March 6 th 2007
East Melbourne Library
Present:
Heather McKay
Elaine Craig
Anne Burrows
Paul Michell
Kathy Smalley
Liz Pidgeon
Lina Favrin
Fiona Campbell
Apologies:
Yarra Melbourne, North Melbourne
Whitehorse Manningham, Doncaster
State Library of Victoria
Darebin Libraries, Northcote
Eastern Regional Libraries
Yarra Plenty
Yarra Melbourne, Fitzroy
Yarra Melbourne, East Melbourne
Vicki Court
Kay Rowan
Robyn Luczynski
Edith Fry
Whitehorse Manningham
Port Phillip
Moonee Valley
Central Highlands
Fiona Campbell, conducted a your of the library and provided the following notes.
During the two and a half years while the new building was being constructed East
Melbourne Library was housed in the tiny temporary facility at Trinity Hall. The new
East Melbourne Library and Community Centre finally opened on August 7th 2006 on the site of the previous building which dated back to the 1960s.
The new building is not only visually striking but is constructed with City of Melbourne’s energy-saving goals in mind. Rather than conventional air-conditioning systems, the building is heated and cooled via a system of vents in the ceilings and walls and by hydronic pipes carrying water through the concrete floor slab. The water is heated or cooled depending on the outside air temperature. The mechanical components are controlled by software running on a central computer and sensors placed throughout the building. Despite some teething problems due to the “pilot” nature of this technology in such a dense urban setting, we are now beginning to feel the system works quite efficiently on the whole with higher air quality as a result.
The ground level area forms the main library floor and includes an outdoor decking area with umbrellas, tables and seating. Upstairs houses a large community meeting space, staff rooms, toilets and the Local History Room. The Local History Room operates under an agreement between the library and the East Melbourne Historical Society. Space and storage is shared by the two entities. The room is kept locked and members of the public must generally be accompanied by a library staff member to access the resources.
Resources include the library’s local history collection, various directories and other

sources on microfiche, CD-ROMs and vertical files containing newspaper clippings, photographs, real estate notices etc. The basis of the vertical file collection is formed by the research Winston Burchett undertook until the late 1970s and thoroughly covers the buildings in the area of East Melbourne.
Around the table:
Anne Burrows, Genealogy Librarian, Genealogy Centre, State Library of Victoria overview

Family History Feast 2007 (collaborative Public Record Office Victoria, National
Archives of Australia (Victorian Office), Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and
Marriages and State Library of Victoria event) will be held during National
Family History Week on Thursday 9 August 2007 from 10am to 4pm in the State
Library of Victoria Theatrette. Bookings essential. This year for the first time the event will incorporate the Don Grant Lecture (VAFHO)
 Genealogy Team information sheets First two ‘Publishing your family history’ and ‘Ancestry Library Edition’ are now available on the Library's website. More to follow.

New publication. Anne distributed fliers to promote the new Genealogy Team microfiche publication compiled by Tom Corfmat ‘Index to Victorian Volunteer
Force personnel for the period 1860-61 taken from the Victoria Review’.
Elaine Craig - Whitehorse Manningham - Doncaster

The old Shoppingtown Library is now more, because of the redevelopment of
Westfield Doncaster Shopping Centre, and it has been replaced by a newly built, temporary building for 2 years.

The branch was closed for a week, and removalists completed the moving of everything on 2 days. The new building, located behind Manningham Council
Offices, was built by Manningham Council in about 1 month, over the
Christmas/New year period. It is much smaller than the former library, 55 sm as compared with 900, but when the Westfield redevelopment is completed, the new library will be on what is now the roof, and will be 1200sm.

The building can be relocated, dismantled and components reused or sold, with only the loss of the plaster.

Currently usage of the new branch is considerably down on the former location.

Reference was weeded heavily, and some items sent to Bulleen branch. Local
History is at The Pines, and the not for loan genealogy books are at Nunawading.
Microfiche and CD ROM’s remain at Doncaster.

The name of the branch has also changed from Shoppingtown to Doncaster.

It is probable that Whitehorse Manningham will subscribe to Ancestry.com in
July 2007.

Heather McKay - Yarra Melbourne
Received a community award for services to Local History from the North and West
Melbourne Association. It was presented at the community festival in November.
Helping with a project on researching your house in Kensington.
There will also be a new project on women in North Melbourne but the format is undecided at the moment.
Liz Pidgeon – Yarra Plenty

YPRL has three positions advertised at the moment – two branch managers and one part time marketing and media co-ordinator.

Staff have just completed an online (volunteer only) professional development program Learning 2.0 project. http://www.yprl.vic.gov.au/Learning_2.0/index.htm
an online program that encourages staff to learn more about emerging technologies on the web. Looked at 23 things such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, You
Tube, Flickr, RSS and Newsreaders, online image generators, online applications and tools such as Google docs etc.
Now commencing the second stage Library 2.0 project. Several modules including the “Creating Content” module which I am involved in and will be presenting in April looking at “Local History with an E” we will look at digitization using Hyperion and establishing LH content on a Wiki.

YPRL recently hosted the first Unconference for public librarians.
 We recently subscribed to the “Your Tutor” – online homework help for students.

I attended the conservation workshop recently held at SLV.

One of the things that came out of our Strategy last year was dedicated themed months so we will have Family History month in August and Local History
Month in November – presently organizing speakers and sessions for that (Region wide).

Also ongoing monthly family history sessions at Diamond Valley library – most of which I run.

I have been writing grant submissions – one for a reminiscences program and the other for a digitization program.
Paul Michel – Darebin, Northcote
No report received.
Kathy Smalley – Eastern Regional
No report received.

Lina Favrin – Yarra Melbourne, Fitzroy

The Fitzroy Town Hall Reopening is on Sunday 18th March 2007. The Library supplied realia and other council related artifacts and photographs for various displays throughout the building.

The former Adult Library has been renamed the Reading Room and was restored with a Heritage Victoria grant. A consultant was employed to install a permanent interpretative display showing the history of the Fitzroy Council and the history of
 the Fitzroy Library.
For more information visit: http://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/Services/Arts%20&%20Culture/FTH_reopenin asp

Celebrations are planned for the whole week ending on Friday 23 March. g.
Suggestions for 2007 program.
Sept – Ballarat (by Edith’s invitation) – this may involve a 2 day visit with an overnight stay as there are a number of facilities we could visit – not in the school holidays
Nov 14 – Genealogical Society of Victoria (Elaine Craig)
Next meeting:
Wednesday 27 th
June 2007
2 pm
Vision Australia Information Library Service
454 Glenferrie Road
Kooyong
Melway 59C3
RSVP to
Deborah.Mould@visionaustralia.org ph 9864 9629 Deborah Mould or Sue Jamieson 9864 9630
Nearest Landmark: Opposite the Kooyong Tennis Centre.
Train: Glen Waverley line, Kooyong station. Entrance to building is opposite Pedestrian
Crossing at the station.
Tram: Line 16 To Kew via St Kilda. Disembark either at the stop outside the Vision
Australia carpark, or the stop next to the Kooyong Railway Station.
Parking: Some available in the public parks area adjacent to the building, and also in
Talbot Crescent (next to the train line).

Entry points: From Talbot Crescent (railway station), you will pass the Café on the right and come to the main glassed corridor. Turn left to go to Main Reception.
From Glenferrie Road, walk up the circular driveway and go to the Yellow Entrance to reach Main Reception.