Robin Riley has been recognised for her ‘outstanding contribution to enhancing the artistic, cultural and educational life of the Northern NSW community and her work at Tenterfield Library’ with an honorary fellowship of the Library Council of NSW.
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These awards recognise distinguished individuals who contribute to the cultural enrichment of Australia through excellence in the library, information and related fields. Honorary Fellows are awarded for exceptional and sustained contributions in support of the aims of the State Library.
Mrs Riley has long been associated with Tenterfield’s School of Arts complex, retiring in 2014. Her last role was manager of library and cultural services – overseeing the library, cinema and School of Arts – following the completion of the redevelopment of the site in 2001 (in which she played a major role).
Sydney-raised, Mrs Riley had other jobs before entering the world of books, moving to Tenterfield in 1968. Her career was set in 1977 however when she became a library assistant at the Tenterfield Public Library. She said she has always had a love of books, primarily novels although these days her preference is for non-fiction.
She enjoyed spreading that love of reading to the local community, and of overseeing the complex’s transition from what was a small library to what it is today.
“It was the change management that was important,” she said.
Technology changes have contributed to that transition, with digitisation improving access to information and many now storing their reading material on their computer tablets rather than on bookshelves.
She sees no issue with people reading this way, if they’re comfortable reading off a screen, although she still prefers turning the physical page. She’s confidant that print will be around for another couple of decades, but sees a lot of material these days published in digital format only.
Resources such as a database of editions of the Tenterfield Star newspaper from 1875 to 1955 with keyword search have also been a boon to family history researchers, a major advance on the microfilm database of years past.
“It’s now so accessible,” Mrs Riley said.
While many would feel the State Library award was well-earned if not overdue, Mrs Riley said she was surprised by the honorary fellowship, presented to her at a gala ceremony in Sydney on December 5.
“I appreciate the support over the the years of the Tenterfield Shire Council, and the support of the community,” she said.
