In November/December 2012 the link between education and libraries was realised in a conference which presented a unique opportunity to bring together those interested in the history of the people, places and institutions which have shaped the culture and learning of communities worldwide. Buildings, Books and Blackboards– Intersecting Narratives was a combined conference of the Australian and New Zealand History of Education Society (ANZHES), Mechanics' Institutes World Wide (under the auspices of Mechanics' Institutes Victoria), and the Tenth Library History Forum. Additionally, it was part of Melbourne Knowledge Week which aims to showcase the knowledge sector and enhance its reputation in a city already well known for its sport and culture.
The conference enabled the exploration of complementary historical perspectives, exchange of ideas and a forum for cross-disciplinary engagement through the prism of shared interests. Buildings, Books and Blackboards focussed on the ways in which the stories of individuals, including librarians, philanthropists, administrators, educators, and also organisations and institutions, have intersected throughout history to engage with their communities to promote the diffusion of knowledge and access to learning. The conference also included a number of satellite events related to its theme: a bus tour of mechanics' institutes in south-east Gippsland, visits to the Public Record Office of Victoria and to the Mechanics' Institutes Resource Centre at the Prahran Mechanics' Institute Library, and a behind the scenes tour of the State Library of Victoria.
Over 100 delegates from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, North America, South Africa, Singapore and Malaysia came to RMIT University in Melbourne to present and listen to papers related to the themes of buildings, libraries and education. The papers not only reflected the intersection between the history of libraries and education but also highlighted the ongoing relevance of related issues for contemporary practice. A selection of the papers, covering a broad spectrum of what was on offer at the conference, is presented in this special issue of The Australian Library Journal: two articles deal with the buildings, inside and out, which store and protect archival records; two tell the stories of people involved with providing library services; one extends the notion of the provision of library resources by investigating the contributions of ordinary people; and the final paper addresses the role of mechanics' institutes in adult education.
Sigrid McCausland's and Anna Griffith's papers together present the inside and outside of archives buildings. Sigrid McCausland's paper discusses the purpose and symbolism of the buildings which house archival records and Anna Griffith's paper discusses how the records within the buildings need to be protected and the strategies which might be employed for doing so. Anna Griffith is a student in the Master of Information Management program at RMIT University and her Scholarship–in-Practice piece is based on a behind-the-scenes tour of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Archives 1 facility in Washington D.C. Anna describes the activities of NARA's Holdings Protection Team as part of its Collection Security Management (CSM) and calls for a similar CSM strategy to be designed and supported in Australia. Sigrid's paper describes the physical nature of the Australian archives buildings which house our own precious archival records. She considers both their symbolic significance and practical responsibilities with relation to archival collections. Her paper concludes with a discussion of the future of archives buildings and archivists as digitisation renders more and more records virtual.
Phillip Kent's and David Jones' papers each tell a story. Phillip is the current University Librarian at the University of Melbourne and his narrative is of the challenges and triumphs of Edward Hippius Bromby, the first librarian appointed at that University. Bromby focussed his attention on building collections, facilities and services to support the curriculum of the developing university in the nineteenth century, before there was a profession of librarianship. He led the way for the librarians who followed and who now serve the students and academics of the twenty-first century. David Jones tells a story which was partly played out in The Australian Library Journal throughout 1972. The Library Association of Australia (now ALIA) requested the undertaking of a wide-ranging survey of library employees in New South Wales but the presentation and discussion of the results caused controversy and dismay. The role of John Metcalf in the imbroglio lends plenty of drama to what might have been a mere reporting of the employment situation of the day. In particular, the role of women at the State Library of New South Wales is examined with surprising revelations.
A paper directed at mechanics' institutes is provided by Martyn Walker, one of three invited international keynote speakers at the conference. Martyn is the Head of Department for Post Compulsory Education and Training at Huddersfield University in West Yorkshire and his particular research interest is in the mechanics' institute movement in the United Kingdom, especially in Yorkshire. Through an examination of institutes belonging to the Yorkshire Union Martyn makes an argument to rebut the claim that mechanics' institutes ultimately failed in their aim of providing education for the working class beyond the 1850s.
The final conference paper will appeal to all those who enjoy photography and movies and who value the images and stories captured, whether they be ‘grainy, blurry and jerky video’ images using old technology or via a state of the art iPhone. Bob Pymm promotes the value of amateur videography for the understanding it gives us of historical events and everyday activities and considers its place in today's libraries.
The conference from which this issue of ALJ has derived its papers was held in RMIT University's newly opened Swanston Academic Building (SAB). Architecturally and educationally the SAB is a twenty-first century experience but it also represents the ‘intersecting narrative’ of buildings, books and blackboards over time. The SAB wraps around the Oxford Scholar Hotel built in 1887, the same year that the Working Men's College (now RMIT University) began offering classes in technology, business and the arts. The first meeting to discuss the establishment of a trades college in Melbourne was held at The Athenaeum, the original Melbourne Mechanics' Institute, and the Buildings, Books and Blackboards – Intersecting Narratives conference was supported by RMIT's School of Business IT and Logistics which currently offers the Master of Information Management in the 50th year of teaching librarianship at the university. We hope that you enjoy some of the intersecting narratives presented here.