To promote international exchange among local libraries and enhance these librarians’ understanding of key trends in global library and information development, NCL invited Ms. Vicki McDonald, State Librarian of Queensland and former President of IFLA, to deliver an online lecture and engage in scholarly exchange on October 28, 2025.
During the lecture, NCL Director-General Han-Ching Wang first delivered opening remarks and introduced the guest speaker, Director McDonald. Drawing on her extensive professional experience in library practice, Director McDonald presented a lecture entitled “Libraries of Influence: Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact—The Case of the State Library of Queensland,” offering an in-depth exploration of how libraries can exert meaningful social influence.
In her lecture, Director McDonald first outlined the challenges of serving library users by examining Queensland’s geographic and demographic characteristics. She then introduced the State Library of Queensland’s vision and strategic objectives, and discussed how libraries can achieve these goals within the framework of UNESCO’s Public Library Manifesto and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She also shared numerous case studies illustrating how the State Library of Queensland designs and delivers user-centered services.
The keynote lecture underscored that the core value of libraries extends far beyond serving merely as repositories of collections; it lies in ensuring that everyone has free and equitable access to culture and knowledge. The State Library of Queensland focuses its services on children, families, students, and digitally disadvantaged communities. Through its spaces and services, the Library actively promotes social equity, inclusion, and interaction, while enriching the public’s reading experiences and quality of life.
During the post-lecture Q&A session moderated by Director-General Wang, engaged participants raised a wide range of insightful and in-depth questions. Topics included how institutional vision can be translated into daily operations and staff actions, whether the Library’s partnerships extend to cross-sector or cross-departmental collaboration, and strategies for outreach to adolescent audiences, among others. Director McDonald responded to each question with detailed explanations and thoughtful feedback, enabling participants to gain substantial insights from the exchange.
