Rachel Esson
Chair
Te Pouhuaki National Librarian for Aotearoa New Zealand
National and State Libraries Australasia incorporated in 2023, after fifty years of continuous collaboration on behalf of the library sectors in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Our constitutional purpose is to bring together the knowledge and expertise of our ten member libraries in order to build, manage and provide access to library collections and services that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Each member library is represented on NSLA's board by its chief executive, state librarian, or director-general. The Chair of the board is nominated by vote for a two-year term.
After fifty years of working together, the NSLA collaboration has become a driving force for innovation and professional development. Our association provides a mechanism for joint approaches to collecting, service delivery, research, advocacy, skills development and library standards, bringing the benefits of shared expertise and economies of scale to a collaborative program of work. The NSLA program is managed by the NSLA office, working with a series of professional networks and advisory groups from across the member libraries.
Board and Team
Catherine Clark
Deputy Chair
CEO and State Librarian, State Library of Western Australia
Vicki McDonald
CEO and State Librarian, State Library of Queensland
Alison Dellit
Director-General, National Library of Australia
Megan Berghuis
Director, State Library of South Australia
Caroline Butler-Bowdon
State Librarian, State Library of New South Wales
Patrick Gregory
Executive Director, Libraries Tasmania
Alistair Mytton
Interim CEO, State Library Victoria
Dani Wickman
Director of Territory Records, ACT Territory Records Office
NSLA Office
Simon Polson
Executive Director
Sydney, Australia
Aimee Hay
Program Coordinator
Darwin, Australia
Vanessa Haines
NED Program Manager
Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
Our history
Established in 1973 as the State Librarians' Council, our alliance expanded over the following decades to include the Northern Territory Library (in 1980), the National Library of Australia (in 1986), the ACT Heritage Library (1987) and the National Library of New Zealand (in 2003), evolving through several forms before becoming National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA) in 2006 and an incorporated association headquartered in Canberra in 2022. What began as a forum for advocacy and cooperation has grown into a trusted leadership body representing the national, state and territory libraries of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand and today, NSLA exists to advance collaboration between member libraries, strengthen the library and cultural sectors, and deliver initiatives that benefit the communities our libraries serve.
Over more than fifty years, NSLA has delivered nationally and internationally significant initiatives that have transformed how libraries collect, preserve, share and provide access to knowledge. Our Big Bang (2007-09) and Re-imagining Libraries (2008-16) strategies helped position libraries at the forefront of the digital transformation of the twenty-first century, establishing a strong foundation for shared digital infrastructure, services and expertise. This work has continued through major collaborations including the National edeposit (NED) service, (launched in 2019) as a world-first platform for collecting and preserving Australia's digital publications; pioneering projects in digital preservation and access, including Emulation as a Service Infrastructure (EaaSI); sector-leading research, capability-building and professional learning programs; and long-term initiatives supporting culturally safe and respectful approaches to First Nations collections, knowledge and cultural heritage including the Culturally Safe Libraries Program (2019-21) and leadership with sector partners to produce sector-wide Guidelines for First Nations Collection Description (2023).
Today, NSLA continues to draw on the combined expertise, resources and influence of its members to inform public policy, foster innovation, strengthen the preservation and accessibility of our shared documentary heritage, and realise a vision of libraries that connect people with knowledge, memory and discovery while supporting informed, engaged and democratic communities.
Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, has served as NSLA's patron since 2024.
Animation: the NSLA story
To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we launched an animation that tells the story of who we are and where NSLA began—illustrating our collective efforts to preserve and share the stories, knowledge and creativity of Australians and New Zealanders.
Watch the video
