Welcome to our new blog series, The Anchor and The Frontier, where we're unpacking some of the big ideas and tough questions facing Australian public libraries today. The blog has been based on a detailed analysis of the sector's strategic direction, and the extensive on the ground experience of our blog authors.

Whether you're on the frontline, managing a service, studying to be a library professional, or a local government employer, these posts are designed to spark conversation and reflection on the vital work our public library services do.

The title The Anchor & The Frontier encapsulates the central challenge explored in this blog series: the dual identity of the modern public library. It must serve as a stable anchor—a reliable and trusted community hub—while also pushing into the demanding frontier of social and technological change. The tension between these two roles is where the sector's most significant opportunities and greatest challenges are found

The Anchor represents the library's traditional, foundational, and stabilising role in the community. The library is an anchor because it is:

1. A Safe Harbor: As mentioned in "More Than Books," it's the reliable 'third place'—a safe, welcoming, and stable physical space that provides refuge and a sense of community.

2. A Community Foundation: It's a piece of critical infrastructure, like a port in a storm. It anchors community life by providing foundational services like early years literacy ("The Education Safety Net") and access to reliable information.

3. A Point of Stability: In a rapidly changing world, the library is a constant, trusted institution that people can rely on. This is the source of its high public value, even if that value is sometimes taken for granted ("The Relevance Paradox").

The Frontier represents the new, evolving, and often challenging territories that libraries are being pushed to explore. The library is on the frontier because it is:

1. Navigating the Digital World: This is the most literal frontier, as discussed in the first post. Libraries are pushing into the "digital frontier" of online services, e-collections, and digital literacy training.

2. Exploring New Social Roles: They are on the frontline of complex social issues, acting as de facto social workers ("More Than Books") and becoming a battleground in the "culture wars" ("The New Frontline").

3. Redefining Professional Practice: The workforce is on a frontier of its own, needing new skills to handle everything from crisis de-escalation to complex digital licensing ("The Human Element"). The work of decolonisation and truth-telling ("Beyond Acknowledgements") is also a profound new frontier for the sector.