Happy Harmony Day!
- 20 Mar 2015
With Harmony Day coming up, Lyn Thompson writes about how the State Library has promoted cultural inclusion in its work…
This Saturday is Harmony Day – a day for celebrating Australia’s cultural diversity. It is held every year on 21 March to coincide with the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 2015 marks the fifteenth year the day has been celebrated in Australia. At the State Library of Queensland (SLQ), it is an opportunity for us to reflect on what we are doing to promote cultural inclusion in our work.
Queensland is a vibrant state with a growing population that is becoming increasingly diverse. In recognition of this diversity, SLQ has developed a Multicultural Engagement Framework 2014–17. The Framework builds on our past Multicultural Action Plan 2012–13, and highlights our ongoing commitment to collaborate with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and external partners to provide access to knowledge, learning, creative experiences and employment opportunities.
SLQ is a place of diversity and inclusiveness that celebrates each Queenslander’s unique story. This includes the stories of people from CALD backgrounds and how they contribute to the rich culture and linguistic heritage of our state. For example, the Sharing Stories from Multicultural Communities project sought to increase representation of CALD communities in SLQ’s collection. The project uncovered the heritage of three multicultural festivals by documenting the multicultural communities through photo essays and oral histories. The three festivals included: Australian-Italian Festival; The Pacific Unity Festival, Queensland and Africa Day celebrations.
SLQ plays a lead role in serving all Queenslanders, through state-wide library services and partnerships with more than 318 public libraries, including 22 Indigenous Knowledge Centres. Communities play a central role in the design and delivery of library services and programs. Queensland public libraries offer their communities trusted, safe places, and spaces that inspire ideas, creativity, and the opportunity to share knowledge and culture.
Community and connectedness are at the heart of SLQ. Over the past few years, SLQ has established and developed mutually beneficial relationships and partnerships with CALD community groups, organisations and government agencies to deliver accessible and inclusive library services and programs. For example, for the past 4 years SLQ has partnered with Mercy Community Services, Romero Centre, to host an International Women’s Day event that shares unique stories of women from many cultural backgrounds and acknowledges the important contribution they make to the Queensland community. The principles that guide our engagement with community and partners focus on SLQ being inclusive, collaborative, open, responsive and sustainable.
We began our consultation process by forming an internal Multicultural Engagement Framework Working Group, inviting all staff to be part of the process and ensuring that the Framework was a whole of organisation commitment. An external Multicultural Engagement Framework Task Group was then formed, comprised of key government and non-government multicultural stakeholders, who guided and advised SLQ through the development of the Framework.
In May 2014, SLQ held two multicultural engagement forums, with 45 participants representing CALD communities and service providers in South East Queensland. Participants shared their own experiences of SLQ, as well as ideas on how SLQ can be more accessible and inclusive for CALD communities. An online survey was undertaken concurrently to ensure we included the voices of CALD communities and groups in regional areas. The feedback and information we received has informed the key priority areas and measures in our Framework.
Our Framework is a living document and will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis. The internal Working Group is responsible for implementing and reporting on SLQ’s actions and the SLQ Executive Team is responsible for monitoring our progress to ensure we remain on track to deliver results. The greatest measures of success will be seeing an increase in the diversity of our audiences, collections and strategic partnerships, as well as providing programming for, with and by CALD communities.
SLQ’s Multicultural Engagement Framework 2014-17 is available on the State Library of Queensland website in plain text and downloadable PDF. For more information please email socialinclusion@slq.qld.gov.au or call 07 3842 9058.
What are your experiences of engaging culturally diverse communities in your work? What activities have you undertaken to promote inclusion?
Lyn is the Senior Project Officer Social Inclusion at the State Library of Queensland (SLQ). Lyn has been working at SLQ for over 9 years, and has held many roles within Indigenous Library Services and the Social Inclusion unit. She enjoys being part of a team that is passionate about promoting community engagement and focuses on working in partnership with public libraries and other relevant organisations throughout Queensland to develop more socially inclusive library services.
Feature image: Traditional African Dance, Africa Day Celebrations, 2014. Part of SLQ’s Sharing Stories from Multicultural Communities project. Credit: Dean Saffron.