Q&A with Michelle Swan-Beardmore, Manager of Library and Cultural Services at Ku-ring-gai Council.
Careers at Council recently had the pleasure of meeting Michelle Swan-Beardmore from Sydney’s Ku-ring-gai Council. We discussed her “long and happy” 23-year career at council, including her love of libraries, and the sense of fulfilment she feels achieving the things that you don’t see in numbers – like positively impacting people’s lives.
Whether it’s through her engagement with the community or the leadership of her team, Michelle’s enthusiasm, drive, and love of what she does is evident and inspiring.
Q. Can you describe your career background and what led you to this role at Ku-ring-gai Council?
A. I began working in public libraries 23 years ago. My first role was for Warringah Council (now part of Northern Beaches Council) as a Librarian working in front-of-house and community information. It was a mix between a specialist librarian role and customer service role.
I then moved up to Gosford Council and worked as an Information Services Librarian which was my first leadership role. I had a lovely team of six who provided a range of specialty library services; local history, community information, library management systems and I also oversaw some of the branches.
From there I stepped up into the role of Coordinator for Gosford Library Service. It was then that Gosford City and Wyong Shire Councils amalgamated to form Central Coast Council in 2016. I took on a leadership role to manage and oversee the amalgamation process of the two library services.
Q. That would’ve been an incredibly challenging process to be involved in, was it something you enjoyed?
A. Absolutely, it was an amazing period of my life and my career. It was a huge task just working through the ‘hows and whys’ of doing something like that.
But we did well – we were the first library to have one single library management system which then allowed us to get our services back and running for the community.
From there, I stepped into the role of Unit Manager for Central Coast Libraries, overseeing 12 libraries and 100 people! I did that for 12 months and then took a career break to spend time with my family.
Over that time, I considered my options and realised that ‘public libraries’ is what I love to do. For me it’s got the perfect balance of community mixed with the logic of information services.
So, when I saw this role at Ku-ring-gai Council, I decided to put my hand up for it and was successful.
Q. Can you explain your responsibilities in this role?
A. Public libraries are very much about the library itself – that’s what the community sees. However, there’s so much that supports the library. From the collections team that organises the purchasing of books and getting them on the shelves and the selection of the e-resources, to the local history team who tells the library’s unique story, which is vital not only today but into future generations as well. We also have specialists around technology, as well as marketing programmes and event specialists who bring people into the library.
So, I am responsible for overseeing all of these areas to ensure that we’re delivering information and services that the community wants to engage with.
Q. How does the way communities consume and engage with information impact your work?
A. Marketing and technology are two very important roles that came out of a library review that the council was undertaking when I first joined. My first job was to put in a new structure for the library service, which included these new roles because that is where we saw opportunities for growth.
Public libraries continually change, they’re one of the oldest institutions in the world, but we’ve evolved with the community. You’ve got to listen to your community and understand the changing demographics to get the information out in different ways. As the community’s needs and habits change, the library shifts with it.
There is a lot of amazing things that go on in public libraries. I love it, it’s just a continual changing environment. It never gets dull!
Q. Is it important to you to know that you’re making a difference?
A. Most definitely. It always has been. It’s not the stuff that’s counted in numbers. You don’t see it in the council reports, but there are moments working with the community, one-off conversations where you’ve changed a life, and you’ve helped someone to overcome a problem. It’s just so meaningful and rewarding.
That’s something which has carried through my career. So now, although I don’t have that direct interaction with the community, it is always front-of-mind in my decision-making process when I’m planning. And with leadership, it’s also about making a difference in my team’s lives!
Q. What do you find the most rewarding about your role?
A. My favourite part in my current role is seeing my people win. It could be anything from a positive interaction they have with a customer and that makes them feel good, right through to doing a major piece of planning and rolling out a project or an event which has gone well – you can just see it in peoples’ faces.
There’s so much support for people to do well here. Council has a very good set up for learning and development and it allows you to take it where you want it to go. You can see what your team needs and wants, and give them access to the programs and support to shape their careers.
Q. What support do you get from local government that helps you in your role?
A. From a management point of view, the state library does a lot of benchmarking. It provides you with a structure and framework to guide where you want to go. On top of that, public libraries are very good at sharing; people are quite happy to share their ideas, what they’re doing, and what is working for them. There’s a very strong network across NSW libraries where you can ask questions.
You have the NSW Public Library Association who run state-wide conferences and meetings, and then you go down to your zone levels – as a manager I meet regularly with the Northern Sydney managers.
There are groups set up specific to the area you work in, so there’s a local history librarians’ group, a children’s group, a marketing group. Depending on what you do, there are many support and networking opportunities.
For the library systems team, the systems suppliers will set up meetings so you can interact with other libraries using the same systems as you.
If you’re travelling interstate, you can pick up the phone and say ‘Hey can I have a look at your library!’ I was in South Australia last year for the Australasian Management Challenge with my team and my director and I took an extra day and visited some libraries in the area who were doing some really interesting and innovative things.
Last year I also went to a Women in Public Sector conference in Canberra. It was a great opportunity to meet with amazing people achieving outstanding results and to spend time with the other female managers – real role models!
Q. What would you say to someone considering a career in public libraries?
A. I think councils and public libraries are quite often seen as very old fashioned and stuck in their ways. But that couldn’t be further from the truth – it’s such a dynamic place! Wherever you work there’s constant change and opportunities for learning and development.
And, if you get a kick out of making a difference in someone’s life, then council is a great place to work. And working in councils could suit anyone because there’s just so many different types of work.
I’ve had a very long and happy career in local government, so I’d totally recommend it!
Why not take Michelle’s recommendation and check out the roles available across Australia – right now!
