Duty of Care Review and postponement of Teen Writing Boot Camp
STATEMENT
State Library Victoria is aware of some inaccuracies in media and online reporting about the decision to review our Duty of Care policies and practices and to postpone the Teen Writing Boot Camp.
17 May 2024
Duty of Care Review and postponement of Teen Writing Boot Camp
State Library Victoria is a place for everyone, an essential and unique community service. We are committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive, and respectful place for cultural expression and engagement.
In providing this service, the Library has duty of care obligations to all stakeholders – visitors, program participants, presenters and staff.
The Library must ensure that all stakeholders are protected from vilification, racism and discrimination in all forms and at all times.
Across the library sector and other cultural institutions, there is active consideration about how to uphold the core value of freedom of speech and expression while ensuring that there is always respectful and safe conduct.
Given its obligations, the Library considered that its policies and procedures were not sufficiently robust, and therefore decided to undertake a program-wide Duty of Care Review.
As the Teen Writing Bootcamp is the only program offered by the Library that is attended by children without their parent, guardian or teacher present, and with responsibility falling solely on the Library, it was decided to postpone this program, pending the outcome of the Duty of Care Review.
The Duty of Care Review is underway.
For clarity:
- The Library has not cancelled the Teen Writing Bootcamp. The program is postponed to later in the year in order to allow for the Duty of Care Review to take place.
- The postponement of the Teen Writing Bootcamp was not because of the political views or identity of anyone involved with the program. It was because the Library considered it critical to undertake the Duty of Care Review to ensure it has in place robust policies and procedures that will enable the successful and safe delivery of the program (and other programs conducted by the Library).
- The Library does not comment on the views or backgrounds of individuals. Their personal views are their own and the Library is apolitical.
- No writer has been censored.
- All presenters contracted for the Teen Writing Bootcamp have been offered advance payment in full in recognition of their time, commitment, and expertise.
- The Library has responded to all correspondence regarding the postponement of the Teen Writing Bootcamp, setting out the reasons for the postponement of the program and reiterating the Library’s commitment to holding the program in the second half of the year, following completion of the Duty of Care Review.
Library programs and visitation
- Teen Writing Bootcamp is one of over 1,500 programs and events hosted by the Library every year.
- Each year the Library engages with a diverse range of around 200 Australian and international artists, writers and educators.
- State Library Victoria became the 3rd busiest library in the world in 2023 with over 2 million visits and numbers have increased by 30 per cent in 2024.
- April 2024 was the single busiest month the Library has ever seen with over 255,000 visits.