VALA Award 2008

2008 VALA Award, RMIT TV News

The winner of the 2008 VALA Award is Informit TVNews, from RMIT Publishing. Informit TVNews is an online media database that has provided a synopsis and access to most news, current affairs and selected documentaries on ABC, ABC 2, SBS, 7, 9 and 10 since September 2007. This comprehensive index enables Screenrights members (including all universities, TAFEs and most schools) to search, browse and be alerted to news stories and programmes, with the option to download, save or email the videos immediately to desktop. The archive grows 24/7; stories are continuously updated to create the most comprehensive record of Australian TV news.

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.

In 2008 VALA had the largest field of applicants to choose from. The Evaluation Subcommittee narrowed it down to a short list of 4 and then began the difficult task of nominating just one to receive that award. We all felt that the short listed projects were worthy of the recognition. All have made innovative use of technology, all have made a significant contribution to service delivery for their organisations, all have had a significant impact upon their clients. All have that wow factor that impressed us.

We wish to acknowledge the runners-up:

  • The Business Intelligence Database, an environmental scanning solution provided by library staff at the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics). Automated information feeds, from a wide range of sources, are collated in a single database and sorted into subject specific categories. ABS staff are then alerted to new content through an email subscription service.
  • ATO eLibrary – a dynamic desktop information toolkit built and delivered by the ATO eLibrary team. eLibrary is an integrated suite of products that provides a “one stop shop” – an information tool kit tailored to the needs of the key client groups in the Tax Office.
  • Monash University’s Federated repositories of X-ray diffraction images, a cooperative project between the Library, the faculty of Medicine and the ARROW and ARCHER projects.

VALA Award 2010

This winner of the VALA Award this year is iBIMS™ – The Digital Link @ Willoughby City Library.

A Chinese OPAC available via the internet, iBIMS™ (the Intelligent Book Information Management System) is the first truly bilingual (dual language display) web-based OPAC of its kind, bridging the communication gap between non-English speaking patrons and librarians who cannot speak the native language for accessing the LOTE (Language Other Than English) language collection. It can be run on any PC, handheld device or any smartphone with a web browser and internet connection.

iBIMS™ is also setting the standard for a multi-lingual web-based search engine for other ethnic languages such as Korean, Japanese and Greek.

Congratulations, Michele Burton!

 

About the VALA Award

VALA AwardOpen to all Libraries and Information Services in Australia, the biennial VALA Award recognizes outstanding and innovative use of ICT to improve service to customers.

The VALA Committee presents the VALA Award to the library or information service which has, in the opinion of the judging panel, made the most innovative use of information and/or communication technologies to improve service to customers. This could be either through the provision of new or upgraded services or facilities, or through improvements to operational systems.

Nominations for the 2024 VALA Award will be opening soon.

Past Recipients include:-

VALA Award Recipients

  • 2022 – State Library of Queensland – Siganto Digital Learning Program
  • 2020 – State Library of New South Wales – The Diary Files and State Library of Queensland – ANZAC Stories
  • 2018 – The State Library of Queensland – Tunley Braille Globe project
  • 2016 – National Library of Australia – edeposit service and University of Melbourne – data forensics lab
  • 2014 – Curtin University Library App
  • 2012 – The Research Hub, at Griffith University
  • 2010 – iBIMS™ – The Digital Link @ Willoughby City Library
  • 2008 – Informit TVNews from RMIT Publishing
  • 2006 – Deb Stumm and Christine Sayer, State Library of Queensland Queensland Stories
  • 1998 – Buddy (integrated web-based subject gateway), University of Melbourne Library (Vic)
  • 1996 – Voiceprint (telephone-based information service) and Talking Catalogue, Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind (Vic)
  • 1994 – Centre for Networked Access to Scholarly Information, Australian National University Library (ACT)
  • 1992 – Fast-track issues system, Waverley City Libraries (Vic)
  • 1990 – University of Melbourne Library (Vic) – TITAN Research Collection Applications
  • 1988 – Redcliffe City Council Library Service (Qld) – Electronic Bulletin Board Service
  • 1986 – Library for the Blind (NSW) – Talking Book application
  • 1984 – Peninsula Regional Library Service (Vic) – Connection of Bookmobile sites for on-line operations

 

VALA Award 2006

Deb Stumm and Christine Sayer, State Library of Queensland Queensland Stories: community, collections and digital technology at the State Library of Queensland

VALA2008 Session 4 Stumm

VALA2008Queensland Stories: community, collections and digital technology at the State Library of Queensland (2006 VALA Award)

VALA 2008 CONCURRENT SESSION 4: Engaging Communities
Tuesday 5 February 2008, 14:35 – 15:05
Persistent URL: http://www.vala.org.au/vala2008-proceedings/vala2008-session-4-stumm

VALA Peer Reviewed PaperDeb Stumm

Executive Manager, Heritage Collections, State Library of Queensland
http://www.slq.qld.gov.au

Christine Sayer

Creative Communities Officer, Public Library Services, State Library of Queensland
http://www.qldstories.slq.qld.gov.au

Please tag your comments, tweets, and blob posts about this session: #VALA2008

Abstract

In the vast state of Queensland, the ability to create and share stories about people, places, landscapes and ecology using digital technology and the World Wide Web bridges distance and difference. The sharing of stories is the key concept around which the Queensland Stories program has been built. The program strongly aligns with the State Library’s new strategic priorities and positions it as a leading institution in the field of digital technology. It promotes the State Library as a centre of creativity and learning, and provides opportunities for community engagement projects as well as the creation of user generated content for the collection.