IFLA ARL Webinar Series | Held online on November 02, 2022 The United Nations 2030 Agenda outlines a plan for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. The primary goal of the Agenda, via the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is to transform the world. Since its launch in 2015, the 17 SDGs have become embedded in the research agendas of institutions of higher education. The academic library has become an eminent partner in supporting its institution achieve its SDGs ambition. This presentation, Australian university libraries and the UN SDGs: a mission for change, explores Gerald Beasley’s assertion that sustainable development needs to have a stronger place in academic librarianship, and the SDGs provide an excellent framework for librarians to think about their collections, services and spaces in those terms. Presented by: Roxanne Missingham, FALIA, PFHEA, OAM - University Librarian (Chief Scholarly Information Officer) at the Australian National University

1. AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES AND THE UN
SDGS: A MISSION FOR CHANGE

2. INTRODUCTION
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Yumma darruwa Ngunnawal

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Australian
universities
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39 public universities

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Australian
universities
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UN SDGs
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 Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) agreed by the United
 Nations on September 25, 2015
 They replaced the Millennial
Development Goals (MDGs)
 Based on a theory of change
designed to improve the quality
of life of people across the
globe.
Indy Shead

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JFK Library

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Three themes
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1.Working together – no library can be
an island
2.Aligning to national and local
objectives
3.Maturity and measurement

8. WORKING
TOGETHER,
ALIGNING WITH
INSTITUTIONS
AND NATIONAL
POLICY
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8 OCTOBER 2021
02

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Working
together
– theory
and
practice
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Chalmers, Ian (2020) The development of visions and strategies for Australia’s sustainable future Solving complex societal challenges through
leveraging future scenario planning, strategic planning and community engagement programs, PhD

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Working together
as a profession
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National policy
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 Policy responsibility sits with the
Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade
 Agenda is “well-aligned with
Australia's foreign, security,
development and trade interests -
especially in promoting regional
stability, security and economic
prosperity. It also helps Australia in
advocating for a strong focus on
economic growth and development
in the Indo-Pacific region and in
promoting gender equality,
governance and strengthening tax
systems.”
https://www.sdgdata.gov.au/
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Libraries in
Australia
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 ALIA – 2017 added 6th object to the
Association endorsing UN
Declaration of Human Rights article
19 and SGDs
 2018 ALIA report on libraries
contribution to SDG 1, 3,5, 8, 9, 10,
11, 16 and 17
 Research libraries - CAUL report
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13. UNPACKING A
STRATEGIC
APPROACH
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13 OCTOBER 2021
02

14.  Not referenced in the national HE
agenda
 Strategic goals of universities remain
generally as education, research and
policy contribution
 Some research, such as the Monash
SDG Institute
 Others are more focused – see it as a
way to increase/game rankings (THE
new ranking) or international student
numbers
 Generally funding not available for
SDGs as for HE library activities
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What is
distinctive
for
Australian
higher
education?
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15. Contributing to our universities
Individual library activities can be
related to the SDGs
CAUL
CAUL’s work, in particular through
the IARLA, can be related to SDG 17
CAUL statistics
Data on activities relevant to the
SDGs
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Relating library
activities to
SDGs
Image
crhttps://www.caul.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/caul-doc/sdgs2019report.pdfedit
here
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CAUL & member
strategic priorities
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Member priorities
CAUL member priority to add
value to their universities
Significant benefit of
demonstrating achievement
of their university goals
CAUL
CAUL activities need to
deliver value to members
CAUL current information
base
Have a wealth of information

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Current
committment
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https://read.alia.org.au/sites/default/files/documents/2021_sdg_str
etch_targets_screen.pdf

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03 MATURITY
MODEL

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Reaching maturity
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 Individual university plans and
responses
 Rankings
 THE
 QS
 Contributing to specific university
goals
 Research
 Education
 Public policy

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Rankings
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QS
Indicators are split into environmental sustainability
measures – including sustainable institutions,
sustainable education and sustainable research –
and social impact measures – including equality,
knowledge exchange, educational impact,
employability and opportunities, and quality of life.
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-
rankings/sustainability-
rankings/methodology

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Rankings
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THE
Scoring within an SDG
There are three categories of metrics within each SDG:
• Research metrics are derived from data supplied by
Elsevier. For each SDG, a specific query has been
created
• Continuous metrics measure contributions to impact
that vary continually across a range – for example, the
number of graduates with a health-related degree.
• policies and initiatives – for example, the existence of
mentoring programmes
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/impactranking

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For discussion
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Individual
libraries
• Opening up access
• Connecting to sustainable cities and communities
associations
• Leading programs on access and inclusion
LIS sector
• National reporting and engagement
Funding
• An area of challenge
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Best practice anc gaps
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Opening up
access
• Strong individual programs
• Lack of cohesive national approach
• Discovery underdeveloped
Education
• Sharing learnings for literacy
• Increasing access through openly accessible resources
• Low take up unless in curriculum
Research
• Significant work on research data for sustainability
• Lack of cohesive national approach
Policy
development
• An area of challenge
• Need for connected ecosystem approach across the world – JSTOR example
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24. Further discussion
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University House ANU Canberra
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:University_House_ANU_Canberra_(2948649223).jpg
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25. Thank you
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