Surfacing truth to win Victoria’s Library and Information Award
Media release less than 1 day ago 3 minute read‘The thing I get the most pleasure out of is connecting people to each other and ideas and that’s where a strong network is everything.’
With these words, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER’s) Pru Mitchell gives a glimpse into why she has been announced the Victorian Library and Information Award (VLIA) winner for 2025.
Ms Mitchell is the Manager of Information Services in ACER’s Cunningham Library – a global service connecting those progressing education through their research, with information, evidence and knowledge to further their work.
The inaugural award celebrates outstanding contributions to the library and information profession in Victoria, recognising individuals for ‘exceptional achievements, innovation and commitment’.
It notes Ms Mitchell’s lifelong service and her ‘generosity, mentorship, and leadership in building an ethical and inclusive library community’.
‘I’m a teacher at heart,’ Ms Mitchell said, ‘I like to help people grow in their professional life; I had great mentors so it’s nice to pay that forward.’
As well as the connections Ms Mitchell fosters through libraries and associations, the VLIA acknowledges Ms Mitchell’s volunteer work with Wikimedia – that is helping to improve the gender imbalance in Wikipedia – and the Advisory Board for Teacher Librarianship at Charles Sturt University.
ACER CEO Lisa Rodgers said: ‘ACER’s purpose is to improve learning for all, and Pru embodies this through her leadership, generosity and tireless commitment to connecting people with the knowledge they need to make a difference.’
A former educator who has worked across all sectors, Ms Mitchell was first recognised by the Australian School Library Association in 2011 and more recently was made an Australian Library and Information Fellow for her contribution to education and research and leadership in the areas of digital repositories, collection management and open education resources.
‘It’s about surfacing truth, bringing the best knowledge to the fore and amplifying it,’ Ms Mitchell said.
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