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About Us

The Australian Libraries and Archive Copyright Coalition (ALACC) is an advocate for copyright law reform in the interests of Australian libraries, archives and information providers.

We offer informed contributions to domestic and international copyright law and policy discussions and make submissions to government inquiries and we meet regularly with politicians and their advisers at Parliament House.

We also organise copyright education, including training and online information resources targeted at the library and archive sectors.

The ALACC and its members support a copyright framework that appropriately protects the interests of right holders while ensuring access to important cultural, educational and historic content for the public’s benefit.

ALACC Constitution 

Members

The ALACC has nine organisation members, each of whom nominate a representative to provide advice and reflect the concerns of their members on the Committee. The organisational members are:

Management Committee & Staff

Chair
Justine Heazlewood

Justine Heazlewood has been Victoria’s Keeper of Public Records since 2003. She has degrees in both history and information technology. In her archives career she has focused particularly on digital preservation, digital archiving and ways to use technology to unveil the rich data in historical records. She has also been involved in initiatives to improve access to records for the Stolen Generations, care-leavers and others whose access to information about themselves has been impacted by government policies.

Justine is the Convener of the Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative (a body set up by the Council of Australasian Archives and Records Authorities (CAARA) to collaborate and establish standards for digital recordkeeping). 

Copyright Law and Policy Adviser
Sarah Powell

The full-time Copyright Law and Policy Adviser position is funded by the ALACC to represent the views of the Australian library and archives sectors to Government in the copyright reform process. It is also his/her responsibility to keep member organisations informed about changes and developments on the Australian copyright landscape, as well as relevant overseas occurrences.

The current occupant is Sarah Powell. Sarah is an established copyright specialist with a wealth of experience in copyright related roles in both cultural heritage and educational institutions. Her key areas of interest include copyright reform, the Marrakesh Treaty, remedies for orphan works and protection of traditional knowledge. Sarah’s contributions to the wider cultural heritage and education sectors include chairing the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA) Standing Committee on Copyright and as an active member of the Universities New Zealand Copyright Expert Working group. In these roles she advocated for flexible copyright legislation in New Zealand and contributed to submissions on the government’s Copyright Act Review.

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Creative Industries and a Masters in Museum and Heritage Studies. She is a staunch advocate for Open GLAM initiatives and Creative Commons licensing. She is currently studying towards a law degree part-time through Victoria University of Wellington.

Copyright Officer
Elliott Bledsoe

The ALACC also maintains a casual Copyright Officer position, currently held by Elliott Bledsoe. Elliott has extensive experience in copyright, with a focus on the interplay between rights and creative practice. In addition to working at the ADA and the Australian Libraries and Archives Copyright Coalition (ALACC) he is also the  Co-lead of Creative Commons Australia chapter. Outside of copyright he also runs Agentry, an arts marketing micro-consultancy delivering tailored solutions for artists, arts organisations and arts groups. He has held marketing and content positions with the Queensland Writers Centre, ABC Radio National, the Australia Council for the Arts, Regional Arts Australia and others.

Partners

Australian Digital Alliance

The ALACC is separate from, but often works in partnership with the Australian Digital Alliance, the peak organisation representing the cross-sector interests of copyright users and innovators in Australia. Both ALACC staff members also work for the Australian Digital Alliance, with the ALACC Copyright Adviser acting as the ADA’s Executive Officer. The ALACC and the ADA contribute equally to these joint positions.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions

The ALACC also works closely with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and has strong connections with many other copyright-related organisations around the world.

Creative Commons Australia

Creative Commons is an international non-profit organisation that provides free licences and tools that copyright owners can use to allow others to share, reuse and remix their material, legally. Releasing material under a CC licence makes it clear to users what they can or cannot do with the material. The six standardised CC licences each allow material to be used in a different way.

The organisation supports and promotes CC activities around the world. Creative Commons Australia is a chapter of the Creative Commons Global Network that supports Creative Commons in Australia.

The ALACC is a member of the Creative Commons Global Network and works regularly with Creative Commons Australia.

Support Our Work

Associations and institutions are welcome to apply to become members of the ALCC.

Individuals sign up for our newsletter so we can let you know about our training and advocacy activities.