Leading CARL: The Executive Directors Who Have Shaped the Association
October 27, 2026 – For nearly 50 years, CARL has been supported by a succession of dedicated Executive Directors who have helped guide the Association through changing priorities, evolving research environments, and new challenges for Canada’s research libraries.
During its first five years, much of CARL’s work fell to the Association’s members and their institutions, an arrangement that was increasingly recognized as inefficient. In 1984, Bonnie Jehu became the Association’s first part-time Executive Director, followed in 1986 by David McCallum, working on a full-time contractual basis..
David served from 1986 to 1995, followed by CARL’s first full-time permanent Executive Director, Timothy Mark (1995–2008), Brent Roe (2008–2014), Susan Haigh (2014–2025), and most recently Michael Vandenburg, who became Executive Director in 2026.
The role of Executive Director is not without its challenges. As one former CARL member put it:
“There is no task more daunting than serving a large batch of alphas – all kings or queens of their own hills. That they maintain their good humour and sanity is testament to their fortitude, tenacity and commitment.”
– Alan Macdonald, former CARL member director
Over the years, each Executive Director has brought their own perspective, priorities, and leadership to CARL. To mark our 50th anniversary, we asked four of them to reflect on the changing needs of research libraries and the future ahead.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Timothy Mark
Executive Director, 1995–2008
“One of the most memorable achievements of my time at CARL was the successful application to the Canada Foundation for Innovation that led to the Canadian National Site Licensing Project, now the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN). With matching funds, the $20-million grant grew to $50 million. CARL convinced the CFI that libraries were a legitimate part of university research infrastructure, helping transform access to scholarly journals across Canada.
Looking ahead, CARL should continue to build on two of its greatest strengths: collegiality, which gives members opportunities to share experiences and advice, and ‘collective heft’—the power to pool expertise and resources to advance national initiatives. When CARL’s members work together toward a shared vision, they can achieve remarkable things.”
Brent Roe
Executive Director, 2008-2014
“Copyright legislation was a major priority during my time at CARL. Working closely with Universities Canada and copyright lawyer Wanda Noel, CARL developed strong positions advocating for better copyright legislation. Our advocacy helped shape the eventual legislation, and Bill C-11’s passage in 2012, alongside Supreme Court judgments on fair dealing that year, dramatically changed the copyright landscape for Canadian research libraries.
Looking ahead, artificial intelligence presents both new opportunities and new challenges. CARL will have an important role to play in exploring how AI can advance its longstanding priorities while protecting the integrity of scholarship from AI-generated ‘slop,’ shortcuts to learning, and misaligned AI agents.”
Susan Haigh
Executive Director, 2014–2025
“One of CARL’s key priorities during my tenure was strengthening libraries’ role in the academic research mission through national collaboration on open scholarship, infrastructure, and research data management. The Portage Network was a particularly important achievement, establishing libraries as essential partners in research data management across Canada. This collaborative model also helped pave the way for Scholaris, a shared national institutional repository service.
Looking ahead, research libraries must continually adapt to changing research and learning needs, strengthen relationships with campuses and governments, and demonstrate their value. Above all, Canadian research libraries must remain connected and collaborative. CARL’s first fifty years have demonstrated the value and impact of working together to advance shared priorities.”
Michael Vandenburg
Executive Director, 2026–present
“As I begin my involvement with CARL, one consistent priority has been ensuring that research libraries are recognized as essential partners in the research enterprise and have the collective capacity to respond to change. CARL’s work on open science illustrates this well: by bringing libraries and other research partners together, the Association helps shape national research policy and infrastructure.
Looking ahead, artificial intelligence will have profound implications for research, teaching and learning, and scholarly communication. Research libraries can help institutions navigate these changes while continuing to advance open scholarship, research data management, digital preservation, and shared infrastructure. CARL’s enduring strength is its members’ willingness to collaborate. The issues will change, but the need for a strong collective voice and shared capacity will remain.”
As CARL looks toward its next 50 years, we are grateful to the Executive Directors who have helped shape the Association—and to the members whose leadership, collaboration, and commitment continue to move it forward.
Read the full reflections from past and current Executive Directors.
