| AARL | Volume 29 Nº 3, September 1998 |
| Australian Academic & Research Libraries | |
For the Interchange of Views and Information: The Council of Australian University Librarians 1928-1998*Dr Neil A Radford'It was decided ... to meet when and as practicable for the interchange of views and information.'Abstract 1998 marks the seventieth anniversary of the first recorded meeting of Australian university librarians. Meetings were held intermittently until 1965 when it was decided to form the Committee (later Council) of Australian University Librarians (CAUL). The early meetings focussed on information exchange and issues of concern such as the status of the library and its librarian. In recent years CAUL has taken a more national and policy-based approach, emphasising collaborative activities which improve access to information for the academic community. Among CAUL's achievements are a comprehensive database of university library statistics, the facilitation of access to electronic databases, and the development of performance indicators. Despite some misgivings on the part of some vice-chancellors, CAUL has emerged as an effective and credible advocate for university libraries. * The assistance and advice of Harrison Bryan, AO (Member 1954-1980, Chairman 1955, 1965-1966) is gratefully acknowleged. |
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