CAUL has existed as a national organisation since the first officially recorded meeting of Australian university librarians in 1928. It has a long history of collaboration, cooperation, and advocacy.
History of the association
1928
The first meeting of Australian university librarians was held.
1965
The Committee of Australian University Librarians was formed.
1992
The Council of Australian University Librarians was established as an unincorporated association.
1995
The CAUL Office was established at the Australian National University, with Diane Costello as the inaugural Executive Officer.
2016
CAUL joined other academic and research library organisations to form the International Alliance of Research Library Associations (IARLA).
2017
Members voted unanimously at the September Annual General Meeting in support of the resolution that CAUL become an incorporated association.
2018
- Drafting a new constitution began, a critical step in CAUL becoming an incorporated association
- A review of the CAUL Office was undertaken
2019
- The new Constitution was approved at a Special General Meeting on 8 February 2019, with two Member categories:
- Full Members: The university librarian (or equivalent) at each Australian university with membership of Universities Australia (UA)
- Associate Members: The university librarian (or equivalent) at each New Zealand university with membership of Universities New Zealand (UNZ)
- A resolution that the CAUL Office team apply for incorporation was also approved at the Special General Meeting
- CAUL became an incorporated association in the Australian Capital Territory on 18 February 2019
- In line with the new Constitution, the Board replaced the Executive Committee, the Chair of the Board replaced the President, and the Deputy Chair replaced the Deputy President
- Following the 2018 review of the CAUL Office, it underwent a restructure and was renamed the CAUL National Office
- Two new leadership roles were established in the National Office: Executive Director and Director, Content Procurement (to replace the Executive Officer role that previously led both the office and the procurement service, known until then as CEIRC – CAUL Electronic Information Resources Consortium)
- Diane Costello retired from the role of Executive Officer in early 2019
- Mark Sutherland was appointed Executive Director in July 2019
2020
- Angus Cook was appointed to the new role of Director, Content Procurement in January 2020
2021
- CAUL decoupled from ANU, becoming a direct employer and establishing a new presence and registered address at ALIA House in Deakin, Canberra
- The CAUL National Office became a virtual team, with staff working remotely across three states
- Dr Kate Tickle was appointed to the role of Director, Strategy & Analytics in April 2021
2022
- In July 2022, a new position of Associate Director, Content Procurement was approved by the Board, with a particular focus on open access agreements. Dr Arthur Smith commenced in the position in September
- Mark Sutherland retired as Executive Director with Jane Angel commencing as the new Executive Director on 14 November
2024
- A Working Group was established to undertake a review of CAUL’s membership model
- At a Special General Meeting in October, Members voted in favour of proposed changes to the CAUL Constitution that would:
- redefine a ‘Member’ as the university librarian (or equivalent) at an eligible institution
- define an eligible institution as any Australasian or Oceania universities recognised as universities by their respective governments
- change the name of the association to the Council of Australasian University Librarians
- The Executive Director’s position title was changed to Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- The Board appointed the first non-Council Member to an appointed Board Director role
2025
- The Council of Australian University Librarians became the Council of Australasian University Librarians
- University librarians from Aotearoa New Zealand university libraries officially became CAUL Members (rather than Associate Members)
- The CAUL National Office was renamed the CAUL Office
- CAUL was awarded charity status with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) with the registration effective retrospectively from the date of incorporation on 18 February 2019
Leadership of the association
From its establishment as an unincorporated association in 1992 until its incorporation in 2019, CAUL was led by an Executive Committee chaired by a President. Since 2019, CAUL has been governed and led by the Board, with a Chair appointed by the Board from among its members.
Chairs of the CAUL Board
| Term | Chair |
|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | Nicole Clark Queensland University of Technology |
| 2023–2024 | Carmel O’Sullivan University of Southern Queensland |
| 2019–2023 | Jill Benn University of Western Australia |
| 2019–2019 | Margie Jantti University of Wollongong |
Presidents of CAUL
| Term | President |
|---|---|
| 2015–2019 | Margie Jantti University of Wollongong |
| 2013–2015 | Heather Gordon James Cook University |
| 2009–2013 | Cathrine Harboe-Ree Monash University |
| 2008–2009 | Andrew Wells University of New South Wales |
| 2005–2007 | Eve Woodberry University of New England |
| 2002–2004 | Madeleine McPherson University of Southern Queensland |
| 1998–2002 | Helen Hayes University of Melbourne |
| 1997–1998 | Alex Byrne Northern Territory University and University of Technology Sydney |
| 1992–1996 | John Shipp University of Wollongong and University of Sydney |