NSW after CIO to lead 'unprecedented' library digitisation

NSW is looking for a chief information officer to oversee one of the country's most diverse and precious information repositories.

The NSW State Library is looking to hire a digital and IT chief that can turn the 188-year old institution into a “centre of digital excellence”.

The key role will report directly to the state librarian Alex Byrne, and take responsibility for an IT team of 43 with a budget of around $21 million a year.

The library is currently in the midst of a long-term digitisation strategy that will see around 20 million images and pages preserved electronically over the next decade.

The so-called ‘digital excellence program’ has been funded to deliver “unprecedented” global online access to the state’s collection of historical records and information, including World War I diaries and newspapers.

It has already received $48.6 million in funding for the first half of the 10-year program.

The successful candidate will need to stay on top of technology trends and “new digital opportunities” in pursuit of industry leading client services, according to the the job ad.