How the Mechanics’ Institutes of Victoria (MIV) are funded & what type of staff work at the MIV Libraries?

HOW ARE THE MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE OF VICTORIA (MIV) FUNDED?

Majority of the Mechanics’ Institutes are funded by subscriptions and donations of the local community, and grants provided by relevant councils. The Mechanics’ Institute Resource Centre (MIRC) is funded through donations and grants and funding is used for particular projects for example:

The MIRC received a grant of $5000 from the Gladys Krieble Demas Foundation in 2009 to assist the MIRC staff with digitalising resources. A significant initiative of the MIRC is the scanning of the records of mechanics' institutes in bushfire-prone areas.

WHAT TYPE OF STAFF WORK AT THE MIV LIBRARIES?

Prahran Mechanics’ Institute Staff

The Mechanics’ Institute of Victoria (MIV) has many volunteer contributors developing the Mechanics’ Institute Resource Centre (MIRC).

The MIV Committee has a number of library qualified volunteers. That is, the Vice President of the MIV committee, Ms Jill Bartholomeusz is also the librarian in charge of the Melbourne Athenaeum Library in Collins Street. The committee Secretary, Mrs Judith Dwyer, Dr Don Barker and Mr Graham Dudley are all qualified librarians. Ms Linda Aspinall, the committee member, Website maintenance assistant and the present volunteer coordinator is also a Library Technician, and Bruce Stubbs works in the library at Victoria University. Also, the MIRC sub-committee is comprised of 4 library qualified members, and 2 researchers.

Some of the institutional members still operate libraries and have library staff. The Melbourne Athenaeum, the Prahran Mechanics Institute, and Footscray Mechanics Institute all employ variously qualified library staff. The Berwick Mechanics’ Institute has only volunteer staff, and several of the volunteers are library qualified.

Process:

·   I researched the ‘Mechanics’ Institute of Victoria (MIV) website, to search for information on types of staff working for the MIV and how they are funded.

Mechanic’s Institute of Victoria, viewed 8 April 2011, <http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mivic/history.htm>.  

·   I emailed the Ms Linda Aspinall the volunteer co-ordinator on mivenquiry@live.com.au, for information on how the MIV are funded and the types of staff working for the MIV.

·   The process of selecting information to be included in this blog post was very easily sourced.

·   Wrote the text for this post and updated blog post.

My Reflection on the Research Process:

·   I found on the MIRC website information on funding, donations and grants.

·   I am still thoroughly enjoying this research and have learnt a great deal about Mechanics’ Institute.

Discoveries:

·   After browsing through the MIV website and browsing the project section I discovered that the MIRC contributors were all volunteers including Professors and Doctors and yet other Mechanics’ Institutes employ various qualified library staff.

·   That the Prahran Mechanics’ Institute has Facebook and Twitter links.

References:

Sources

Facebook, viewed 21 May 2011,

<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Prahran-Mechanics-Institute/121485321231006>.

Twitter, viewed 21 May 2011,

<http://twitter.com/#!/PMILibrary>.

Mechanic’s Institute of Victoria, viewed 8 May 2011, <http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mivic/history.htm>.

Mechanics’ Institute resource centre holdings, viewed 8 May 2011, <http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mivic/pdf/MIRC.pdf>.

Prahran Mechanics’ Institute, viewed 8 May 2011,

<http://www.pmi.net.au/about.htm>.

Image

Prahran Mechanics’ Institute, viewed 7 May 2011,

<http://www.pmi.net.au/about.htm>.