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.
John Wylie AM, President John Wylie was appointed President of the Library Board in May 2012 and reappointed in May 2015. He chairs the Executive Appointments and Remuneration Committee, and is Chair of the Redevelopment Project Steering Committee.
John is principal of investment firm Tanarra Group, having recently retired as CEO of financial services firm Lazard Australia.
John is involved in a wide range of not-for-profit community activities. He is Chair of the Australian Sports Commission and a trustee of the global Rhodes Scholarship Trust. He chaired the Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust from 1999 to 2013, and is a former board member and honorary treasurer of the Florey Neurosciences Institutes in Melbourne.
John holds an MPhil 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.
Bruce Akhurst Bruce Akhurst was appointed to the Board in May 2010, and reappointed in June 2013 and May 2016. He is a member of the Redevelopment Project Steering Committee, the Executive Appointments and Remuneration Committee, and the Finance Committee.
Bruce is Executive Chair of Adstream, an international services organisation for the advertising industry. He was previously CEO of Sensis Pty Ltd, Chair and Director of Foxtel, and a 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.
Bruce is also a member of the RMIT University Council and Chair of its Infrastructure and Information Technology Committee.
Christine Christian, Deputy President Christine Christian, Deputy President Christine Christian was appointed to the Board in August 2013 and reappointed in May 2016. She is the Board's Deputy President, Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Executive Appointments and Remuneration Committee, and the Foundation Council.
Christine is a Director of Members Equity Bank Limited, Career Insight Group and the New York–based Powerlinx Inc. With a deep commitment to community service, she is a board member and Committee Chair of UNICEF Australia, a member of the state government–appointed TAFE Assessment Panel and immediate past president of Chief Executive Women.
Christine was previously CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Australia, Chair of D&B Consumer Credit Services and Executive Director of Dun & Bradstreet India. She was the founding Chair of the Business Information Industry Association – Hong Kong and Middle East, and Director until 2012.
Professor Carolyn Evans Carolyn Evans was appointed to the Board in 2015 and is a member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee.
Carolyn is Dean of Melbourne Law School, and has degrees in Arts and Law from Melbourne University and a doctorate from Oxford University, where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar. In 2010, she was awarded a Fulbright Senior Scholarship to travel as a Visiting Fellow at American and Emory Universities to examine questions of comparative religious freedom.
Carolyn is the current Chair of the Council of Australian Law Deans and the Honorary Secretary of the Victorian Rhodes Scholarships Selection Panel.
She is the author of several books, including The legal protection of religious freedom in Australia .
Petro Georgiou AO Petro Georgiou was appointed to the Library Board in July 2011 and reappointed in October 2014. He serves on the Executive Appointments and Remuneration Committee, and was a member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee until October 2015.
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, and again in June 2013 and May 2016. He chairs the Audit and Risk Management Committee and the Advisory Committee on Public Libraries.
Dennis has had experience at senior levels in both the Australian and Victorian public sector, particularly in the areas of public policy economics, competition policy, trade and investment promotion, and was a longstanding partner at Deloitte. He retired from the Deloitte partnership in May 2009, having led the firm's government services practice in Victoria.
He is currently National Leader, Responsible Business at Deloitte, Chair of the Deloitte Foundation, Chair of Oxfam Australia and a board member of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra. Dennis has an honours degree in economics and is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Maxine McKew Maxine McKew was appointed to the Board in 2015.
Maxine is an Honorary Fellow of the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne. A published author, her books include 2014’s Class act , a study of the key challenges in Australian schooling, and Tales from the political trenches .
As a journalist, for many years Maxine was anchor of ABC TV’s 7.30 report and Lateline . Her work has been recognised by her peers with both Walkely and Logie awards.
Leaving journalism for politics, Maxine defeated Prime Minister John Howard in the Sydney seat of Bennelong. In government she was Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood and, later, for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
Maria Myers AC Maria Myers was appointed to the Library Board in 2015, and serves as Chair of the Foundation Council. She was previously a member of the State Library Victoria Foundation Executive Committee from 2002 to 2009, and one of the original Foundation Council members from 2013 to 2014.
Maria is also Chair of the Kimberley Foundation Australia and a board member of the Australian String Quartet, the Loreto Ballarat School Board and the St Mary's College Council at the University of Melbourne.
Karen Quinlan Karen Quinlan was appointed to the Board in August 2013 and again in May 2016. She is a member of the Redevelopment Project Steering Committee.
Karen has over 20 years' experience working in the visual arts sector. She has been Director of Bendigo Art Gallery since 2000, where she has been instrumental in bringing international exhibitions to regional Victoria.
In 2013 Karen became an adjunct Professor at La Trobe University within the College of Humanities, Social Sciences and Commerce. She is a panel member of the Creative Industries Strategy Taskforce and a member of the Victorian Visitor Economy Ministerial Advisory Committee: Tourism and Major Events portfolio.
She is also Chair of the Public Galleries Association of Victoria and a board member of the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival.
