Too Much Stuff! Forging Future Libraries

Libraries are store houses of information – and the volume and complexity of collections has and is growing exponentially leading to backlogs, under described collections and what could be argued to be unnecessary duplication. This is leading to increasingly unsustainable practices, including increasing the environmental impact of physical and digital collections storage by building more storage space or collection repositories.

We cannot continue to work in our own vacuums – collectively we are lacking resources to reappraise our collections and to make meaningful decisions to deaccession and dispose whilst continuing to build collections. In the 1990s Australian libraries were supportive of the idea of a Nationally Distributed Collection, working together to ensure collections are accessible and available nationally.

What can we do? This presentation looks to start a conversation revisiting the notion of a nationally distributed collection and share what is currently happening in the UK between Higher Education and Preservation libraries and the leadership and active participation required to ensure we have sustainable and accessible collections now and into the future – forging sustainable future libraries.

Annette Mills is currently Business Analyst Collections at the State Library of South Australia (SLSA), and until recently was the Manager Collection Development at Southampton University (UK). She has previously worked in various professional roles at the SLSA most recently in collection analytics and preservation.

She has strong experience working with library and archives collections in collection management and exhibition roles. She course coordinates, tutors and teaches in various GLAM programs with the University of South Australia.