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NSW TAFE Library wins ABS award for promoting Census statistics

TAFE NSW - Riverina Institute Library Services has won the LEP Excellence Award for increasing awareness and use of Australian Bureau of Statistics resources. Following a professional development workshop presented by NSW LEP Coordinator Anne Freer, Riverina staff were inspired to promote the many uses of statistical data to their staff and students.

The Riverina Institute impressed the judges with their initiative to provide intranet Quicklinks to ABS regional Census data. General Education teachers and Albury campus librarian Noelene Williams also developed a training program for ESL students, designed to help them feel comfortable with the Census form and to demonstrate what the information was used for.

Jennifer Vaughan, Manager of Library & Information Services, was delighted when Michael Janssen-Gibson from the ABS called her with the good news. "I am particularly excited about winning the award. It validates the way we operate. We have broad horizons and are always about providing equity of access to information. We may be small, but we are professional, and I am lucky to work with very clever people who share a pioneer spirit".

All elements of the community - businesses, individuals and a myriad of groups - increasingly depend on reliable information to make sound decisions. The ABS one of the most important providers of such information.

It is vital for the ABS to find trusted, independent conduits, such as libraries to connect the Australian community to our information. The ABS appreciates the guiding role librarians play in helping their communities to find and use reliable information. Librarians make the commitment to understand ABS information so that they can provide the best possible service to their clients. Many put in a lot of effort to raise awareness, understanding and use of ABS information in their communities.

The ABS is delighted to recognise and reward the efforts of the Riverina Institute. ABS NSW Regional Director Ian Ewing presented Jennifer Vaughan with their prize - a trophy and $1,500 worth of ABS products and services of their choice - at the 20:20 Vision TAFE NSW Library Conference on 2^nd February 2007 at Darling Harbour.