VALA
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| Founded | 1978 |
|---|---|
| Focus | Library science, Information technology, Library 2.0, Digital library |
| Location |
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Area served | Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums |
Key people | 2009-10 President: David Feighan. Executive Officer: Alyson Kosina. |
| Website | http://www.vala.org.au |
VALA - Libraries, Technology and the Future Inc. (VALA) is an Australian not-for-profit professional organisation that promotes the use and understanding of information and communication technologies across the galleries, libraries, archives and museum sectors. VALA was established as the Victorian Association for Library Automation in 1978[1] in response to the emergence of automated library catalogues and other technologies that were revolutionising the industry at the time. The name was changed in 2006 to VALA - Libraries, Technology and the Future.
Governance and membership
VALA is governed by a Committee elected annually from the VALA membership. Membership is open to anyone interested in professional aims of the organisation.
Conferences
The VALA biennial conference is one of the largest conferences of its type in the region. Since their commencement in 1981, VALA conferences have provided one of the major points of contact for Australian librarians with their overseas counterparts.[2] The 15th VALA Biennial Conference: Connections, Content, Conversations, is to be held in Melbourne from 9 to 11 February 2010.
Awards
VALA also grants the following awards:
- The Robert D. Williamson Award - Awarded biennially to an individual or organisation who, in the opinion of the judging panel, is currently making an outstanding contribution to the development of information technology usage in Australian libraries and is positively and significantly influencing development in information technology usage within libraries.
- The VALA Award - made biennially, is presented to the Australian library or information centre judged to have made the most innovative use of information technology during the previous two years.
- The VALA Travel Scholarship - every two years VALA offers up to two Travel Scholarships to enable suitable persons to travel overseas to examine aspects of library automation. Recipients receive up to AUD $13,000 towards travel, accommodation and living expenses. Successful candidates must complete their study in time to present their findings at the following VALA Biennial Conference.
- The VALA Student Award - Each year, the VALA Student Award is presented to one student from RMIT University and one from Monash University, in recognition of outstanding achievement in postgraduate library and information management courses.
Notes
- ^ Groenewegen, HW 2004, 'Four decades of library automation: recollections and reflections', The Australian Library Journal, vol. 53, no. 1, pp. 39-53.
- ^ Jilovsky, C 2003, 'Systems librarianship in Australia: a historical perspective', Library Hi Tech, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 297-308.
See also Henninger, M 1992, 'OPAC and Beyond: A Report of the VALA 6th Biennial Conference, November 11-13', LASIE, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 86-90.
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