IATUL Board of Directors

“IATUL is a growing network of leaders of academic libraries from around the world and an excellent platform to share experiences and collaborate for the development of libraries.”

• Academic library management
• HR development
• Leadership development
• Change management
• Scholarly communication
• Open access
• Research data management
• Digital libraries
• Open repositories
• Library space design
• Service development

Dr Anna Wałek, President of IATUL – International Association of University Libraries.  An experienced library manager, an expert in Open Science, and organisation and management of a scientific library.

Since February 2023, the leading specialist in the Data Processing Laboratory at the CYFRONET Academic Computer Center of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków in the EOSC FUTURE project (Integration and consolidation of the existing pan-European access mechanism to public research infrastructures and commercial services through the EOSC Portal).

In March 2023, she was nominated by the Ministry of Education and Science and the National Science Centre to represent Poland as part of the Council for National Open Science Coordination (CoNOSC) (https://conosc.org).

From 2007 until 2016, she worked at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, wherein, in 2013, as the Rector's Proxy for the Organisation of the Center for Scientific and Technical Information (CWINT), she developed the concept of organisation and functioning of a new university unit, combining the functions of a university library, units responsible for university cooperation with the economy, technology transfer and intellectual property management. From January 2014, she was the first director of CWINT and the director of the Libraries of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology. In November 2014, she was also appointed the manager of the Knowledge Repository Project at the Wrocław University of  Science and Technology. In 2014-2015, she was responsible for implementing the project Environmental Library of Exact and Technical Sciences for the Need of Innovative Economy (BIBLIOTECH), financed by the European Union under the Innovative Economy Operational Program.

From January 2017 until September 2023, she was the Director of the Gdańsk University of Technology Library, transforming it into a modern scientific library, providing innovative services for the scientific community, including the Open Science Competence Center and the Library Welcome Center, and engaging in national and international projects and initiatives. Plenipotentiary of the Rector of the Gdańsk University of Technology for Open Science (2017-2023).

Member of the Board of Directors (since 2018) and President (since 2022) of IATUL, member of the SPARC Europe Board of Directors (2018-2023), member of Task Force Open Science (2017-2021) and Task Force Openness of Science & Technology (2022-2023) of CESAER (Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research), as well as the Research Data Alliance. Representative of the Gdańsk University of Technology in the EOSC Association (2021-2023) and a member of the EOSC Association Data Stewardship Curricula and Career Paths Task Force. Originator and coordinator of the national working group of data stewards - Polish Data Stewardship Competence Centers Implementation Network (DSCC-IN PL) established in December 2019 as part of the GO FAIR initiative (DSCC-IN national chapter).

She also worked as an expert with the Polish national funder – the National Science Centre.

She conducts scientific research in data management in various scientific disciplines, metadata for research data, and data management support services. A graduate of the Institute of Information and Library Science at the University of Wrocław, where she obtained a PhD in Library and Information Science in 2013.

Author of scientific publications, organiser and member of the program and organising committees of national and international scientific and industry conferences.

“For me, IATUL provides a singular opportunity for librarians at member institutions worldwide to share knowledge gained from their research projects and library initiatives. In this way IATUL supports and enhances member library programs. In addition, IATUL fosters new networks and trans-national collaborations.”

• Scholarly communication
• Open access
• Research data management

Charles Eckman is Dean and University Librarian at the University of Miami. He previously served as University Librarian and Dean of Library Services at Simon Fraser University (2010-2013), Associate University Librarian and Director of Collections at the University of California, Berkeley (2006-2010), and Principal Government Documents Librarian and Head of the Social Sciences Resource Group at Stanford University (1997-2006).

Dr. Eckman has served on the boards of directors for the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, Canadian Association of Research Libraries, and Canadian Research Knowledge Network; he also served on the Depository Library Council to the Public Printer. Dr. Eckman’s research interests include information policy, open access, digital scholarship, history of scholarly communication and cultural organization administration. He has managed and consulted on a variety of digital library initiatives. He is currently serving as principal investigator – with his colleague Dr. Jill Deupi at the Lowe Art Museum – on an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation funded project promoting campus-based academic library and museum collaboration, faculty engagement and conservation of special collections, archives and works of art on paper.

Dr. Eckman holds a master’s degree in library and information studies from UC Berkeley, a PhD and master’s degrees in politics from Princeton University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Indiana University.

“Recent events have really highlighted the benefits and need for us to work internationally, to collaborate across borders to continually develop and respond to change. In such a fast moving profession and world as ours, IATUL brings together the unique perspectives of librarians and their services across all continents to share and spark ideas for the benefit of all our communities.”

• Study space design and use
• Open research
• Workforce development and leadership
• Collaborative service development digital libraries

Kate was appointed University Librarian for the University of Bath in 2012, where she serves as a member of the University’s key committees which shape and lead the University’s strategy. Originally a Theology graduate from the University of Manchester and with a MA in Library & Information Studies, she has worked in libraries since the 1980s, contributing to a range of sectors within the profession including public libraries, private members’ libraries and the advertising industry. 

Prior to moving to Bath, initially to take up the post of Academic Services Librarian, she worked at the Manchester Metropolitan University as the Deputy Librarian for their Business Library.  Kate is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP) and the Royal Society of Arts. She is a regular speaker and contributor at international conferences, with a particular interest in innovative use of technology to enhance processes and users’ experience.

Kate has a close relationship with CILIP and was elected as their President for 2022. Her Presidential theme of Workplace Development reflects her longstanding commitment to this in her career and in her voluntary activities.  She was an Assessor for CILIP’s Professional Registration for 20 years and Chair of their Professional Registration (PR) and Accreditation Board until 2020.  Leading the comprehensive review of PR and skills for CILIP to ensure its best fit for member and employer needs, she now leads CILIP’s newly established Sector Development Committee. She has held many senior leadership positions, including: Chair of Governors for a 1st School, Justice of the Peace, Lecturer in Information & Library Management, Executive Board Member of the Society of College, National and University Libraries and of regional library groupings.

“For me, IATUL means international expertise united and actively involved to promote the development and appreciation of academic libraries on a global scale.”

• Design of library and learning spaces
• Strategic planning
• Open access
• Change management
• Scholarly communication

Since 2013 Gerda Winkler is head of the three branches of the University Library of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, a quadrilingual university, at the interface of different cultures in South Tyrol, a predominantly German-speaking Italian region with a Ladin-speaking minority, promoting international projects and cooperations. She is also director of bu,press, the Bozen-Bolzano University Press. Her work focus lies particularly on international cooperations as well as on the interconnection of local scientific libraries, but also cooperations with public and specialized libraries. She has published various articles dealing with her key research area, the design of library and learning spaces, specifically with a cooperation project which led to the establishment of EduSpace Lernwerkstatt at one of the University Library’s branches at the faculty of education and the construction of a new library, as a result of the collaboration between the University Library and the public library of Bruneck-Brunico.

Further research interests include Strategic Planning, Open Access, Change Management and Scholarly Communication.
From 2015 to 2021 she was member of the Austrian scientific board of the inter-university Library and Information Studies study program.

"IATUL is a unique network to be able to harness diverse ideas, knowledge and people to collaborate at a global level on shared challenges and opportunities. It provides a forum to continue to grow and learn from each other."

• Relationship management and engagement
• User experience
• Open research including OA and RDM
• Workforce and leadership development
• Change management

Michelle is the University Librarian at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, the University of Waikato in Aotearoa, NZ. She previously worked in the UK for 15 years including as the Deputy and then Director of Library and Archives at the University of York.

Michelle is a member of the Open Access Australasia Executive Committee, a member of CAUL’s Indigenous Knowledge Advisory Group and co-leads the Open Scholarship strand of the CONZUL (Council of NZ University Libraries) strategy. She is a founding member of the Committee on Data in Research (CoDiR) in Aotearoa, NZ and co-leading a project mapping the research data landscape in Aotearoa, NZ.

Michelle was the co-founder of the Relationship Management in HE Libraries in the UK. She was previously the Co-convenor of RLUK's Associate Directors Network and a founding member of the RLUK Digital Shift Working Group. She was heavily involved in Sconul work and programmes during her time in the UK including on the workforce development group and the trends and futures strategy group.

"IATUL provides a professional platform that brings global library leaders together to make a better change of the academic libraries on quality, efficiency and excellence (QE²) for the future metaverse. Exchange of ideas inspires valuable drive to the development and library services."

• Management/Leadership in higher education
• Digital libraries
• Convergence media
• Integrated technologies on fiber optic intelligent densing and communication

Dr. Xinwan Li has been appointed ad University Librarian for Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) from 2020-2024, and currently, he is the director of SJTU Think Tank Center. SJTU is a research-intensive university.  He has led several successful initiatives including library building renovation projects and the design of new services, such as 5G application on book-finding & seat-finding, academic resource map for resource correlation and aggregation, efficient management of institutionary academic achievements, Nobel Prize winner analysis, global academic human resource database, open conference initiative etc.

Dr. Li is also the chair of IEEE COMSOC shanghai chapter, he has published over 200 papers in optical fiber communications and sensors since 1993. He was the associate dean for research of Joint-institute between Shanghai Jiao Tong University and University of Michigan (UM-SJTU Joint Institute) from 2013 to 2018. He was the dean of school of Physics and Electrical Engineering of Ningxia University from 2011-2013. He is the professor of State key lab on the advance optical fiber communications of SJTU from 2005 till now at the school of electronic information and electrical engineering of SJTU.

"IATUL stands out as the unique global network of university library directors and academic librarians that support sharing best practices, identify new trends and embrace multicultural context and engagements."

• Library leadership
• International librarianship
• Open access and open science
• Research and academic support services
• Collection development
• Scholarly communication etc.

Dr. J K Vijayakumar (Vijay) is currently the Director of Library Services and Professor at American University of Antigua in Antigua (West Indies), previously he was the founding team member and Associate Library Director at AUA. He also served as founding team member of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia in various positions including University Library Director and Strategic Information Advisor in the Provost Office. He started his career as Scientific Officer at University Grants Commission’s Information and Library Network Center in India. Dr. Vijay served on the prestigious Board of Directors at the International Association of University Libraries (2019-2021), various standing committees of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), and publisher advisory boards of several STM publishers. He visited more than 30 countries for professional engagements and actively supported several international library programs and projects. He holds an MSc in information studies from Robert Gordon University, doctorate in information science from Bundelkhand University, master’s in library science from Annamalai University, and bachelor’s in science from Kerala University. He is the recipient of IFLA-OCLC fellowship in the USA, Salzburg global fellowship in Austria, IFLA-ALP travel grant to Argentina and Goethe BII visiting study grant in Germany.

"I see IATUL membership and participation as a way to reach beyond our own Libraries and build networks with colleagues from around the world. In particular, the  Special Interest Groups offer active connections to like-minded colleagues and the Annual Conferences and Seminars give an opportunity to learn and grow professionally."

• Bibliometrics and open access
• Research data management
• Academic library management
• Library engagement and outreach including social media

Kara Jones has over 25 years of experience in academic libraries in Australia, England and the United Arab Emirates. She joined the American University of Sharjah (UAE) as University Librarian in 2019.  

Kara's current experience with strategy, leadership and executive membership includes AMICALCoordinating Committee membership and she is currently co-convenor of the AMICAL Open Scholarship Interest Group. She is an Advisory Board member for various publishers, representing the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. She is a Chartered member of CILIP in the UK and regularly presents on topics such as LibQual survey actions, research impact tools (ie. 11 Research Impact Things) and scholarly communications models.

"As an association composed of like-minded library leaders and professionals, IATUL provides a unique platform for academic libraries to connect professionals across national and cultural boundaries, to share trends and best practices in academic librarianship and to learn from each other."

• Global / transnational higher education
• Library leadership
• Change management
• Staff and leadership development
• Succession planning
• User experience
• Library space design and planning
• Scholarly communication in the open science era

Isabelle Eula joined EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in June 2021 as Director, Scientific Information and Library Services. She is a member’s of EPFL Vice-Presidency of Academic Affairs and serves in several key committees of the ETH domain - a collaboration network of leading Swiss research institutions. 

Isabelle has over 30 years of experience in the LIS field, of which she spent 20 years leading libraries at international branch campuses, with a successful record of developing fully-fledged operations, managing change and building staff capacity in complex multicultural environments. She received the Carnegie Mellon University’s Library Faculty Excellence Award in 2007 for her accomplishments as Library Director at the Qatar campus.

Prior to relocating to Switzerland, Isabelle held various professional and leadership roles in both specialised and academic libraries. Her previous appointments include: Monash University Malaysia, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, the Qatar Foundation’s Education City Central Library project - which has become the Qatar National Library, and the French National Center for Scientific and Technical Information.

Isabelle has been involved in professional organizations at the national and international levels. She served in various capacities in ALA and ACRL committees (2005-2014). She co-founded and chaired the Information Literacy Network of the Gulf Region (2006-2011). She joined IATUL in 2015, and in recent years, served as SIG-ALICE coach for the inaugural cohort of Cambodian librarians. At Monash Malaysia, she was a founding member of the Womens’ Empowerment Network (2019-2021).

Isabelle is a current member of SLiNER Management Board, the Swiss Library Network for Education and Research.

Her areas of interest encompass library leadership development, staff mentoring, user experience, space design and planning, advancing open access and open research data.

"Being in IATUL means joining the global library conversations enriched by cultural perspectives. It’s a chance for me to serve and contribute towards fostering connections among us.”

• Library operations & Administration
• Knowledge management
• Negotiation skills
• Library & learning spaces 
• Design
• Scholarly communications
• Open education
• Research data management
• Outreach & engagement
• Team-based learning (TBL)
• Transformative agreements
• Library analytics (Aspiring) 

Caroline is the University Librarian at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She is overseeing the Office of Information, Knowledge and Library Services (OIKLS) and is responsible for developing and executing the vision and strategic plan for OIKLS to become a world-class academic library through the innovative use of technology, information services, library resources, physical spaces and close collaborations with stakeholders.
Caroline has over 25 years of experience in the library field. Starting out as a Librarian with the National Cancer Centre (Singapore), she was subsequently asked to start-up and head the Tanoto Library at INSEAD, Asia Campus. In 2012, Caroline was once again offered an opportunity to establish and lead a new library, this time, the Medical Library at the newly launched Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (a partnership between Nanyang Technological University and Imperial College London). In September 2019, she was appointed as the University Librarian of Nanyang Technological University.
She holds a Master of Science (Knowledge Management), Nanyang Technological University and a Bachelor of Arts (Library and Information Science & Information Technology), University of Tasmania, Australia.
Caroline was awarded the Library Association of Singapore (LAS) Professional Service Award, 2017 and the Nanyang Awards (Teamwork), 2016. Recently, she led her teams to win 3 awards at the Administration Excellence Awards 2023, Nanyang Technological University.