The Library is governed by the Library Board of Victoria, which is overseen by the Victorian Minister for the Arts.
The Board's functions are set out in the Libraries Act 1988 and include:
- ensuring the maintenance, preservation and development of a state collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Victoria and the people of Victoria
- ensuring that the state collection is available to Victorians, subject to any conditions the Board makes
- ensuring the availability of services and facilities in relation to library matters and library material (including bibliographic services)
- arranging the publication and sale of reproductions of any library material in the state collection
- overseeing the exhibition of material from the state collection for information, education and entertainment
- overseeing cooperation in programs with libraries and information organisations to promote access to library and information services and resources
- exercising leadership and promoting high standards in the provision of library and information services
- providing advice to the minister on any matter concerning libraries and information organisations
- performing any other functions appropriate to the Board that the minister may approve
The Board's functions should also contribute to the cultural, educational, social and economic development of Victorians.
About the Board members
Board members are appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister for the Arts. Members represent interests in academia, business, government, information technology and the humanities.
Up to 11 members serve on the Board for up to three years. Members are eligible for reappointment.
President John Wylie
John Wylie AM was appointed President of the Board in May 2012. He chairs its Executive Appointments and Remuneration Committee and is a member of its Finance Committee.
John is CEO of Lazard Australia, a leading global corporate advisory firm. He was previously Chairman of investment banking at Credit Suisse First Boston Australia and has worked extensively in global financial markets including New York and London.
John is involved in a wide range of not-for-profit community activities. He is a Trustee of the global Rhodes Scholarship Trust, Chairman of the Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust and Chairman of the Victorian Olympic Council's Finance Committee. John was appointed Chair of the Board of the Australian Sports Commission in September 2012. He is a former board member and honorary treasurer of the Florey Neurosciences Institutes in Melbourne.
John holds an M.Phil in Management Studies from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and a Bachelor of Commerce with First Class Honours from the University of Queensland.
Deputy president Stephen Kerr
Stephen Kerr was appointed to the Board in August 2005 and reappointed in 2008 and 2011. He is currently Deputy President of the Board and Chair of the Finance Committee.
Stephen has been a member of the State Library of Victoria Foundation since its inception and is its immediate past Chairman. He has worked in the communications industry for nearly 25 years. He was Director of International Public Relations and its successor companies, IPR Shandwick and Shandwick International. He was Managing Director of Weber Shandwick Worldwide's Australian operations and is the founder and Chief Executive of the Public Relations Exchange.
Bruce Akhurst
Bruce Akhurst was appointed to the Board in May 2010. He is a member of the Executive Appointments and Remuneration Committee.
He is currently the Executive Chairman of Adstream, an international services organisation for the advertising industry.
Bruce has been CEO of Sensis, Chairman and Director of Foxtel, and Director of Soufun, the leading Chinese real estate portal. A lawyer by training, Bruce relinquished the position of managing partner with Mallesons Stephen Jaques to join Telstra in 1996, where he worked for 16 years in numerous senior positions.
Merran Evans
Professor Merran Evans was appointed to the Board in June 2009 and reappointed in 2012. She chairs the Board's Audit and Risk Management Committee and is a member of its Collections Committee.
She is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Quality) at Monash University, where her previous administrative appointments include Director of University Planning and Statistics, and Director of Monash University's London Centre.
Merran is a member of many university academic and management committees, as well as holding external and international memberships.
Her research output includes a book and numerous contributions to econometrics, economics and statistical journals. She is a recipient of the Centenary Medal for services to education.
Sherryl Garbutt
The Hon Sherryl Garbutt was appointed to the Board in 2007 and reappointed in 2010. She is Chair of the Collections Committee and a member of the Audit and Risk Management and Executive Appointments and Remuneration committees.
Sherryl served five terms from 1989 to 2006 in the Victorian Parliament as Member for Greensborough, then Member for Bundoora. During that time she was variously Minister for Environment and Conservation, Women's Affairs, Community Services and Victoria's first Minister for Children.
Sylvia Geddes
Sylvia Geddes was appointed to the Board in May 2010. She serves on its Creative Fellowships Committee and its Advisory Committee on Public Libraries.
She was CEO of the R E Ross Trust until her retirement in July 2008. Before joining the trust in 2000, Sylvia was Manager, Charitable Services with ANZ Trustees.
Sylvia has extensive experience as a senior policy and program manager in both commonwealth and state governments in areas of social policy. She headed the Australian Government's Office for the Aged and served as a board member of the Victorian Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders. She is a trustee of Trust for Nature and a Sounding Board member of Flinders Quartet.
Petro Georgiou
Petro Georgiou was appointed to the Board in July 2011. He serves on its Executive Appointments and Remuneration and Audit and Risk Management committees.
Petro was a member of the House of Representatives in the electorate of Kooyong from 1994 until 2010. He was chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Science and Innovation, State Director of the Victorian division of the Liberal Party, and Director of the Institute of Multicultural Affairs.
He is Vice-Chancellor's Professorial Fellow at Monash University and the University of Melbourne.
Dennis Goldner
Dennis Goldner was appointed to the Board in May 2010. He chairs the Board's Advisory Committee on Public Libraries and serves on its Finance Committee.
Dennis has had experience at senior levels in both the Australian and Victorian public services, particularly in the areas of public policy economics, trade and investment promotion. He retired from the Deloitte partnership in May 2009, having led the firm's government services practice in Victoria.
He is currently national leader in corporate responsibility at Deloitte, Chair of the Deloitte Foundation and Regional Arts Victoria, and is a board member of Oxfam Australia. Dennis is a Fellow of the Australian Insitute of Company Directors.
