ERA and the ALIA Public Libraries Summit

Electronic Resources Australia (ERA) is here to help all Australians access quality information through libraries.  Former Senator John Tierney commented in late August this year that without the work of libraries to assist Australians by providing access to quality information, the community, business and education across the nation would be considerably poorer.  He commented that public libraries were a vital force for social inclusion and congratulated Australian libraries on their collaborative action.

The ALIA Public Libraries Summit was held on 16 July and ERA was a major focus of discussion and recommendations on models for future funding.  Senator the Hon Ursula Stephens, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector opened the summit. She said:

• Libraries today are a hub for community life, offering programs, community services and a neutral, safe space to gather…Through your computers you have revealed the Internet’s limitless potential for connection to people who may otherwise never have had the chance.
• Libraries have responded and adapted to the challenges of the information age...
• Public libraries clearly play a central and valued role in strengthening communities, developing people and building inclusive societies.  So it’s not surprising that social inclusion was one of the four key themes reflected in the many submissions to this forum…
• The synergies between your goals and the government’s social inclusion agenda are clearly apparent…Social Inclusion is about ensuring all Australians have the opportunity and capability to learn, work, engage and have a voice. It’s about meeting the needs of our most vulnerable people, and it’s also about building engaged communities, active citizenry and the kind of rich civil society we all want to share in...
• Libraries are perhaps one of our greatest assets for social inclusion.  They hold a rare and privileged position in the nation’s heart as a community hub where everyone can belong.

ALIA is following up with Senator Stephens urging the government to better support Australians through their public libraries.

Roxanne Missingham - ERA Executive Committee Chair

Britannica Online School Edition PreK-8 & PreK-12 and Introducing Learning Zone for PreK-2 early learners.

Britannica Online School Edition includes four different products within the one resource.  Through each of the age-appropriate resources, Britannica provides instructional and research content that will fit the needs of every user from one simple access point.  Contained within is the Encyclopædia Britannica for Senior High School students, Britannica for Middle School and Primary Britannica and Britannica’s latest program for PreK-2 Early Learners, Learning Zone.  With the addition of Learning Zone, Britannica Online School Edition reaches every user at every level, while still providing educators with teacher resources, learning objects, digital images and media, maps and much more.

Find out more about Britannica Online through the links on the Britannica Online page on the ERA website.

ERA resources from Gale

Gale, part of Cengage Learning, has 7 products available through ERA:

• Health & Wellness Resource Center + Alternative Health Module
• Health Reference Center Academic
• Literature Resource Center
• Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
• Science Resource Center
• Global Issues in Context
• Speaking from Experience

Find out more about these Gale products through the links on the Gale Cengage page on the ERA website.

New ERA staff member

Kristen Dyer joined the team at ERA this month.  Kristen has extensive experience in working in special libraries, most recently in the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing Library.  She will provide support to ERA in website, database and general administration.