Shaping the future of the traditional reference library

Global transformation of libraries “At times of great disruption in technology and access to information I believe that organisations like ours have an historic remit to think and act with a view far into the future, and should play a full part in shaping the changes that lie ahead.” “Knowledge, innovation and creativity will support long-term economic growth in a post-industrial age, but can only do so with sustained investment and continued acknowledgement of their importance to society.” Roly Keating CEO, British Library

Mission For the benefit of all Western Australians, the State Library: treasures the stories of Western Australia champions literacy and learning cultivates creative ideas; and leads the development of the Western Australian public library network

3 overarching aims Enhance the State Library’s digital presence Engage the community Enable clients to easily navigate information held in the library

Enhancing the State Library’s digital presence Live chat service trial using RefChatter Review and development of information kiosks Online portal for fee-based services Engagement with social media for reference enquiries Client training and skills development plan ‘Digital preferred’ collection development policy

Engaging the community Public consultation and project reference groups Utilising spaces in the State Library for programming, events and partnerships Extending enhanced virtual services to broader community across the state

Enabling clients to easily navigate information Encore discovery layer on SLWA catalogue Investigation into wider discovery strategy for clients accessing information about services and collections Small, curated print collection to promote collections and engage clients with online services.

Questions?