Highly experienced local government and library services executive, Megan Berghuis has been appointed Director of the State Library of South Australia.
Megan will replace current Director, Geoff Strempel who will retire next month after seven years in the role and a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years in library services. She brings a wealth of experience and breadth of skills across the libraries network, cultural management and local government sector and is a strong advocate for arts and culture in South Australia.
Megan joins the State Library following successful executive roles at the City of Unley, most recently as General Manager Community and Organisational Development, overseeing a diverse portfolio including arts, culture, libraries and museum. She has held various leadership positions at the Council over a 12-year period.
She currently sits on the Libraries Board of South Australia and is Chair of the Public Libraries Committee. Megan regularly participates in various industry committees and project steering groups, as well as volunteering to support performing arts opportunities for young people.
Commencing her new role on 4 November 2024, Megan will lead the State Library of South Australia through its next phase of growth. “I’m thrilled and honoured to join the State Library of South Australia as Director,” said Ms Berghuis.
“I look forward to collaborating with the Libraries Board, staff and key stakeholders to discover innovative ways to celebrate and share the rich stories of South Australia with current and future generations.”
“The State Library of South Australia is a much-loved and cherished cultural institution and the state’s largest research library. It’s future is incredibly bright, with numerous exciting project activations, collections and exhibitions on the horizon which will continue to tell the rich and diverse stories of South Australia.”
“I am extremely passionate about the arts and look forward to further transforming the State Library and the public libraries into an even stronger, more cohesive network,” said Ms Berghuis.
The new appointment of Director follows an extensive national recruitment process. Libraries Board of South Australia Chair, Bruce Linn welcomed the appointment of Megan as Director to help drive the State Library’s strategic direction.
“I am delighted, on behalf of the Libraries Board, to welcome Megan Berghuis to the role of Director,” he said. “For more than a decade, I have observed firsthand, Megan’s passion and commitment to Libraries.”
“I am confident she will bring her considerable leadership qualities, collaborative style and enthusiasm to this role, engaging with our many stakeholders to continue to provide world class State and Public Libraries for the benefit of all South Australians.”
Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels MP congratulated Megan Berghuis on her appointment at the State Library of South Australia. “I’d like to congratulate Megan Berghuis on her appointment as the new Director of the State Library and thank Geoff Strempel for all of his hard work,” she said.
“Libraries are the cornerstone of our communities, fostering a lifelong love of learning and connecting people with knowledge and resources. I look forward to working with Megan on new and exciting ways to share the State Library’s considerable collections with the people of South Australia,” said the Minister.
For more information about the State Library of South Australia, visit: www.slsa.sa.gov.au for details.
Image: Megan Berghuis (supplied)