One week down

Following a most enjoyable break (of which more later) after leaving my previous post as University Librarian at the University of Technology, Sydney, I took up the position of State Librarian last Monday, 5 September.

The first week was a whirl beginning with chairing my first meeting of the State Library Executive on my first day and proceeded to meeting the Minister for Arts, the Premier and the Mayor of City of Sydney, among many others, as well as officiating at two public functions. But most enjoyable was meeting more of the State Library staff and beginning to get to know the premises and extensive activities of the Library. It is truly a remarkable organisation with an enormous range of services and activities, truly one of the great libraries of the world.  My new colleagues were most welcoming and delighted to show me a little of what they do - from those helping researchers in the Mitchell Library's magnificent reading room to those deep underground in the conservation lab and those digitising valuable documents and creating e-records to enable worldwide access to the Library's riches.

But, of course, the collections are the aspect which stands out. Their riches are extraordinary and it is a tremendous honour and responsibility to be appointed to care for them and ensure their future development. I shall write more about them later.

The second week has started with another Executive meeting and my first meeting of the Public Libraries Consultative Committee. I'm glad to have met with the PLCC so early in my tenure because the State Library's role in supporting and advancing the extensive public library network across the State is the key to our connection deep into the State's varied urban, country and remote communities.