Across the sector, universities are transforming the student experience by reconceptualising the ways in which they partner with students. The academic library is at the heart of the university experience and libraries have a long history of collaboration and engaging with their communities. As such academic libraries are the perfect next frontier…

As the digital environment continues to become more pervasive in our lives, academic libraries have had to adapt to ensure that services remain relevant to users' needs. Research was conducted to examine the 2009-2011 refurbishment at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Library and evaluate its success in meeting users' needs in terms of…

Two floors of the W. K. Hancock Library at the Australian National University (ANU) were refurbished in 2011 as part of a cooperative project between the library and the College of Science. The refurbishment, costing $5 million, was part of a much larger exercise involving the construction of four new science buildings around the Hancock Library.…

The fourth in a series of articles on library buildings completed in the 1980s describes and evaluates new and remodeled buildings in Australia and New Zealand. The types of library buildings evaluated include state, public, academic, parliamentary, national, and special libraries. (30 notes/references) (Author/CLB)

Includes eight articles that address issues related to library design and function in Australia. Highlights include renovations and redevelopments; public libraries' expansions for changing needs, including a youthspace; a joint-use university and public library; the new Australian War Memorial research center; and a new university library. (LRW)

Drawing on recent experience and observation in New South Wales, this paper describes issues facing authorities, planners and librarians who are working on public library building projects. The author emphasises the need for all involved to focus not just on traditional good design principles, but also on user needs, consulting the community,…

Briefly discusses the problems and concerns that face school librarians in foreign countries. Examples from various countries are presented to illustrate a few of the difficulties and the creative efforts of librarians and administrators to overcome these difficulties. (CLB)

More frequently, community connections are being expressed in library design briefs and reflected in the completed buildings. This collection of brief articles discusses community involvement in library design and services and describes library construction projects in Australia and Malaysia. Also, discusses community art programs, integrating…

Universities worldwide are reconfiguring their campus environments to respond to the emerging pedagogy within higher education with its emphasis on self-directed, collaborative, and problem-solving approaches to learning. In particular, there is an emphasis on forming "learning communities." In this context libraries are increasingly…

Inadequate funding for Australian university libraries is criticized. Issues considered include interlibrary loans, staffing needs, the state of cataloging, networks, acquisitions, building and space problems, new technologies, mergers, and governmental priorities. Statistics for individual library holdings and expenditures, and trends in 1976-79…

Includes five articles that focus on the theme of "the future of the book" in Australia. Topics are library acquisitions and the impact of electronic publishing, censorship of networked communications in public libraries, copyright law reform in the digital environment, technology's implications for library facility design, and…

Compares academic libraries in Japan and Australia in three areas: general background (number of libraries, financial support, size of collections, and student/staff ratios); the role of libraries (services offered, library instruction, accessibility, library cooperation, and expenditures); and library staffs (qualifications of directors, staff…