Library Professionals
We welcome our colleagues working in libraries to our Library Professionals resources page.
A recently published analysis of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics Australia (HILDA) longitudinal survey identified that 38% of Australian adults experienced financial hardship over the five years from 2014 to 2018. Many of these people are unaware of the supports available to them – including older people, unpaid carers, people experiencing mental wellbeing challenges and people from diverse communities.
Through our Libraries Outreach program we would like to ensure that community members know about, and can connect with the free, confidential and independent support provided by financial counsellors. More about the program…
For many people facing financial hardship this individual assistance is what they need to get back on track. However, Libraries Outreach can achieve much more by providing people with the information they need earlier when they have more options available and can take preventive action themselves.
Our approach seeks to build on and complement the infrastructure, skills, resources and activities that are so well-developed in libraries, their staff, communities and connected services. Accordingly, we have developed a varied offering, encompassing –
- Training for library professionals to feel more comfortable and confident in financial conversations – including the necessary skills, resources and referral points
- Flexible programs – a menu of installation materials, associated activities and in-reach pathways enabling each library to select the elements that best fit with their own plans
- Resources to share – factsheets and supporting assets that can be used in multiple ways – by library staff in consultation with a community member or group, for display, or simply to hand to a community member in response to an inquiry
We thank our colleagues at the Kathleen Syme library, City of Melbourne, for their invaluable guidance and suggestions as we have developed this approach.
Library Flexible Programs
(Coming soon)
Resources to Share
(Coming soon)
Financial Conversation Leader
Diverse, and sometimes vulnerable, community members are often seeking information and support from their local library. For library professionals, these conversations that can be difficult to navigate. This is particularly true for conversations about money, or financial difficulty.
The Financial Conversation Leader session is designed to assist library professionals to feel confident in addressing concerns around money, to provide helpful resources, promote the work of financial counsellors in your local area, and provide links and ongoing connection to relevant local services. This is an interactive online session of two hours duration.
On completion of this session participants will be able to –
- Understand the important skills for engaging in financial conversations with an individual or group
- Apply these skills to examples where someone is sharing their financial concerns
- Identify common issues regarding financial hardship and access useful information to share
We have scheduled a number of online deliveries of this session – please simply register for the session that suits you best –
Wednesday, 22 March – 1.00pm to 3.00pm – Click here to register
Thursday, 23 March – 10.00am to 12.00pm – Click here to register
Tuesday, 28 March – 10.00am to 12.00pm – Click here to register
Tuesday, 28 March – 1.00pm to 3.00pm – Click here to register
A series of factsheets is provided to support your learning and for you to share directly, or tailor, to support community members.
For community use:
Financial Conversation Leader has been adapted from the five-session series Smart Women Smart Money which was co-designed and delivered to women leaders from diverse communities. Smart Women Smart Money was led by Australian Multicultural Community Services in partnership with Financial Counselling Victoria and funded by the Helen MacPherson Smith Trust.
Money Check Up for Library Users
Free programs to help you learn more about managing the household finances – this guide helps you choose a program that best suits your needs and preferred learning style
Library Flexible Programs
General description
Resources to Share
General description
Understanding How Money Works for your Family
A series of factsheets with useful ideas that may help you.
Click here to download the print-friendly versions
Free programs to help you learn more about managing the household finances – this guide helps you choose a program that best suits your needs and preferred learning style
If you have any questions about the program or the above resources, please feel free to contact us.
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About the program
Financial counsellors are qualified professionals providing free, confidential and independent support and advocacy to individuals experiencing financial hardship. Their work is person-centred and strengths-based; they listen to your story and help with options that respond to your needs and preferences. By identifying options, the financial counsellor empowers you to make better choices and improve your situation.
Financial counsellors mostly operate from non-profit agencies and work under credit licence and financial services licence exemptions which permit them to access financial information and negotiate with creditors on your behalf (with your consent). Practical assistance of this kind is of great value in resolving confusion and relieving stress.
Financial Counselling Victoria (FCVic) is the peak body for all financial counsellors operating in Victoria.
FCVic acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.