From 28 July to 3 August 2025 libraries across the country will come together to mark Library and Information Week.
Run annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), this year’s Library and Information Week theme is To Read or Not To Read: Literacy Matters.
While reading is a much-loved activity for many Australians, the choice ‘to read or not to read’ is not a simple one. As ALIA’s website states: “Socioeconomic circumstances, barriers to learning, the growing need for new kinds of literacies, limited or restricted access to books and technology, even time constraints can make reading an uphill battle for many.”
This Library and Information Week, libraries around Australia will shine a light on how libraries actively work to dismantle these barriers.
Two webinars will take place throughout the week: Advocating for Reading: Challenges and Opportunities for Australia’s Book Industry and What does it mean to be able to read and write in a digital era? alongside a range of events from ALIA Regional and Special Interest Groups and the broader Library and Information sector.
These sessions will explore current research into reading practices and habits, highlight initiatives such as Freedom to Read and our stand against censorship, and present speakers from ALIA Groups and others in the sector on how they’re supporting communities in the areas of adult literacy, media literacy, multicultural engagement, digital inclusion, disability access and more.
The week will also be used to boost existing advocacy messaging and urge decision-makers to consider what will happen if literacy rates decline and citizens are not equipped with the appropriate literacy skills to manage their day to day lives.
Find out more and get involved via ALIA’s website.