Speakers - QPLA

Yumi Stynes

Yumi Stynes is a broadcaster and writer who’s been working in Australian media for almost two decades, evolving from music reporter to her current, “more mature” focus as a writer on Arts, Culture, Food, Gender Politics and Human Sexuality. She’s known for her honesty, warmth and humour.

Angela Meyer

Proudly Sponsored by James Bennett

Angela Meyer has worked in the book industry for almost two decades, including as a bookseller, book journalist, trade magazine editor, commissioning editor and publisher, freelance book editor, and author. She is also an award-winning author of novels, a novella, and flash fiction, and her work has been widely published in magazines, journals and newspapers. Her latest novel is Moon Sugar. She is currently a lecturer in the Master of Writing and Publishing at RMIT University.

PRESENTATION

Australian publishers are bringing energy to the climate crisis and other, interrelated issues of environmental sustainability. They are switching to green energy, cutting down on plastic, managing waste, switching to greener packaging and shipping methods and more. But by the time a book arrives in a bookstore or library, it has already been through a greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)-heavy process. A large percentage of the CO2-e footprint of a book comes from paper, printing and shipping. In the trade, some books are shipped back and forth and often pulped at the end of the process, which is wasteful and unsustainable.
At the beginning of 2023, a report Angela worked on for BookPeople (the Australian Booksellers Association) was released, looking at these issues from a bookselling point of view. Angela has kept in touch with publishers and will present an update of where the industry is at with environmental sustainability and what this might mean for libraries.

Dr Bridie Kean

Lecturer – University of the Sunshine Coast

Dr Bridie Kean is a Lecturer in Public Health and the Program Lead of the Master of Health Promotion (MHP) and Graduate Certificate in Health Promotion at UniSC. Bridie teaches foundational public health and research courses within the MHP. As an early career researcher with a lived experience of a physical disability, Bridie’s research how to create equitable opportunity to and through sport and physical activity for people with a disability.

Bridie’s research is underpinned by a belief that when there is equitable opportunities, inclusive sport and para-sport can greatly impact the health and well-being of people with a physical disability. Bridie works closely with industry to conduct research to inform equitable opportunities for para-athletes and has conducted research projects with Paralympics Australia, Queensland Academy of Sport, Basketball Australia and UniSport.

Bridie’s passion for equitable opportunities in sport extends to grassroots and inclusive sporting opportunities. Bridie was involved in the bid process for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and is focused on the legacy vision of ensuring all Queenslanders with a disability have better access to sport and physical activity as a result of hosting the 2032 Games. Bridie’s research and practice is underpinned by a public health perspective, that in order to achieve this vision we must consider the role of the environment in order to create equitable opportunities for people with a disability to access sport and physical activity.

Teaching and Learning

· Member of School of Health Learning and Teaching Committee, UniSC

· Program Lead of Master of Health Promotion and Graduate Certificate in Health Promotion

Courses

· Public Health Foundations

· Public Health Research and Evidence

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

Why inclusion matters
Current project overviews on creating inclusive environments

Chris Boden

Director – Peregian Digital Hub

Chris brings 20 years of experience working in digital leadership roles in startup and corporate environments. After creating and launching some of the early consumer mobile apps back in 2001, he has gone on to create and launch innovative new services around the world, building and leading teams in Sydney, Beijing, Singapore, Melbourne and San Francisco. He has helped take a start-up from concept through to an exit to a Nasdaq-listed company, mixed it at the corporate executive level working with high profile boards and investors, and pitched to some of the leading venture capital firms and investors.

Chris moved his family to Noosa from Silicon Valley where he ran a mobile start-up that he had incubated and spun out of Lonely Planet. He had previously led Lonely Planet’s digital transformation as the head of its Mobile division and Innovation Lab. Most recently, he has been consulting on digital transformation and product development for emerging platforms.

PRESENTATION: The role of Libraries in the Age of AI

Chris Boden will provide an enlightening exploration into the dynamic intersection of libraries and Artificial Intelligence. Leveraging his diverse experience in the tech sector, Chris will offer unique insights into how libraries can play a crucial role in the age of AI. This thought-provoking session will reveal how libraries are positioned not just to adapt but to thrive and lead our communities in the digital era. Expect an engaging discourse that navigates from the fundamentals of AI to the potential of libraries as pioneers in AI literacy and education.

Dr Dinesh Palipana

Dinesh Palipana OAM is an Australian doctor, lawyer, scientist and disability advocate. He is the first quadriplegic medical intern in Queensland, Australia. He is the second person with quadriplegia to graduate as a doctor in Australia and the first with spinal cord injury.

Dr Palipana has been an advocate for medical students with disabilities in Australia, where significant barriers existed.

PRESENTATION

Connection, community, and knowledge has been important for as long as humankind has existed. For these things, the community library forms a beating heart. The power of our libraries can be amplified by being inclusive for the rich diverse cross-sections of our society, empowering people to grow, then shine their light into the world. This is the story of how community, connection, and knowledge empowered one person to thrive after a spinal cord injury, depression, and a move from a war-torn country.

Lightning Talks