The Library is governed by the Library Board of Victoria, which is overseen by the Victorian Minister for Creative Industries.
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.
Christine Christian AO, President Christine Christian AO, President Christine Christian AO was appointed to the Board in August 2013 and reappointed in May 2019. She was appointed the President of the Library Board of Victoria in May 2021. Christine is Chair of the Appointments and Remuneration Committee, and member of the Foundation Council.
Christine is the Chair of Humm Group Limited, Auctus Investments Limited, Tanarra Credit Partners and Immediation and holds non-executive director roles with MaxCap Group and Lonsec Financial Group. She serves on the boards of La Trobe University and Teach for Australia. Christine is past-president of Chief Executive Women and a former board member of ME Bank Limited, Kirwood Capital and the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (VMIA).
Previously, Christine was Chief Executive Officer of Dun & Bradstreet Australia and New Zealand from 1997 to 2012. In 2006, she was appointed to the additional roles of Chair of D&B Consumer Credit Bureau and the D&B Worldwide Board, and in 2011 was appointed Executive Director of Dun & Bradstreet India.
Christine was a board member and committee chair of UNICEF Australia, a member of the state government appointed TAFE Assessment Panel and the ASIC Business Advisory Council. She was the Founding Chair of the Business Information Industry Association – Hong Kong and Middle East, and Director until 2012.
Maria Myers AC, Deputy President Maria Myers AC, Deputy President Maria Myers AC was appointed to the Board in 2015 and reappointed in May 2018 and served as Chair of the Foundation Council for five years. 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 was appointed as Deputy President of the Library Board of Victoria in June 2021. Maria is also on the board of Rock Art Australia, a member of the St Mary’s College Council at the University of Melbourne, and a member of the Nature Conservancy Australia Advisory Board.
Adam Lewis Adam Lewis was appointed to the Board in May 2018 and reappointed in 2021. Adam served as a member of the Vision 2020 Redevelopment Project Steering Committee and is currently a member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee and the Appointments and Remuneration Committee.
Adam is an alumnus of McKinsey & Company, where he spent 20 years as an advisor to major firms and governments around the world. He was a partner for 14 years, a managing partner for Australia and New Zealand for seven years, and a member of McKinsey’s Asia council and global Senior Partner election committees.
Since leaving McKinsey in 2010, Adam’s roles have included Chair of Palette, Deliciou, Deep Blue Company and Southern Innovation, and Director of FIIG Securities. Adam has previously been a Director of the Melbourne International Film Festival, a member of the Australia Council for the Arts, and an advisory board member of the Smith Family. He is also the former Chair of Aconex Pty Ltd and Message Media Limited. He holds a B.Eng (Hon.) from Curtin University and an MBA (Hon.) from the University of Illinois.
Maxine McKew Maxine is Honorary Enterprise Professor in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne. A published author, her books include 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 Walkley and Logie awards.
In 2007 Maxine made the switch to politics and 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.
Maxine is a board member of Respect Victoria and New Energy Solar, an ASX listed company, as well as a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Donata Carrazza Donata Carrazza was appointed to the Board in May 2019 and is also a member of the Advisory Committee on Public Libraries and Audit and Risk Management committee.
Donata is a graduate of Italian language and literature from the University of Melbourne and recently graduated in Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University.
Donata has more than 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, notably at the Mildura Grand Hotel working with Stefano de Pieri. She is one of the founding members of the Mildura Writers Festival which celebrated 25 years in 2020. She has edited two books with New York poet and academic Paul Kane: Vintage: a celebration of ten years of the Mildura Writers Festival (2004) and Letters to Les (2005). Her writing has been published in Australian Book Review, PEN Quarterly, Antipodes, The Big Issue and Imprint .
Cheri Ong Cheri Ong was appointed to the Library Board in May 2019. Cheri is a member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee, and Foundation Council.
Cheri is the founder and Chair of the Asian Australian Foundation. She was a member of the governing council of International House, University of Melbourne, and the Chair of its Risk Committee. Cheri was previously a board member and Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee of Multicultural Arts Victoria. She was formerly Head of Regulation and Compliance at KPMG Australia and the Asia Pacific Chief Operating Officer for KPMG Risk Management. She has held various legal counsel roles at a number of financial institutions.
Cheri has a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Law from Monash University, and is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Hugh Williams Professor Hugh Williams was appointed to the Library Board in May 2019.
Hugh is an advisor, investor and former technology executive. He advises investment firms Permira and Rampersand, and has advised technology companies including Doordash, Ocado and Moonpig. He is the co-founder of CS in Schools, a philanthropic organisation that is creating sustainable change in digital technology education in schools. He is also an Enterprise Professor at the Melbourne Business School and the University of Melbourne, and an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University.
He was formerly a vice president at Google, where he led Google Maps, and he has also previously held senior roles at eBay and Microsoft.
Hugh has a PhD in Computer Science from RMIT University and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.
Karen Wood Karen Wood was appointed to the Board in May 2019 and has been a member of the Library’s Foundation Council since 2016. Karen also serves as a member of the Appointments and Remuneration Committee.
Karen is the chair of South 32 Limited and a non-executive director of Djerriwarrh Investments Limited. She serves on the board of the Robert Salzer Foundation. Until 2014 Karen was a member of the senior executive team at BHP and held a number of global roles in people and corporate affairs. She joined the company in 2001 as group company secretary. She served as chair of the BHP Foundation from 2015 until 2019.
Karen was general counsel and company secretary at Bonlac Foods Limited before joining BHP. She served as a member of the Takeovers Panel from 2000 to 2012, was a member of the Committee and Vice President of the Melbourne Cricket Club from 2009 to 2021, a member of the Business Regulatory Advisory Group from 2005 to 2007, the ASIC Business Consultative Panel from 2006 to 2008 and the JD Advisory Board University of Melbourne from 2002 to 2005. She is a fellow of Monash University and a member of Chief Executive Women.
Mark De Ambrosis Mark is the co-founder and managing director of Armitage Associates. Mark co-founded Armitage Associates in 2016 in partnership with the Schwartz family. Mark commenced his career as a consultant with McKinsey & Co in Sydney. In 2009 he founded Longreach Capital in Chicago and returned to Australia in 2011 where he spent over 5 years leading the investment team at MH Carnegie & Co as the firm’s investment director and partner. Mark has an MBA from Harvard Business (graduated Baker Scholar), and a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Economics from the University of Queensland.
Alex Cartel Alex was appointed as Chair of the State Library Victoria Foundation Council on 9 December 2020, following his appointment as a Foundation Council member in August 2020. Alex is an energetic member, supporting all major Library events and actively promoting these to his networks. He works closely with Library management to connect prospective donors to the Library and is himself a donor to the Library’s Collection and Conservation Fund.
Inala Cooper Inala Cooper is the Director or Murrup Barak, the Institute for Indigenous Development at the University of Melbourne. Inala’s earlier roles include Senior Adviser in the Yulendj Indigenous Engagement Unit at Monash University.
She is an experienced board member, having been a member of Jesuit Social Services, the Barpirdhila Foundation, which supports Aboriginal excellence in arts and music, and Culture is Life, which works to prevent Indigenous youth suicide. She is Director of the Board of Munarra Ltd, which aims to create economic opportunities and career pathways for Aboriginal people through sports, health education and research. She is a member of the Reconciliation Leadership Committee for Yarra Valley Water.
Inala has a Master’s degree in Human Rights Law (2012) from Monash University and describes herself as a social commentator, change-maker and advocate for Indigenous rights, social justice and human rights. Her undergraduate degree at Deakin University was in Drama and Contemporary Dance (1998), and she holds a Diploma of Arts, Small Companies and Community Theatre from Swinburne University of Technology (2002).
Inala is a Yawuru woman from Broome in the Kimberley, Western Australia. She grew up in south-west Victoria on Gunditjmara land and has lived on the land of the Kulin Nations in Melbourne for over 20 years.
