Beyond the desk: Forging a new future for academic libraries

New LMS? No problem! New Library? Sure! Pandemic? Why not! And now Generative AI, with a cost-of-living crisis thrown in for good measure. The client services staff at UTS Library have weathered their fair share of change safely tucked behind their helpdesk. But the traditional model of librarianship (or library officer-ship) just isn’t cutting it anymore. Instead of clinging to tradition, UTS Library are removing the things that don’t work and letting their community shape what they do to fill the empty spaces left behind. This presentation chronicles the adventures of the staff who have boldly stepped out from behind the helpdesk (which was then summarily destroyed) and how they have worked with their community to shape a new vision for UTS Library. Armed with data from JISC and student surveys, and with academics and students at our side, the staff at UTS Library have completely changed their approach to enquiries, introduced two new community-focused collections, introduced new services and redone the floorplan about 15 times in a two-year period. Like any great saga, it has had its ups and downs, but the results have been a more open and equitable environment for the UTS community, and the journey is still far from over.