Beyond provocation: Reimagining systems through care, critique, and community

Slides for a keynote presentation at the ANZREG Conference on 11 July 2025 titled 'Beyond provocation: Reimagining systems through care, critique, and community.' Abstract: In libraries, we frequently champion various tools, social and digital systems, and values. In navigating complex and disruptive landscapes, however, libraries face challenges with systems that may be inaccessible, reinforce inequalities, or misalign with values. In response, we both encounter and offer provocations. These provocations seek to prompt new directions, confront existing systems, and create change. Yet, new or alternative practices are often needed to make a meaningful and tangible difference. This talk explores how an ethics of care, critical librarianship, and the centering of community can create opportunities for how we navigate and reimagine the systems we work in and with. Licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY-4.0), except for any content quoted from third-party sources or where otherwise noted. All images retain their original Creative Commons Licences and can only be re-used under their respective licences. Quoted material remains under the copyright of its respective owner.