Board membership and functions

Board membership

Membership composition

Section 9 Libraries Act 1982 requires the board to consist of eight members appointed by the Governor with the following stipulations:

• Three members will be nominated by the Local Government Association (LGA), who may comprise, in any combination of:
  • council members
  • librarians employed in a public library
  • community information officers employed by a council
  • any other officers or employees of a council
  • any other persons with experience in local government.
• The remaining five members will be nominated by the Minister.
• At least two members must be women and at least two must be men.
• The Governor will appoint one of the members to be the presiding member.

The Governor may appoint a suitable person to be a deputy of a member (being a person nominated by the body or person who nominated the member) and the deputy may perform or exercise the functions and powers of the member in the member's absence. 

Current members

• Bruce Linn AM, Chair
• Megan Berghuis
• Joanne Cys 
• Joost den Hartog
• Janet Finlay
• Hedy Hashemi
• Amanda Nettelbeck

Officers of the Board

• Geoff Strempel, Director, State Library of South Australia

Board functions

The board's functions, as specified in Section 14 of the Libraries Act 1982, are as follows:

• to formulate policies and guidelines for the provision of public library services
• to establish, maintain and expand collections of library materials and, in particular, collections of such materials that are of South Australian origin, or have particular relevance to this State
• to administer the State Library
• to establish and maintain such other public libraries and public library services as may best conduce to the public interest
• to promote, encourage and assist in the establishment, operation and expansion of public libraries and public library services by councils and others
• to collaborate with an administrative unit of the Public Service or any other public sector agency (within the meaning of the Public Sector Act 2009) and any other authority and body, in the provision of library and information services
• to make recommendations to the Minister on the allocation of funds that are available for the purposes of public libraries and public library services
• to initiate and monitor research and experimental projects in relation to public libraries and public library services
• to keep library services provided in the State under continuing evaluation and review
• to carry out any other functions assigned to the Board under this or any other Act, Minister or Premier.