National Library of Australia
National Library of Australia 2003 Annual Report National Library of Australia 2003 Annual Report
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INTRODUCTORY

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Contents
Director General's Review
Corporate Overview
Report on Operations
Financial Statements
Appendices

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

This year Council members have been privileged to participate in a wide range of activities that have highlighted the close ties between the Library and the Australian community. Library staff members have maintained the Library’s prominence as a centre for scholarship and research. They have also worked hard to increase public awareness of the institution and to provide increased access to the Library’s collections and services.

This has been achieved in a number of ways. Travelling exhibitions have taken the Library’s collections to communities in regional and rural centres across Australia. Many people have visited the Library’s website to access its collections and view online the highlights of its on-site exhibitions.

The Library has produced a number of handsome publications and a wide range of events, such as seminars, talks and film nights, based on its collections. Young people and movie buffs enjoyed the ‘Carnival of Horror Film Marathon’ held in the Library’s Theatre on Friday 13 December. An audience of dancers, choreographers and members of the arts community attended the launch of a Library publication, A Collector’s Book of Australian Dance in Melbourne at the Chunky Move Dance Studio in February.

The Friends of the National Librar'y hosted a series of successful events, including the Annual Kenneth Myer Lecture. This was delivered by The Hon. Fred Chaney, Co-Chairman of Reconciliation Australia, on the topic ‘Achieving a Fairer Australia’.

The launch in November of the Librarys landmark publication, Many Voices: Reflections on Experiences of Indigenous Child Separation enabled Indigenous Australians, and others who participated in the Bringing Them Home Oral History Project, to celebrate with the Library and mark the successful completion of the project.

In March I visited Perth with senior Library staff for a series of presentations and meetings with libraries, cultural organisations and universities. The visit provided an excellent opportunity to promote the Library's new services and initiatives and to explore collaborative opportunities. Many of these utilise the Library's website to provide access to information and collections previously only available to those who could visit the Library in Canberra.

One of these initiatives is the creation of online versions of important Australian pictures, maps, manuscripts, sheet music and many other items, for example, Christina Macpherson's manuscript of the music of Waltzing Matilda, and Banjo Paterson's words, which can now be enjoyed by all who have Internet access.

With its strong commitment to national outreach, I believe that the National Library is well positioned to achieve the key priorities and objectives outlined in our strategic statement, Directions for 2003-2005.
SIR JAMES GOBBO, AC, CVO

Prof. Ros Pesman and Sir James Gobbo

Professor Ros Pesman and the Chairman of
the National Library of Australia Council, Sir James Gobbo,
at the opening of the Travellers Tales conference,
11 April 2003

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