement. The Need to Know project was instigated by CoHealth, with help from a City of Melbourne grant. Approximately 2000 zines are printed each run and distributed to around 50 venues. The project provides a supportive environment where participants can share their experiences, build a social network, and develop new skills.
Local Lunch Club comprises a suite of programs. The centrepiece each month is a Community Lunch at Kathleen Syme Library which feeds 90-120 people. In the intervening weeks, programs include information sessions, get-togethers, and workshops related to food, health and wellbeing. From a conversation about food insecurity and social isolation in 2022, Emily’s vision, hard work, leadership, and collaboration has manifested a wealth of sustainability initiatives.
Pru Mitchell - Australian Council for Educational Research
Pru Mitchell has volunteered in the library and information industry throughout her entire career, and has patiently mentored many placement students and new career professionals, teaching them all what it means to be an ethical librarian. Pru has been described as “the kindest leader I have ever known”.
Pru volunteers for Wikimedia, running sessions to help people learn how to edit Wikipedia, and in particular, to add articles to address the gender imbalance in this space. She also volunteers on the Advisory Board for Teacher Librarianship at Charles Sturt University, and is sought out by others because of her knowledge, skills and experience.
Pru has kept up a significant research output throughout her career to share her learning and has actively worked to reduce gatekeeping, to open doors and to welcome new librarians. She was into AI “before it was cool”, using it to create better metadata for the databases we use daily as librarians.
Pru’s volunteering has never been about advancing her career. She has done all of this because she is driven to make the world a kinder place.
Reyn (Ruth) Silva - Yarra Valley Grammar
Reyn Silva identified a disconnect between the senior and junior school libraries at Yarra Valley Grammar and saw an opportunity to strengthen ties with the broader community. Her goal was to create meaningful connections across year levels and promote reading engagement while balancing her existing senior school commitments. In 2023, Reyn initiated two programs: Yarra Story Time and S2S Buddy Reading. She collaborated with junior school leaders and the community links coordinator, created a new book collection, and recruited senior students as volunteers. Both programs have become annual successes, with strong participation and a growing number of enthusiastic student volunteers, effectively bridging age groups and enhancing community engagement.
Reyn’s work has resulted in additional clubs for lunchtime and extracurricular programs; library promotion through visual and digital engagement; a library committee resulting in podcast and magazine initiatives; and new technologies thanks to strong library management and innovation. These efforts generated significant student and staff interest, leading to enhanced visibility of the library, increased library foot traffic, and greater advocacy for the senior library’s role within the school community.