New Library Committee and priorities for 2020

On 23rd November the Caroline Chisholm Library held its Annual General Meeting. The Meeting accepted with thanks two outgoing Committee Members: Mr Paul Nixon (CCL Catholic Bookclub) and Christina Kennedy (out-going Secretary).

Two new members joined the Committee Associate Professor Patrick Quirk (elected as Vice-President) and Mr Tindikai (Tindi) Munyawarara.

The Library will face some challenges in 2020. Over the past 25 years the Library has experienced an attrition of active members due to age, ill-health and the changing demands of life and time. This requires us to rethink the Library's mission, seeking out new Members while serving our current ones.

We will have more news about this over the coming weeks. In the short term, the new Library Committee is committed to moving the Library onto a sustainable financial footing in the first three months of 2020.

The program of work for the Committee and volunteers includes the following:

• Enlisting a larger and more stable income from existing and new Members, Donors and other sources.
• Investigating ways to reduce the dominant Library expense: rent of premises.
• Completing a re-zoning and conservation of valuable Library assets.
• Promoting the Library through the parishes, newer like-minded communities and organisations and re-establishing stronger ties with historical partners.
• Organising more events and hosting meetings to bring the Library’s mission to a wider audience.

The new Committee is well equipped to tackle a challenge! Further information about the new Committee follows.

Anthony Krohn (President)

Anthony Krohn is a Melbourne-based barrister practising in administrative law. He has an academic background in theology, music and classics. He sits on a number of advisory and ethics boards. He has been a member of the Library committee since 2005. He is keen to make the Library widely known for its resources, groups and events.

Patrick Quirk (Vice-President)

Associate Professor Quirk lectures at Australian Catholic University Melbourne Campus Patrick is presently the scholar-in-residence at St Mary's College at the University of Melbourne and a member of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars(USA. He holds degrees in law and arts from the University of Queensland, as well as a Master of Civil Laws (Magister Legum) from the University of Tübingen, Germany. Patrick has also taught at Bond University Law School, Ave Maria School of Law and the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America (CUA).

David Kennedy (Treasurer)

David is a telecommunications and technology industry researcher and consultant, with an academic background in science and philosophy. He has been a member of the Library committee since 2014. He manages the Library’s day to day finances and IT systems, including our website and library IT system. He will also be leading our membership management team this year.

Angelo Pardo (Secretary)

Angelo has been a CCL member for a number of years. His work takes him regularly interstate in his legal advisory roles and he is active in a number of student and professional groups including the Alumni of the Australian Catholic Students and the Catholic Lawyers’ Association. His interests include promoting the Library and its events through these groups.

Pauline Kennedy (Minute & Committee Secretary)

Pauline is an artist and iconographer, and is currently completing a Masters of Teaching (Primary) at the University of Melbourne. She led the Caroline Chisholm Library Playgroup from 2014 to 2016, and has been a member and supporter of the Library since 2008. Areas of interest include developing the Children's and Youth catalogue including devotional resources for families, art and aesthetics, events and cultural engagement.

Tindikai (Tindi) Munyawarara

Tindi has been an active member of the Library for some years. He works in the telecommunications industry in the city and lives with his wife near the lovely Victorian town of Castlemaine. Tindi was born in Harare, Zimbabwe but has now lived half his life in Australia. He has a keen interest in preserving “the Catholic mind” and is particularly interested in supporting the fund-raising and promoting the Library among ecclesial movements.

Anna Krohn

Anna Krohn is an educator, columnist and writer is currently special adviser in Faith Formation at University of Notre Dame, Australia. She was academic skills adviser and tutor at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family (Melbourne) and has been lecturer and course designer in healthcare ethics at Australian Catholic University and in other settings. Her interests include building upon the Library’s long history in providing a spiritual, intellectual and cultural hub for its members and for the wider public. 

Chris Shea

Chris Shea has served on the Library committee since 2012. His reading interests include Irish history, Byzantine history and biographies. Chris has assisted in organising events at the Library which explore Western and Byzantine liturgy and theology in which he is regularly involved.