Council of Australasian University Librarians

We are pleased to announce that the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) has officially become the Council of Australasian University Librarians (CAUL), embracing a more inclusive and unified approach across Oceania. This change ensures equal membership for university librarians across the region, fostering greater collaboration and advocacy. We look forward to this exciting new chapter for the organisation, its Members, and the broader university library community. Read the full media release now https://shorturl.at/WOHGP

🌟Great opportunity open for applications until the morning of 6th January 2025 🌟

Join our dynamic team at CAUL to support our Content Procurement and Data Solutions services! We have two exciting full-time working from home opportunities for candidates based in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand: 🔍 Data Solutions Specialist Support strategic negotiations for CAUL’s flagship Content Procurement Service, conduct complex data analysis, and help shape university library benchmarking and sector impact. This brand new role plays a key part in informing decision-making and sector profile development. Find out more https://shorturl.at/eEUxS 📑 Content Procurement Specialist Work closely with the CAUL Procurement team to manage and enhance sector-level content procurement services. You'll engage with stakeholders, develop, manage and monitor contracts and improve consortium processes. This role has been expanded to full-time to meet the growing demands of the CAUL Consortium. We will also be bidding farewell to our current part-time Content Procurement Specialist once the new incumbent joins us. We are grateful for their contributions and will miss their presence. Find out more https://shorturl.at/VDpuO If you have a passion for data and content procurement in the university library sector, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today! Applications closing on 6 January 2025 9am AEST.

🥳 Congratulations to Eleonora Leopardi and Nara Jones and the University of Newcastle team for publishing their new #OERCollective text: Diagnosis: A Medical Education Game.   Diagnosis was created with, and for, students in the Joint Medical Program (JMP). The JMP is a unique partnership of the University of Newcastle and the University of New England. Learning is problem-based, and supported by early and broad clinical experience. This game-based open resource enables medical students to develop their diagnostic skills and adaptive expertise as they compete with each other to solve a clinical case.   Already award-winning, Eleonora won the 2024 Patil Teaching Innovation Award for this #OER at the International Association for Health Professions Education AMEE 2024 Conference in Basel, Switzerland. Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0, this text is free to read, reuse and adapt! Check out it now: https://lnkd.in/gETVt_nt #OpenTextbooks #OpenEducation #AustralianOER #OEP

We are delighted to announce that Margie Jantti GAICD, an inspiring and exceptional leader whose sustained contributions have shaped the future of university libraries in Australia and internationally, is the 2024 recipient of the CAUL Distinguished Service Award. For more than two decades, Margie has been instrumental in advancing the work of the Council of Australian University Librarians. As CAUL President/Chair from 2015 to 2019, she led transformative change through the adoption of Strategic Programs and enhanced board governance, positioning CAUL for continued success. Her leadership style, combining consultative approaches with courage and tenacity, was crucial in modernising CAUL's operations and ensuring its continued relevance. As Director of Library Services at the University of Wollongong since 2010, Margie has consistently demonstrated her commitment to innovation and excellence. Her pioneering work in library assessment has revolutionised how we demonstrate the impact of university libraries on student outcomes and research outputs. Her frameworks for measuring library performance, particularly in student learning outcomes and research impact, have elevated the role of libraries within higher education institutions. Margie's influence extends far beyond her own institution. Her dedication to leadership development has seen her play pivotal roles in the CAUL and CAUDIT Leadership Institutes, where she has helped shape hundreds of future library and IT leaders. Her contribution to the CAUDIT Leadership Institute was recognised with their Meritorious Service Award in 2017. Her advocacy has strategically advanced dialogue on crucial issues, including open access, learning spaces, digital transformation, and copyright. As an influential voice in the sector, she has consistently raised CAUL's profile through engagement with Universities Australia, the National Library of Australia, and major funding bodies. Her appointment to chair the ORCID Governance Committee and her role in cementing CAUL's place in the International Alliance of Research Library Associations demonstrate her capacity to build strategic partnerships. Margie's expertise is widely sought after, as evidenced by her service on numerous review panels for university libraries across Australia and New Zealand. Her extensive publication record and conference presentations have shared innovative practices and insights that continue to influence the profession. Margie has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing university libraries throughout her career. From her early recognition as the inaugural recipient of the CAUL Achievement Award in 2002 to her current leadership roles, she has consistently shown vision, dedication, and the ability to effect positive change. Congratulations, Margie, and thank you for your outstanding leadership.

The 2024 recipient of the CAUL Indigenous Leader Award for Australia is T R.. Tui Raven, a Yamaji and Nyungar leader, writer, speaker and researcher, has reshaped how university libraries engage with and preserve Indigenous knowledge. As Senior Manager of Indigenous Programs at Deakin Library, her influence extends from local practice to national and international approaches to Indigenous knowledge systems. Her landmark contribution, the "Guidelines for First Nations Collection Description", has transformed culturally respectful cataloguing practices across the sector. These guidelines provide a framework for managing collections while respecting Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property rights. Through engagement with the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), Tui advocates for integrating Indigenous knowledge frameworks into WorldCat, challenging traditional Eurocentric cataloguing practices. Her work with the Attorney General's Copyright and AI Reference Groups brings crucial Indigenous perspectives to emerging technologies and intellectual property rights. As co-founder of the Reparative Description Community of Practice, now 150 members strong, she has built a powerful network for ethical engagement with Indigenous materials. Her contributions at Kummargi Yulendji, the AIATSIS Summit, and the World Health Summit have advanced critical discussions about Indigenous knowledge representation and protection. Tui's advocacy for Indigenous data sovereignty and digital rights continues to transform how institutions engage with Indigenous knowledge, ensuring Indigenous voices, perspectives, and cultural sovereignty are respected and upheld. In a supporting statement, a sector leader noted that "[Tui's] leadership in the sector is widely acknowledged, as is her support of First Nations colleagues at all stages of their careers. She is not afraid to challenge systems or processes that need to improve, but at the same time is incredibly generous in supporting others to achieve positive change. She has made a significant impact to advance Indigenous librarianship, recognised at national and international level." Please join us in congratulating Tui.

We are thrilled to announce that this year's recipient of the CAUL Indigenous Leader Award for Aotearoa is Abigail McClutchie. Of Te Rarawa and Ngāti Porou descent, Abigail McClutchie is a visionary leader whose work embodies tino rangatiratanga - Māori self-determination, independence, and sovereignty. As the inaugural Kaiārahi at Te Tumu Herenga, University of Auckland, Abigail has transformed how the university approaches its commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. She created pathways for others across the Council of New Zealand University Libraries through developing comprehensive decolonisation programmes, capability frameworks, and Te Tiriti audits that have fundamentally reshaped institutional culture. Her vision led to the creation of ReoSpace, an innovative initiative where te reo Māori is the primary language spoken. Through Te Herenga Tauira, her programme has enabled over 200 student-facing staff to connect with Waipapa Marae and deepen their understanding of kaupapa Māori. Abigail's leadership embodies kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whakawhanautanga (shared experiences and connection), and manaakitanga (kindness, support, respect and care). Her approach creates safe, mana-enhancing environments that foster belonging for Māori colleagues while guiding non-Indigenous colleagues on their cultural learning journeys. The transformative impact of her work has been recognised through two Vice Chancellor's Excellence Awards and continues to create lasting positive change in how university libraries serve and empower Indigenous communities. In a supporting statement, one of Abigail's colleagues noted: “Abigail remains a steadfast and optimistic leader even in the face of challenges. She inspires others to stay committed and motivated. Her strong moral principles, rooted in Māoriworldviews, practices, and philosophies, guide her actions and decisions, earning the trust and respect of her colleagues and the community.” Congratulations, Abigail, and thank you for your leadership.

The team behind the University of Queensland Library's Collections on Country Project was awarded the CAUL Outstanding Library Team Award for 2024 at our Council meeting in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) last Thursday. The Collections on Country Project Working Group has fundamentally transformed how university libraries engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and their cultural heritage. Taking an Indigenous-first approach, the team revolutionised how remote communities access and interact with cultural collections. Their pioneering work with the Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council in Cape York established an exemplary model for upholding communities' rights to know what is held in special collections, providing mechanisms for communities to respond, update, enhance and challenge how these collections are described. Through consultation and co-design with the Mapoon community, the team developed a sophisticated yet user-friendly system enabling offline access to cultural materials. Their solution ensures cultural knowledge about language, kinship, and ceremonial practices reaches the people to whom it matters most. The project demonstrates outstanding sustainability and scalability. The team created automated processes, clear workflows, and robust technical solutions that can be replicated across other communities. Their pilot project with Mapoon has laid the groundwork for partnerships with four additional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This work exemplifies how libraries can partner with communities while respecting Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property rights, ensuring cultural heritage materials are actively reconnected with the communities from which they originated. Congratulations to the team: Lesley Acres, Sam Searle, Mia Strasek-Barker, Rob Bowen, Dulcie Stewart, Raelee Lancaster (pictured accepting the award), Talitha Carter, Sarah-May Ryan, Linda Justo, Christina Steinke, Caitlin Murphy, David De Groot, Anna Lagos (pictured accepting the award), and Amberyn Thomas

We are delighted to announce that the 2024 recipient of the CAUL Emerging Leader Award is Raelee Lancaster. Raelee Lancaster, a Wiradjuri writer and library professional and descendant of the Biripi Peoples, is transforming how university libraries engage with Indigenous knowledge systems. As Principal Advisor, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services and Collections at the University of Queensland Library, Raelee has demonstrated remarkable initiative and leadership in making Indigenous knowledges more findable and accessible for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Since beginning her library career at Griffith University in 2019, Raelee has shown exceptional professional growth and leadership potential. Upon joining UQ Library in 2022, she quickly established herself as a change agent, developing crucial policies and frameworks that respect Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property rights. Her work includes authoring best practice guides for describing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges in collections and co-creating the Cultural Access Conditions Framework. Her leadership in the Library of Congress Name Authority Cooperative project at UQ is improving the accuracy of information about First Nations authors in global bibliographic databases. Her contributions to the "UQ has a Blak History" online learning resource demonstrate her ability to work strategically while maintaining cultural integrity. Raelee's scholarly contributions demonstrate her emerging thought leadership, particularly her work on Indigenous knowledge frameworks in cataloguing. Through the QULOC Indigenous Strategy Reference Group, she has organised transformative professional development experiences for colleagues across Queensland. Her receipt of the Edna Maskell Scholarship has enabled her to share her insights internationally at the 2024 IFLA Information Futures Summit. Despite being early in her career, Raelee has demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing culturally respectful practices in university libraries. Her innovative approach to Indigenous knowledge systems, commitment to mentoring others, and scholarly contributions make her an outstanding emerging leader in our profession. One of the supporting statements for Raelee's nomination noted that “[s]he works purposefully and effectively within the structures of a large, complex university library, while also acting as an advocate and activist, embodying the values of critical librarianship. She is not afraid to speak up, to challenge peers and leaders in the organisation, and to call out the many ways in which libraries continue to emphasise Western knowledge frameworks at the expense of Aboriginal ways of knowing, doing and being.” Congratulations, Raelee, and thank you for your incredible contribution to the sector.

A fantastic turnout for the CAUL Council 2024/2 Networking Dinner at Origine in Auckland, New Zealand, highlighted by a complimentary viewing of the Diamond Princess departing Waitemata Harbour.