3 September 2007

Hon Bruce Chamberlain AM honoured posthumously

Hon Bruce Chamberlain AM honoured posthumously for outstanding contribution to the promotion of library and information services

The Redmond Barry Award is the Australian Library and Information Association's premier award for non-librarians and will be presented tonight to the family of the Hon Bruce Chamberlain AM in a ceremony in the Victorian Parliamentary Library.

The Hon Bruce Anthony Chamberlain AM (1939-2005) is the former Member of the Parliament of Victoria for Dundas and then Western Province, and former President of the Victorian Legislative Council and Chairman of the Parliamentary Library Committee.

"Bruce Chamberlain was an effective and passionate champion and leader on behalf of libraries for almost thirty years," said Roxanne Missingham, President of the Australian Library and Information Association.

"His dedication to libraries went far beyond his public roles and responsibilities as a parliamentarian. Bruce is an outstanding exemplar of support for the library profession and for public and parliamentary libraries".

"Bruce took every opportunity to emphasise the importance of the Parliamentary Library as an integral element of parliament and democracy. He believed that only with an effective library and information service can government and the executive be held accountable"

Bruce was elected to the Hamilton City Council in 1969 and in that role took on the chairmanship of the Glenelg Regional Library Service in 1970. Bruce went on to chair the Glenelg Regional Library Service for a further sixteen years even after he became a Member of the Parliament of Victoria. Bruce's continuing chairmanship highlighted his commitment to and belief in public libraries as fundamental to healthy rural communities.

As President of the Victorian Legislative Council, he was Chairman of the Victorian Parliamentary Library Committee and served in that role for ten years. Bruce's lasting and positive legacy includes the implementation of new technology both in the parliament and in the library. He used the library to encourage better understanding of government and democracy and to improve the public perception of the Parliament of Victoria.

Distinguished previous recipients of the Redmond Barry Award include Ian Renard, Kenneth Baillieu Myer, the Hon EG Whitlam and the Hon Barry Jones. The Hon Barry Jones will be present at tonight's presentation.

Sir Redmond Barry is regarded as the founder of the State Library of Victoria and served as the chairman of the Trustees of the (then) Public Library from 1853 to his death in 1880.

ENDS