My first 100 days

One hundred days have passed since I took on the role as your State Librarian and CEO. It’s such a great privilege to be back here in my home state serving Queenslanders and being part of this vibrant and progressive library. I said it in my first week and I’ll say it again now — I have the best job in Queensland!

From my very first day in office, I’ve been on a thrilling journey of rediscovery, taking an active role again in all the wonderful offerings the library has for the people and visitors of Queensland.

Vicki McDonald, State Librarian and CEO. Photo by Josef Ruckli.

From my first week when SLQ was alive with the Brisbane Writers Festival through to celebrating 10 years as Library of the Future, there hasn’t been a dull moment.

I have taken the opportunity to meet and share ideas with the many diverse teams across SLQ and I’m encouraged by the enthusiasm and passion that emanates from my colleagues.

And I was truly honoured to participate in a host of community events including the closing ceremony for Art of the Skins, the largest Aboriginal cultural revitalisation project in Queensland, as well as SLQ’s Fun Palaces — a contribution to a global celebration of arts and sciences, learning, play, and adventure.

It’s wonderful to see SLQ continue to support our literary community, and I congratulate this year’s recipients of the Queensland Literary and Young Writers awards.

It has been seven years since I was last part of the SLQ team and it’s been inspiring to experience firsthand just how far SLQ has grown and evolved.
If there’s one standout observation I would make from my first 100 days, it’s that while SLQ has undoubtedly moved with the times, we haven’t lost our core essence. In the whirlwind that has been my first few months, I’m thrilled that it’s a still place where we share knowledge, work in partnerships, bring people together, host conversations on diverse ideas, and help Queenslanders tap into their creativity.

We have embraced the digital age and made discovery of our collections a priority — continually improving access to our collections through projects such as the Soldiers Portraits which is part of our commemoration of the First World War.

Our role as a trusted collector and preserver of Queensland memory has remained strong and the dedicated team, with their unwavering passion for enabling access, building literacy and creating capabilities within the Queensland community has seen some inspiring home grown stories come to life.

We have grown and expanded our learning programs for Indigenous communities, seniors, children and young people and I’m delighted to see SLQ as an experimental space for programs destined for Queensland’s large network of public libraries and Indigenous Knowledge Centres.

But I’m aware this is just a tip of the iceberg and I’m excited for what’s on the horizon. I look forward to the next chapter and I hope to continue a legacy of vibrancy that is synonymous with SLQ.

Vicki McDonald
State Librarian and Chief Executive Officer
State Library of Queensland