VICLINK ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & GENERAL MEETING 12th AUGUST 2003

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Once again Viclink has had a year of being involved in successes and what some may term as failures. I will only touch on a few of these in this report but I would like to extend my thanks to all members of Viclink for the commitment to ensuring that Victorian communities have the best library and information services that we are able to provide.

A meeting of representatives from CPLG and Viclink was held with Minister Broad to give her a picture of the Victorian public library network. The new CEO Anne-Marie Schwirtlich at the SLV has heralded a new era in Viclink/SLV relations. Other highlights of this year are the Glen Erin Retreat and the outcome of working towards a better relationship with the LBV and SLV and the subsequent Statewide Strategy. The ongoing success of Gulliver and Bruce and the Kinetica licence agreement are instrumental in our ability to deliver first class information services. The Swift Project and the Building Communities project are both being watched from other states as they are innovative and have potential to positively impact on our library services.

Members of the Executive and of Viclink have worked on Statewide Project Committees, sat on interview panels and have worked on behalf of all public libraries in Victoria to ensure that we get the best results in all areas that impact on us and our libraries. The Ministerial Advisory Council was an initiative that held promise but it has not yet been reactivated by the new LG Minister. The funding review highlighted once again the importance of funding and the impact of increased burden on local government. It is a continuing issue that remains one of our major concerns. We need to work now on strategies to improve the levels of funding and this could be your opportunity to work not only for yourself but also for all of Victorian public libraries.

The many new library buildings that were opened throughout the year were celebrated. These were a result of the Living Libraries funding and the financial commitment by Councils to improve their libraries. For the SLV, Victoria’s largest public library the opening of the refurbished dome on the reading room was a huge achievement.

The announcement of the Advisory Committee on Public Libraries of the LBV is a huge step in establishing a new working relationship between the LBV, SLV and Viclink. The composition of the Committee is the CEO of SLV, 2 LBV members, 2 Viclink members (1 being the President), 2 CPLG members (I being the Chair) and 1 MAV member. The dynamics of this committee will determine the success of this initiative. The establishment of the Public Libraries Unit to replace the Library Network Unit is a positive step and the President of Viclink and Chair of CPLG attended a planning day for the new unit. The review and re-positioning of Vicnet is a concern as public libraries have a large stake in ensuring that the organization remains and is able to continue the work that it does so successfully with projects benefiting the community.

I have enjoyed my year as President of Viclink, I have had many challenges in the role and I have grown professionally because of it. We, Viclink are heading into a new era I believe of better understanding, improved relationships and moving in one direction with our key partners. The Advisory Committee to the LBV, the new Public Libraries Unit and the Statewide Strategy are important and I believe positive steps to achieving a more cohesive and therefore effective strategy for the way forward. Recent meetings have been very positive and I look forward to what we can achieve in laying down solid foundations in the coming year.

I would like to finish by saying that you should all spend some time this year thinking about what you could and can do for Viclink. The organisation is only as strong and successful as the commitment shown by all of its members. Lynne Makin President