Tasmanian Library Advisory Board

Jan has extensive public library experience (30 + years) at a senior management level, and a strong record of working with local, state and federal governments in advocating for libraries. In late 2020 she moved to Tasmania from NSW, making the change from managing a large, multi-council, regional library service into consultancy (Jan Richards Consulting). Jan thrives on working with colleagues, giving them the proficiencies and confidence to make positive change.

Jan is a past President and Fellow of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), and past Chair (2008-2020) of the Australian Public Library Alliance (APLA). In her APLA role she worked closely with colleagues from Libraries Tasmania and has a clear understanding of the history, successes and challenges that face the network.

Jan is an engaged affiliate of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and have held a number of elected positions over the past decade in the areas of Public Libraries, Literacy and Reading and Standards.

Beth Warren has a lifelong passion for information and good communication, having completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in Information Science (later called IT). She has a keen interest in the appropriate use of technology as the foundation for streamlining business processes; and is focussed on providing high quality data to support informed decision making. This was gained through many years working in the software development industry, business analysis and project management of software systems.

She has built a career based on explaining complicated concepts in plain English.

Beth is currently a Councillor on Clarence City Council and sings with the TSO Chorus.

Dr Snowden is a professional historian, heritage consultant and genealogist. She served as Chair of the Tasmanian Heritage Council from 2012-2014 and lectured in online Family History at University of Tasmania from 2014 to 2016. Dianne taught Adult Education classes in family history for more than 25 years.

Dianne is Chair of the Cascades Female Factory Community Advisory Committee and founding member of the Female Convicts Research Centre. She is a former Director of the National Trust of Australia (Tasmania) and the National Archives of Australia Advisory Council.

Dianne’s most recent publication (with Irish historian Joan Kavanagh) is Van Diemen’s Women: A history of Transportation to Tasmania.

Dick has a lifelong interest in adult literacy. He is the Patron, and a Life Member of the Tasmanian Council for Adult Literacy. He is well known for his advocacy for adult learners in Tasmania. Dick was a National Ambassador of the National Year of Reading for 2012 and is a member of the Tasmanian Book Council.

Dick has sat in both State and Federal Parliaments, the latter for 20 years finishing in 2013. He has been involved in many committees included chairing the Parliamentary Library Joint Committee and was the Federal Parliament representative on the National Library Board. On leaving Federal Parliament in 2013, Dick was elected to the Northern Midlands Council.

Jan taught mathematics and computing for over 20 years at secondary and tertiary level in various parts of Australia. Most recently, Jan was Executive Officer of the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia, responsible for managing all aspects of the organisation including finance, compliance, conference organising and publicity.

Jan is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a senior member of the Australian Computer Society. Previous board positions include Musica Viva Tasmania and St Mary’s College, Hobart.

Jan has an Honours degree in Mathematics and Statistics and postgraduate qualifications in education, educational computing and French. As an IT expert, Jan is interested in the development of digital technologies, the future of books, and how libraries are adapting to the changes brought to the Internet.

Jen came to the Board after working as an Adult Education tutor, and describes herself as a passionate library user. She is an enthusiastic supporter of the increased provision of digital items and digital access and believes that the broad learning opportunities and accessible services available at local Libraries work to improve quality of life for community members.

Jen’s previous board experience has focused on education and local community development. Her employment history has been predominantly in the non-government sector.

Malcolm Wells is a highly regarded professional in the field of education. He pursued an outstanding career in Tasmanian government schools, retiring as Deputy Secretary (Further Education and Training) in 2013. In the last decade he has played an important role in advancing the education, literacy and wellbeing outcomes for Tasmanians through a variety of board positions in government and not-for-profit organisations, including:
• Member and, since 2023, Convenor of the 26Ten Coalition
• Board Member Choose Life Services
• Board Member Non-Government Schools Registration Board (Tasmania)
• Director, Education Services Australia, Chair Finance Risk and Audit Committee
• Director, Cradle Coast Authority, Chair Audit and Risk Committee

Dr Duniam’s expertise is in local government. She has been a Councillor of Waratah-Wynyard for seventeen years, Deputy Mayor for eight years and is Deputy Chief Representative of the Cradle Coast Authority. In 2017, Mary obtained a PhD relating to local government and social enterprises in Tasmania, illustrating that community is the potential terrain for social entrepreneurship and collective impact. She has also co-authored chapters in three separate research publications. Mary is a current Board Member of the Tasmanian Women’s Council and the Tasmanian Heritage Council; and is also Deputy Chief Representative on the Cradle Coast Authority.

Mary Lijnzaad is the manager of the library at the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona), and has worked with that collection for 22 years. She worked in disability services and staff training for 10 years prior to moving to Tasmania in 1996 where she retrained in library services. Mary has a passion for libraries and the provision of access to quality information and educational services that enable lifelong learning. She also has a keen interest in library technologies and design and how they can be utilised to improve user outcomes.

Patrick has over twenty years of library sector leadership experience across state libraries and archives, public libraries and special libraries.

Before joining Libraries Tasmania in 2023, Patrick led Library & Archives NT, the Northern Territory’s ‘state’ library and archives service, bringing the Northern Territory Library and Northern Territory Archives Service into a single organisation. Prior to spending ten years in the Territory he worked across a number of roles at State Library Victoria.

At Library & Archives NT, he worked extensively with library services in regional and remote areas, and has strong interests in sharing cultural collections with wider audiences, working with First Nations communities to develop culturally safe collections and spaces, and developing literacy and reading throughout our communities.

Sue is a graduate of the Tasmanian Leaders Program and the Australian Rural Leadership Program. She has held roles on the executive committees of the Australian Veterinary Association (Tasmanian Division) and Tasmanian Women in Agriculture and is a past recipient of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation’s Community Leadership Scholarship.

Sue believes that libraries need to continue to evolve and adapt to our changing world so everyone in our society continues to be able to access the information and related services that they need and can do so in a way that is relevant to the world in which they live.

Sue is a veterinary surgeon and an active member of her rural community in northern Tasmania. Suzanne has held a number of positions on a wide range of government and industry boards and committees.

Sue was appointed as a public member of the Press Council in August 2013.

Tim Jarvis is the director of Fullers Bookshop, Hobart, where he has worked since 2013, before taking over ownership in 2021. Fullers is an award-winning independent bookshop and has been a valued Tasmanian institution for more than 100 years. He is passionate about connecting books with people, and in his time at Fullers he has significantly expanded the book events and reading group programs, as well as partnering to promote literacy (particularly through Connect42 and the Indigenous Literacy Fund). Prior to this, he completed a PhD in Philosophy at UTAS, where he also taught and started a Philosophy Society. He has been a judge for various literacy events at schools, notably the Readers’ Cup and the Philosothon.

Tasha Tyler-Moore is our newest board member, representing the Local Government Association of Tasmania.

Currently Kingborough Council’s Manager, Development Services, Ms Tyler-Moore has over 20 years’ experience in the local government sector both in Tasmania and Victoria. She is very passionate about the value of libraries to the community and importance of archives.