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ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 41 | October 1999


Director-General shows her style

Jan Fullerton, D-G

Left: New Director General of the National Library, Jan Fullerton in her office


Recently appointed Director-General, Jan Fullerton, will be paying careful attention to the Library’s relationship with the academic, library and information communities in Australia and to libraries overseas, especially those in the Asia–Pacific region. Other national libraries, and particularly those sharing the National Library of Australia’s interests, will also be in focus.

Jim Bain, Chairman of the National Library Council, has commented that Jan ‘has an understanding of the current complex communications and information environment, which will serve the Library well in the years to come’.

Soon after her appointment was announced, Jan gave all staff an insight into how she would approach her new role. She emphasised that she would be balancing tradition with new ideas about how the Library could achieve its goals. Jan paid tribute to members of the Library staff who performs many routine tasks very well and said excellence was a goal for everyone. The new strategic direction for the Library will require building on what has already been achieved and concentrating on service. She mentioned a number of recent successful outcomes. The reference review last year showed a high level of user satisfaction; the Digital Services Project, now underway, is going to be an important initiative for Australians; and the Library’s exhibitions are praised, as is the travelling exhibition program that brings them to Australians in many communities.

‘We need to reposition ourselves with the academic community, in particular, and work cooperatively with various groups. Rather than “leadership”, what is required is more effective collaboration,’ she said. Developing the Australian research infrastructure is an area of priority for Jan who plans further meetings with the academic and library communities later this year. Jan joined the Library in 1968. She has played a significant role in several areas as Principal Librarian, Cataloguing and Assistant Director-General of the Collections and Reader Services Division. She has also acted as Deputy Director-General and, briefly, Director-General. She is one of only two ‘inside’ appointees to the position (the other was Harold White) and the first woman to become Director-General of the organisation.

On the international front and since she took up her new role, Jan has travelled to Bangkok for the 65th IFLA Conference, following her attendance at previous meetings in Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

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