Skip to main content
state library of queensland

Program | Next Library Satellite 2020

Next Library visual identity header image

Program | Next Library Satellite 2020

Program

The full Next Library Satellite program will be announced in early 2020, and now is the time to start building excitement for a conference like no other. Hosted by State Library of Queensland in sunny Brisbane, Australia, the conference features three days of empowering speakers, hands-on activities and ideas that will inspire the future of libraries.

Discover the features of the program below.

About Next Library Satellite 2020

World-Class Keynotes

Industry-leading thinkers forging the future

Next Library Satellite 2020 will feature four incredible keynotes that will challenge and inspire. Representing leading minds from both libraries and industry, keynotes for the 2020 satellite meeting will focus on the four conference provocations and open minds to new possibilities. 

A man delivers a presentation, gesturing broadly with his hands.
Meet our speakers

Interactive Sessions

Co-create the future Interactive Sessions bring participants together from different parts of the world to discuss, experiment and explore the future of libraries using new formats that push the limits and explore new modes of interactivity. Each 90-minute session will give participants an opportunity to engage with each other, as well as a variety of technologies, activities and ideas.
Register for Next Library
Two men work on a design project with sticks and rubber bands.

Ignite Talks

Fire up your passion for big ideas Ignite Talks are short and fast-paced. Each talk is 5 minutes with up to 20 slides that automatically advance in short intervals. The presentations will ignite the audience on a subject or an idea worth sharing. Talks are clustered in sessions and followed up by audience-driven Q&As at the end of each session. These are the conversations of the future, where participants will be inspired by presenters' passion and leave feeling inspired.
Register for Next Library
A young woman presents a talk to a group of onlookers.

Innovation Studios and Next Library Lab

Next Library Innovation Studios are about deep thinking. Addressing global issues and unanswered questions, coming together from different perspectives and coming to terms with hard truths.

We are offering five in-depth examinations of topics which impact us all. Sessions will run the day before the official program commences and provide an opportunity to engage deeply with forward thinkers from across the globe.

Space in each Innovation Studio is limited, so explore each topic below and register now to be part of this Next Library first! Your seat in one of our Innovation Studios can be booked with your conference registration at a cost of AUD$235 including lunch.

All Next Library delegates will have the opportunity to engage with the outcomes of the Innovation Studios in the Next Library Lab during the main conference program.

Children's rights

Hosted by Dr Barbara Piscitelli AM

Across Australia and around the world, children are creative cultural citizens. Every day, they are drawing, painting, dancing, singing and performing in their play and daily life. Though children are regularly involved in cultural life and the arts, their ideas are rarely seen or heard outside of home, school and early learning programs. Their artefacts are rarely collected and exhibited.

The ideas that emerge from children’s creative work provide a rich field for discovering who they are, what they value and how they think about their lives now and into the future. Featuring work from State Library’s Dr Barbara Piscitelli AM Children's Art Archive, the session will present stories from childhood - about play, the social worlds of children, their human rights and their futures.

The session will feature three main activities:

  • A mini-lecture will explore ideas and stories of Australian, Vietnamese and Chinese children in urban, rural and remote areas across the diverse social and cultural worlds they inhabit.
  • Big Voices: Children's Art Matters, a major exhibition from this archive at the State Library of Queensland, will provide additional context for understanding the power of stories and objects from childhood. Part of the workshop will take place in the exhibition and features a floor talk with the collector and curation team to learn more about the lives of children as cultural citizens.
  • Participants will engage in drawing, storytelling and curating activities to create their portraits, use their voice and tell their stories for the Next Library Satellite 2020 conference.
A portrait photo of Barbara Piscitelli

About Dr Piscitelli

Barbara Piscitelli is an independent consultant and researcher in education and the arts. In 1986, she established an archive of children’s art and has created several exhibitions and catalogues from her collection; she donated the collection to the State Library of Queensland in 2004.

Dr Piscitelli was Chair of the Queensland Cultural Policy Advisory Committee, and served on the Council of the National Museum of Australia (2008-2014) and as a Board Member of the Queensland Museum (2005-2014).

She taught at Queensland University of Technology for 20 years (1984 - 2004) and was Visiting Scholar at the Hong Kong Institute of Education (2007-8, 2017 & 2018).

Her research explores cultural policy and childhood, children’s learning in museums, and early childhood visual arts education.

Dr Piscitelli has received grants from the Australia Council, the Australian Research Council, Visions of Australia, The Australia-China Council, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Fulbright Foundation.

Dr Piscitelli was recognised in the Australia Day 2006 Honours as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). The citation for her Award reads: ‘For service to early childhood education as a teacher, to the establishment of programs in cultural institutions for children, and as a collector and curator of children's art.’ In 2015, she was honoured with the Chime Bell Award for foreign experts by the Hubei (China) Provincial Government.

Design thinking for disaster resilience

Hosted by Sue Hutley

Natural disasters continue to affect libraries and cultural institutions around the world. Extreme weather events cause damage and destruction not only to buildings and collections but also to the ability for communities to recover and rejuvenate. Libraries often become hubs of community refuge during disasters and are immensely important in the recovery phase after disasters.

This workshop will use Design Thinking activities and engagement with real life disaster scenarios to collate and develop resources and ideas that can be shared with the wider library community to understand and increase the skills and capacity of library staff in the area of disaster resilience. You don’t have to be a disaster recovery expert or have experienced being directly involved a disaster before. Bring along your experiences, networks and creativity and desire to support local communities that have been impacted by disasters.

A portrait photo of Sue Hutley

About Sue Hutley

Sue Hutley is the General Manager, Library Customer Services at Bond University Library. During her career, Sue has worked in managerial positions in special, public and academic libraries and well as a not-for-profit Executive Director.

Sue is currently the volunteer Chair of Blue Shield Australia, a national committee of Blue Shield International, working to protect cultural heritage threatened by armed conflict and natural disasters. blueshieldaustralia.org.au @BlueShieldAust @suehutley

LGBTIQ+ inclusive collections

Hosted by Dr Shirleene Robinson

How can we ensure libraries are facilitating connections with LGBTIQ people and making LGBTIQ experiences accessible? How does the entire community benefit when we create such opportunities and spaces for these perspectives and when we to listen to and learn from voices we are not familiar with and marginalised perspectives?

Deeply embedded historical and cultural practices with ongoing legacies can mean that libraries can be viewed as spaces of exclusion for many LGBTIQ people. They can also mean that many LGBTIQ people do not engage with libraries and thus perpetuate collections that are not fully inclusive of the LGBTIQ experience.

This interactive, hands-on session will explore the historical barriers that still impact on LGBTIQ engagement with libraries and the GLAM sector. The workshop will facilitate a deep exploration of the reasons why LGBTIQ people’s engagement with libraries and representation of their stories in library collections need to be increased. It will also create a space for workshopping a road map of how libraries can bridge gaps and provide a more welcoming space for the LGBTIQ population.

The workshop will include an exploration of how libraries can use digital stories to empower communities and placement of a focus on collecting of LGBTIQ stories and materials, even when negative bias is present.

A portrait photo of Shirleene Robinson

About Dr Robinson

Dr Shirleene Robinson has a PhD in History from the University of Queensland and is an academic historian and Associate Professor. She is the author of a number of books. These include the edited collection “Homophobia: An Australian History”, which was the first study to consider the history of homophobia in an Australian context. She was also the co-author in 2010 of the largest study of homophobia and transphobia in any Australian jurisdiction.

She has worked (with the National Library of Australia and in partnership with a number of universities across Australia) on the first national oral history project to explore gay and lesbian lives across Australia. Shirleene has been a volunteer with Australian Marriage Equality since 2012. She is currently Director, national spokesperson and New South Wales co-coordinator for Australian Marriage Equality and President of Sydney’s Pride History Group. In 2017, Shirleene was named as one of The Conversation’s top fifty Australian thinkers.

Respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems

Hosted by Kirsten Thorpe and Lesley Acres

Indigenous peoples internationally have distinct requirements in relation to their library and information needs. Indigenous worldviews and perspectives challenge Western views of knowledge management and they require a shift of mainstream practice. Various histories of colonisation have also developed and information landscape that is complex for Indigenous peoples.

This workshop will draw on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Library and Information Resources Network (ATSILIRN) Protocols for Libraries, Archives and Information Services as a framework to discuss the support and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems. Participants will collaborate to produce recommendations and a call to action for the library sector to support Indigenous priorities.

This is a participatory workshop, which will utilise yarning as a culturally safe method to discuss the strengths and gaps in this area. The workshop welcomes the participation of Indigenous peoples and library advocates (activists, allies, accomplices). A portion of the ticketing will be held for Indigenous participants. Please note that segments of the workshop will be filmed.

A portrait image of Kirsten Thorpe

About Kirsten Thorpe

Kirsten Thorpe (Worimi, Port Stephens NSW) has led the development of protocols, policies, and services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in libraries and archives in Australia. Kirsten’s research interests relate to Indigenous self-determination in libraries and archives. She has been involved in numerous projects that have involved the return of historic collections to Indigenous peoples and communities, and advocates for a transformation of practice to center Indigenous priorities and voice in regard to the management of data, records, and collections. Kirsten is a member of the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research where she leads the Indigenous Archive and Data Stewardship Hub . The Hub focusses on research and engagement in relation to Indigenous protocols and decolonising practices in the library and archive field in Australia.

Kirsten is an advocate for the ‘right of reply’ to records, as well as capacity building and support for the development of local Indigenous digital keeping places. Kirsten was previously the Manager, Indigenous Services at the State Library of NSW where she led the development of strategies supporting state-wide information services for Indigenous people. This included support for Indigenous priorities and cultural competency across NSW Public Libraries, the launch of the Library’s first Indigenous Collecting Strategy, and projects that supported the documentation, return and revitalisation of Indigenous Australian languages through archival sources.

Kirsten is a PhD candidate at Monash University, in the Faculty of Information Technology, where she is investigating the question of Indigenous Cultural Safety in Australian Libraries and Archives.

A portrait image of Lesley Acres

About Lesley Acres

Lesley Ahwang Acres is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman who traces descent from the Bidjara and Kairi tribes with family ties to Badu Island, Torres Strait.

She works as a Program Officer, Indigenous Library Services at State Library of Queensland. State Library currently supports 24 Indigenous Knowledge Centres (IKCs), operated by 12 Indigenous Shire Councils, located across Queensland from the Torres Straits and Cape York regions in the north to Cherbourg in the south, assisting Councils to open, refurbish and relocate IKCs.

Lesley joined State Library in 2013 and support Cherbourg, Woorabinda and Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Councils to operate their IKCs.

She is also employed by NSLA as a Project Officer to assist with the implementation of the Indigenous Cultural Competency Project.

Her professional knowledge, having worked in different levels of government in the last 26 years, ranges from Indigenous affairs including business, training, women’s issues and housing.

Responsive library design

Hosted by Stanely Tan and Siti Fatimah Taib

We live in an age of rapid disruption and transformation, with the need to continuously develop new approaches to respond to uncertainties and challenges. What does it mean to be bold and curious in this day and age? How should libraries advocate innovation and experimentation in its design of spaces, services and staff, while encouraging the spirit of inquiry amongst its stakeholders?

Join us at the Next Library Innovation Studio on 11 October 2020 and find out how Library Design can be enhanced through a deeper understanding of our users, facilitated by community engagement efforts, in order to transform library experiences for both citizens and library professionals.

The Next Library Satellite 2020 Innovation Studio on Library Design is jointly organised by the State Library of Queensland and the National Library Board, Singapore.

About National Library Board, Singapore

The National Library Board (NLB) nurtures readers for life, learning communities and a knowledgeable nation through Singapore's network of 26 Public Libraries, the National Library and the National Archives of Singapore. Its mission is to make knowledge come alive, spark imagination and create possibilities by ensuring that reading is made accessible to everyone in Singapore, providing reference services and preserving the country's cultural and literary heritage. NLB was awarded the 2016 ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects, in recognition of the design of library@Orchard and NLB’s innovative services that transformed the library-going experience for citizens and library staff.

A portrait photo of Stanley Tan and Siti Fatimah Taib

About Stanley Tan

Stanley is Director of Library Planning and Development at the National Library Board Singapore. He stumbled upon library design and development work after 13 years in various arts, heritage, culture and information service portfolios and survived the birth of two of Singapore’s emblematic public libraries, library@Chinatown and library@orchard. He is excited to have discovered, through the design and development process, the joys of challenging age-old norms and imagining what future library experiences could be.

By day, he is grateful to be able to work with an eclectic band of like-minded change makers on their next attempt at re-thinking current experiences....all these while dodging killer stares from naysayers of change or getting “drunk” from coffees and bubble-teas. By night, he transforms into a cuddly superhero to a 6-year old and occasionally pretends to be a self-made PJ Mask expert. He enjoys meeting people with common aspirations to advance the charm and allure of libraries through design and re-think of the concept of future libraries. If you are one such kindred spirit, say hello and let’s exchange ideas or trade tips over a good cup of coffee.

About Siti Fatimah Taib

Siti started her career working in Singapore's public library network as an Associate Librarian for 4 years before crossing over to the Experience Design unit in the Library Planning and Development division as a manager.

She was previously involved in developing Adult-focused initiatives and worked with volunteer corporate organizations to deliver library services to low-income households in Singapore.

These days, Siti designs library experiences for both customers and staff, including the planning and design of library spaces and enhancing user interfaces and user experience for the library’s digital platforms. Her professional North Star is to amalgamate traditional methodologies with cutting-edge tech technology to ensure seamless and meaningful engagement across multi-generational library customers.

In her spare time, she likes contemplating ideas on how one can push the envelope in the evolution of libraries to be self-sustainable, relatable and relevant for future generations. However, the one question that continues to perplex her even at night is why her cat is always ignoring her.

A man and a group of participants clapping.

Collaborate in the Next Library Lab

Next Library Lab will be open for the duration of the conference to showcase the outcomes of our five Innovation Studios and provide an opportunity for all conference participants to contribute their ideas.

Share, remix and interrogate the key topics and themes from the Innovation Studios, and watch as the Lab transforms over time. This is a space where everyone has equal opportunity to let their voice be heard.

No registration is needed for the Lab, so you are welcome to come back again and again.

A woman takes an image of a stack of rocks on a table using an iPhone

Activations

Create a unique experience

Next Library is a conference like no other, where State Library will host innovative thinkers and boundary pushers from around the world to connect, collaborate and co-create.

Onsite activations create an environment where there’s something more to explore around every corner – quick hits of information which surprise, spark conversations, challenge ways of thinking, and inspire people around a revolutionary idea or initiative.

Activations will surprise and delight, providing small interactions with big impact.

Exterior view of the State Library of Queensland.

Next Library Satellite

Join us in Brisbane, Australia 11 - 13 October 2020

Find out more