Alan Lindsey Bundy

BA DipEd MLitt MLib AFAIM FALIA

Conferred: 1990

Alan Bundy has made a distinguished contribution to the theory and practice of librarianship in Australia and to the objects and work of the Australian Library and Information Association. The contribution is characterised by energy and innovation. His major achievements are in the areas of publishing, clearinghouses and databases, continuing education and innovations in library services and administration.

He began his career in the City of Perth Libraries in 1966, becoming branch librarian in 1968 and senior branch librarian in the City of Melville Libraries in 1969. After entering the College Library sector in Perth in 1969 as the College Librarian of the Technical Education Division, he became chief librarian of the Footscray Institute of Technology in 1974. Since 1983, he has been the College Librarian at the South Australian College of Advanced Education.

He has contributed immensely to the literature of Australian librarianship: through his own extensive writing and by his publishing activities, including initiating, editing and publishing journals, directories, monographs and other works. He has published across the spectrum of library endeavour implementing publishing programs in his libraries and jointly founding and operating Auslib Press with his wife, Judith. A particular initiative as SACAE was the development of a Research and Development Register for the College, which is published annually by the library and is much used and appreciated by the academic staff.

In addition to his publishing activities, Alan Bundy has initiated a number of clearinghouses and databases, the most significant of these being ACHLIS, the Australian Clearinghouse for Library and Information Science established at FIT in 1982 and transferred to SACAE in 1983. Published and unpublished Australian material in library and information science is collected, and indexed and abstracted for the annual publication Australian library and information science abstracts and for online access through AUSINET and LISA. ACHLIS is an invaluable resource for making the nation's professional literature accessible. He initiated two other clearinghouses namely ACHPIRST (Australian Clearinghouse for Publications in Recreation, Sport and Tourism) and WESTDOC (Western Region of Melbourne documentation), both of which have produced electronic and print data of value to the profession.

In the area of continuing education, ALan Bundy has initiated a program of annual national seminars on a wide variety of topics. These have been organised by staff at his last two libraries as part of their own professional development. Recognition has come from beyond the library sector, with Alan having been invited to be a member of the Working Party for the Commonwealth Review of Higher Education in Libraries.

Alan Bundy has also contributed to the development of school libraries, serving as a library consultant for the School Commission from 1978 to 1984.

Alan Bundy has been an energetic and enthusiastic contributor to the objects and work of the Association throughout his career, with his most significant contributions coming from his term as president of the South Australian Branch and then as national president. His contributions to the South Australian Branch were many and long-lasting. They include the initiation of regular meetings with the Minister the initiation and initial sponsorship of the Val Gould Award for School Community Libraries and his campaign for Freedom of Information. Alan was the last president of the Library Association of Australia, before it was granted its new Royal Charter to become the Australian Library and Information Association. He had suggested and gained wide support for the new name. It was also during Alan's presidency that the Association decided to commence construction of a new national headquarters building in Canberra. Alan had been a strong supporter of this proposal. Further, it was during his presidency that the Association hosted the first IFLA conference to be held in Australia. His many initiatives include the Information for the Nation campaign, the first national Forum on Library Promotion, the first Industrial Forum and the Library Technician of the Year Award.

His achievements and leadership, both in the profession and the Association, make him a most worthy recipient of this Fellowship and the Australian Library and Information Association.