Strategic Directions 2022-2024
Our organisation
Libraries Tasmania is a unique organisation, offering contemporary library and archives services to all Tasmanians. We provide places of welcome, learning and exploration. We connect people with information, heritage, ideas and each other, through real and virtual spaces, physical and online resources, and relevant and engaging activities.
We acquire, manage and make accessible collections that enable Tasmanians to explore their diverse social and cultural histories and interests, and we preserve the documentary history of the State for today and for future generations. Our rich digital and physical heritage collections, such as our internationally recognised convict records, position Libraries Tasmania as a leading cultural institution.
We are committed to working with First Nations peoples to ensure our collections and spaces are culturally inclusive, welcoming and safe.
Through commitment to intellectual freedom and support for learning, literacy and digital inclusion, we empower communities and equip all Tasmanians to engage critically with the information they need to participate fully in society. Through Libraries Tasmania, people are able to be lifelong learners.
We are proud that many Tasmanians value the library and archives services that enrich their lives – whether it be for recreation, learning, discovering our past, researching family history, or simply connecting with others. As the role of libraries continues to evolve, their contribution to community cohesion must not be underestimated.
Our vision
All Tasmanians are connected, resilient, creative and curious thinkers, enriched by the State’s libraries and archives.
Our values
Our Commitment
Working together we inspire and engage all Tasmanians to learn, acquire knowledge, explore ideas and participate in their community by connecting people with information, heritage, ideas and each other.
Our priorities
1. Engaging communities
Priority actions
- Raising awareness of the richness of our library and archive collections, their value to all Tasmanians, and Libraries Tasmania’s contribution to Tasmania’s cultural landscape.
- Bringing people back into our public spaces post lockdown.
- Leveraging existing relationships and establishing new ones with government, business and the not-for profit sector to expand our reach and strengthen our delivery.
- Investing in our physical and virtual spaces to bring them inline with contemporary standards.
2. Enabling universal access to our collections
Priority actions
- Revitalising and giving prominence to the State Library, Tasmanian Archives and Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts.
- Driving the digitisation of our heritage collections.
- Ensuring authentic engagement with First Nations peoples to shape collections and services for all Tasmanians.
- Renewing our focus on the relevance of our collections to diverse audiences,
- sourcing books, materials, and electronic resources to fit Tasmanians’ current needs and interests.
3. Connecting people to information
Priority actions
- Increasing the engagement of young people with libraries and archives, and ensuring their voice is heard.
- Clearly articulating and strengthening our contribution to state priorities: education, health, economic development, environmental sustainability, and tourism.
- Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to define our agenda around access to information for all.
- Connecting learners with the information they need through a new Lifelong Learning Information Service.
4. Championing lifelong learning
Priority actions
- Inspiring a love of reading for pleasure across the Tasmanian population to keep people learning for life.
- Retaining our leadership position in Australian media literacy, combating the spread of fake news, mis-, mal-, and disinformation
- Being a centre for all forms of literacy and numeracy development at every life stage
- Prioritising the library learning programs and activities which provide the greatest benefit to Tasmanians.
5. Strengthening organisational effectiveness
Priority actions
- Developing a vision and strategy for a workforce to deliver high quality contemporary library and archives services.
- Investing in our people; encouraging and enabling ongoing professional learning.
- Providing a strong supporting infrastructure and operational framework.
- Further developing good governance and a culture of collaboration.
Building from a position of strength
Over time we have developed a broad range of assets:
- World class services tailored to the uniquely Tasmanian environment.
- Expertly managed and curated collections.
- Investment in new and reimagined spaces.
- Commitment to digital access and digital capability.
- Empowered, skilled and dedicated workforce.
- Research-driven and evidence-based activities.
- Partnerships and collaboration.
- Strong infrastructure and network supported by the Department of Education.
We can take pride in our many achievements including:
- Memory of the World listing for our Tasmanian convict records.
- Sector leadership in digitisation of heritage collections in print, film and sound formats.
- Topping more than 100,000 public library members.
- Being one of the first public libraries in Australia to introduce a library app.
- Celebrating more than a decade of our world renowned 26Ten literacy program.
- Introducing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a strategic driver
What guides us
Our position within the Department for Education, Children and Young People
We contribute to our Department’s goals:
- Access, Participation and Engagement
- Early Learning
- Wellbeing for Learning
- Literacy and Numeracy
United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The right to information is a prerequisite and key driver for achieving a sustainable future
The Rights of the Child
We safeguard the rights of all children and young people to have an education, to be heard and to be kept safe from harm.
Commitment to evidence-based practice
We use data to inform our decisions and improve our policies, processes, systems, technology and agility. We use evidence to set targets and key performance indicators to guide improvement and measure progress.
Our place in a global community
We are part of national and international library and archives networks; learning from others, benchmarking with similar services and contributing Tasmanian initiatives to the global knowledge pool.