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The Board

Meet the PLA Board

Chair

     Paul Nielsen

About Me

A recent arrival to Australia with my young family, I left my comfortable position in New Zealand to take on the challenge of Manager Library Services at the City of Albany in Western Australia. I am forward-thinking library leader with a proven record of experience and performance, transforming service delivery at Hauraki District Libraries. I have presented a number of conference papers on Koha open source Library Management System and eBooks in New Zealand – two key planks of libraries’ future. Other professional experience includes sitting on the Information Studies Programme Advisory Committee at Victoria University of Wellington; serving as Treasurer on the Executive Committee of the Association of Public Library Managers; and being in the 2012 cohort of the CAVAL Library Leadership Programme. Shortly before leaving New Zealand I was awarded Associateship status of LIANZA in recognition of my achievements. I am passionate about the role libraries play in society and am excited by the challenges ahead to ensure they evolve with changing technologies amid a tight economic landscape.

Why did I join the PLA board?

I believe in the power of public libraries to play transformative roles in people’s lives. I also believe that the age of libraries has arrived – only problem is many librarians haven’t realised this! Now is the time for libraries inc. to demonstrate leadership and work across local, regional and state boundaries to deliver real change and real value to Australian society. PLA is that body and I believe that I have a role to play in that work.

 

Deputy Chair

  Ross Duncan

B.Sc. (Hons.), M.B.A
 
About me
 
I began working in libraries in late 2007 on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and have worked internationally in fields as diverse as scientific research, private venture capital, hospitality, language training schools, music recording, aquaculture, childcare and quarries.  I am currently employed as Manager of the Learning Communities Branch of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council. The branch’s 180 staff manage the operations of 10 libraries, 3 mobile libraries which are visited almost 2 Million times per year. With over 120,000 active members, the library service aims to deliver excellent service to almost 7,000 people per day.
 
Why did I join the PLA board?
 
I joined the PLA board, as I was interested in becoming involved in an industry peak body which promotes the achievements of libraries, and contributes to the professional development and promotion of the skills and passion of library staff.

 

Director

 
         Karen Conway
 
About me
 
I have worked in public libraries for over 20 years and was appointed Manager Darwin City Council Libraries in 2006. Darwin City Council Libraries (DCCL) is the largest public library service in the Northern Territory with 4 libraries servicing a population over 75,000. With this in mind DCCL has a major role to play in the development and growth of public libraries in the NT.
 
Why did Karen join the PLA board?
 
I joined PLA as the representative on the board for the Northern Territory in April 2010, and feel that it is important to have a representative on the board who can provide input for regional and remote libraries such as those in the Northern Territory.
 

 Director

            Sue Henczel

About me

Over a diverse and (mostly) happy career in libraries I have held management and operational positions in government, corporate, academic and public libraries and am now a full time consultant and trainer.  I have a long-standing involvement with IFLA and SLA (Special Libraries Association) and have held leadership positions with each of those associations, as well as being an SLA Fellow.  I am a member of the Emerald’s Library Management Editorial Board and Book Review Editor and a member of ASLIB (UK) Advisory Council. I am the author of numerous articles, papers, presentations, chapters and a book on library and information management topics.

Why did I join the PLA Board?

I see PLA as the peak body dedicated to representing, supporting and advocating for public libraries in Australia.  Throughout my career I have been committed to demonstrating the positive impacts that libraries have on their communities and to participating in the development of effective professional support networks for library staff. I see PLA as being well-placed to support public libraries in each of these areas, and more, at local and regional levels as well as at a national and international level. 

 

 Director

   Ian Greenhalgh *

BA(Hons), GDipArts(Lib&InfoSci), MAppSci(Lib&InfoMan)

About me
 
I love working in public libraries. They’ve been a source of joy for me through most of my working life. The chance of helping someone find out what they need is there every day. To be able to offer that in a framework which enshrines free access to information is also a great and rare privilege.

I manage the Armidale Dumaresq Library, a public library in NSW serving a local area population of 25 thousand. The Library has the busiest loan rate per head of local area population in country New South Wales, and our loan rates have risen by fifty percent in the past eight years on a flat population basis.
I am an elected Country Library representative on the Public Libraries Consultative Committee, which advises the Library Council of New South Wales on public library matters.
 
Why did I join the PLA board?
 
My belief in a Federal role and presence for public libraries has been stimulated by many factors, from the Munn-Pitt report to the potentials of the 2003 Senate Committee on the Role of Libraries in the Online Environment. That belief has driven my local level engagement with National Library initiatives (Armidale was one of very few participants in the initial trial of the Libraries Australia interface, one of the first to adopt the Libraries Australia Document Delivery software, and we endeavour to list more than seventy-five percent of our collection on the national database), and stimulated this step to join the Board of Public Libraries Australia.

* Artwork by David Greenhalgh

Appointed Directors

Up to four (4) Directors may be appointed by the Elected Board.

These Directors may be sourced from the PLA membership or from library or local government based organisations (see the PLA Constitution for more details)

Board Vacancies

Board Vacancies exist for Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and South Australia

Executive Officer / Company Secretary

Roger Henshaw
New South Wales

 

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