State Library of Western Australia

Last updated

State Library of Western Australia
Logo of State Library of Western Australia.svg
State Library of Western Australia.jpg
State Library of Western Australia, Alexander Library Building
Type State Library
Established1889;133 years ago (1889)
Location Perth, Western Australia
Coordinates 31°56′57″S115°51′38″E / 31.949057°S 115.860534°E / -31.949057; 115.860534 (State Library of Western Australia) Coordinates: 31°56′57″S115°51′38″E / 31.949057°S 115.860534°E / -31.949057; 115.860534 (State Library of Western Australia)
Collection
Items collectedBooks, journals, newspapers, magazines, manuscripts, personal papers, maps, printed music, sound and music recordings, oral histories, films, photographs and ephemera
Size1.5 million items, 4,000 linear metres of archives [1]
Other information
DirectorMargaret Allen (CEO and State Librarian)
Website slwa.wa.gov.au OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Map
State Library of Western Australia

The State Library of Western Australia is a research, reference and public lending library located in the Perth Cultural Centre in Perth, Western Australia. It is a portfolio agency of the Western Australia Department of Culture and the Arts, and controlled by the Library Board of Western Australia.

Contents

The State Library has particular responsibility for collecting and preserving Western Australia's documentary heritage. The J.S. Battye Library of West Australian History is the section of the library dedicated to West Australiana.

History

In 1886, the Western Australian Legislative Council allocated £5000 to be spent in celebrations for Queen Victoria's golden jubilee. Of this, it was decided that £3000 would be used to establish a free public library in Perth. A foundation stone was laid at a site in St Georges Terrace in 1887, however due to the lack of funds this site was not built upon. Instead, books to the value of £1000 were ordered from England, and the library found temporary accommodation in a building opposite the site. The Victoria Public Library, named in honour of Queen Victoria, opened on 26 January 1889. The first managers of the library were the clerks to the management committee, W.C. Townsend and then Basil Porter. The first Chief Librarian, James Sykes Battye, was appointed in 1894. [2]

1897 Plaque for the Victoria Public Library 1897 plaque for the Victoria Public Library.jpg
1897 Plaque for the Victoria Public Library

By 1896, construction had begun on a site at the corner of James and Beaufort Streets, and in 1897 the library moved to the new James Street site.

In 1904, the word 'Victoria' was removed from the name of the library, which then became known as the Public Library of Western Australia. [2] A new addition to the site was opened in 1913. It was called Hackett Hall after Sir John Winthrop Hackett, the President of the Trustees of the Library, Museum and Art Gallery. [3] The library shared this building with the Art Gallery and Museum, and the Western Australian Museum still occupies the building today. The Library Board of Western Australia was established with the passing of the Library Board of Western Australia Act 1951, appointing the first State Librarian, F. A. (Ali) Sharr. The purpose of the Board was to assist local authorities in establishing free public libraries throughout the state, and work to co-ordinating those libraries as a statewide system. [4] However, James Battye successfully resisted having the Board take over control of the Public Library of Western Australia. [5] It was only after Battye died in office in 1954 that the Library Board gained control of the library. It was closed for a year for renovations, then reopened in 1956 as the State Library of Western Australia. This included a section dedicated to collecting Western Australian material – the J.S. Battye Library of West Australian History and State Archives. [6]

Between 1964 and 2002 the organisation was known as the Library and Information Service of Western Australia. This reflected the Library Board's broader operations beyond the walls of the library, particularly in encouraging the development of public library services throughout the state. In July 2002, the library once again became known as the State Library of Western Australia. [7] [8]

By the late 1970s, the library had grown sufficiently that staff were working from ten different sites and annexes in the city. Planning was undertaken for a new building as part of the development of the Perth Cultural Centre. In 1985 the library's current home, the Alexander Library Building, was opened. It is named after Professor Fred Alexander, the first chairman of the Library Board of Western Australia. [9]

The State Archives (later called the Public Records Office) was established as a separate unit in 1988, and the State Records Office of Western Australia was created as a separate entity to the library in 2000 with the passing of the State Records Act 2000. Responsibility for the collection and management of public records was transferred to SRO, although it remains co-located with the State Library in the Alexander Library Building. [10]

Collections and services

The State Library's operations fall into three main areas – collecting and preserving Western Australia's documentary heritage, general reference and public lending library services, and supporting the public library network in Western Australia.

Western Australian heritage

The J. S. Battye Library of Western Australian History is the arm of the library dedicated to Western Australian materials. The Battye Library contains a comprehensive collection of books published in Western Australia, as well as books by a Western Australian or about Western Australia published elsewhere. It also contains a comprehensive coverage of West Australian newspapers, and a more selective coverage of serials and maps published in Western Australia. The library also has extensive collections of:

The State Library was the legal deposit library for Western Australia under the Copyright Act 1895 and the Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1884, but these Acts were repealed in 1994 and 2005 respectively. Legal deposit provisions were re-established in principle in 2012, with the passing of the Legal Deposit Act 2012, and brought into force for physical publications with the passage of the Legal Deposit Regulations 2013.

Reference and lending library

The library's reference collection provides resources which "reflect key Australian reference publications; and cover all subject areas to support self-directed learning to an undergraduate level". [11] The collection holds over 300,000 books and nearly 5,000 serial titles, and many items are available for loan. The library also provides a number of electronic resources, some of which are available off-site for library members. There are also approximately 100 public computers available to users, as well as free Wi-Fi. [1]

Other specialised collections and services include:

Relationship with public libraries

Public library services in Western Australia are delivered as a partnership between the State and Local Governments. The State Government provides funding for the majority of the book stock and some other library materials, and local governments provide physical and technological infrastructure and staffing to operate public libraries. This partnership is administered by the Library Board of Western Australia through the State Library. The library provides centralised purchasing, and a statewide online catalogue, as well as facilitating the exchange of materials between public libraries. [12]

National edeposit (NED)

As a member library of National and State Libraries Australia, the organisation collaborated on the creation of the National edeposit (NED) system, which enables publishers from all over Australia to upload electronic publications as per the 2016 amendment to the Copyright Act 1968 and other regional legislation relating to legal deposit, [13] and makes these publications publicly accessible online (depending on access conditions) from anywhere via Trove. [14]

Related Research Articles

National Library of Australia National reference library in Canberra, Australia

The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act 1960 for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the Australian people", thus functioning as a national library. It is located in Parkes, Canberra, ACT.

State Library of New South Wales Central library for the state of New South Wales, Australia

The State Library of New South Wales, part of which is known as the Mitchell Library, is a large heritage-listed special collections, reference and research library open to the public. It is the oldest library in Australia, being the first established in the colony of New South Wales in 1826. The library is located on the corner of Macquarie Street and Shakespeare Place, in the Sydney central business district adjacent to the Domain and the Royal Botanic Gardens, in the City of Sydney. The library is a member of the National and State Libraries Australia (NSLA) consortium.

State Library of Queensland Main research and reference library in Queensland

The State Library of Queensland is the main reference and research library provided to the people of the State of Queensland, Australia, by the state government. Its legislative basis is provided by the Queensland Libraries Act 1988. It contains a significant portion of Queensland's documentary heritage, major reference and research collections, and is an advocate of and partner with public libraries across Queensland. The library is at Kurilpa Point, within the Queensland Cultural Centre on the Brisbane River at South Bank.

State Library of South Australia Reference library in Adelaide, South Australia

The State Library of South Australia, or SLSA, formerly known as the Public Library of South Australia, located on North Terrace, Adelaide, is the official library of the Australian state of South Australia. It is the largest public research library in the state, with a collection focus on South Australian information, being the repository of all printed and audiovisual material published in the state, as required by legal deposit legislation. It holds the "South Australiana" collection, which documents South Australia from pre-European settlement to the present day, as well as general reference material in a wide range of formats, including digital, film, sound and video recordings, photographs, and microfiche. Home access to many journals, newspapers and other resources online is available.

The Western Australian Museum is a statutory authority within the Culture and the Arts Portfolio, established under the Museum Act 1969.

Blackboy Hill, Western Australia War memorial in Perth, Western Australia

Blackboy Hill was named after the Australian native "black boy" plants, Xanthorrhoea preissii, which dominated the site which is now absorbed into Greenmount, Western Australia.

The J S Battye Library is an arm of the State Library of Western Australia. It stores much of the state's historical records and original publications including books, newspapers, periodicals, maps, and ephemera, as well as oral history tapes, photographs and artworks, films and video, and non-government records which are kept in the library's Private Archives collection. The library provides a range of services, including reference, copying, and genealogical services, as well as consultancy and reader education.

Art Gallery of Western Australia Public art gallery in Perth, Western Australia

The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) is a public art gallery that is part of the Perth Cultural Centre, in Perth. It is located near the Western Australian Museum and State Library of Western Australia and is supported and managed by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries of the Government of Western Australia. The current gallery main building opened in 1979. It is linked to the old court house – The Centenary Galleries.

The State Records Office of Western Australia (SRO) is the Western Australian government authority with responsibility for identifying, managing, preserving and providing access to the state's archives. The SRO also delivers best-practice records management services to state and local government agencies.

Alexander Library Building Library in Perth, Australia

The Alexander Library Building, is located in the Cultural Centre of Perth, Western Australia.

The Western Australia Post Office Directory, also known as Wise Directories or Wise Street Directories, was published in Perth in 1893–1949.

State Library of Tasmania

The State Reference Library is the reference library in the state of Tasmania, Australia. It is part of Libraries Tasmania. Libraries Tasmania includes a state-wide network of library services, community learning, adult literacy and the State’s archives and heritage services.

The Northern Suburbs Transit System is the name given to the project initiated and funded by the Government of Western Australia to provide high-speed passenger rail services to the northern corridor of metropolitan Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. The project was commenced by the Dowding Labor government in the late 1980s, and its main feature project was the Joondalup railway line and linked bus services, which have been a core component of the Transperth transport network since the line's opening to passengers on 21 March 1993.

National Library of Estonia National library of Estonia

The National Library of Estonia is a national public institution in Estonia, which operates pursuant to the National Library of Estonia Act. It was established as the parliamentary library of Estonia on December 21, 1918.

Library & Archives NT Library and archives in Northern Territory

Library & Archives NT comprises the Northern Territory Library and the two Northern Territory Archives Centres in Darwin and Alice Springs. Located in Parliament House in Darwin City, it is the premier public research and archival organisation focused on the history, development and culture of the Northern Territory of Australia. The library holds more than 108,000 books and 30,000 items. The archive holds Northern Territory Government records, which are normally opened 30 years after they were created.

Centenary of Western Australia

In 1929, Western Australia (WA) celebrated the centenary of the founding of Perth and the establishment of the Swan River Colony, the first permanent European settlement in WA. A variety of events were run in Perth, regional areas throughout the state, and even across Australia such as the Western Australian Centenary Air Race.

General Post Office, Perth Post office in Western Australia, Australia

The General Post Office is a heritage landmark building in Perth, Western Australia. Located on the western side of Forrest Place in the city's central business district, its imposing stone facade is in the Beaux-Arts style. The building was completed in 1923 after almost a decade of construction, which was protracted by World War I and the resulting shortages of construction materials. At the time of its opening, it was the largest building in Perth.

National and State Libraries Australia (NSLA), formerly National and State Libraries Australasia, is the peak body that represents the national, state and territory libraries of Australia. The libraries collaborate on and support working groups addressing issues including: copyright issues, archival collections, collection development, marketing, collecting and preserving digital content, collections and services focusing on Indigenous Australians, and other issues relating to the collection, storage and dissemination of the various types of resources held by member institutions. It also compiles annual statistics on public library activities and usage throughout Australia, and publishes statistics on the services of its own collaborating libraries. Precursors to the organisation include the State Librarians Council, the State Libraries Council and Council of Australian State Libraries (CASL).

Norfolk Street runs between Marine Terrace and South Terrace in Fremantle, Western Australia.

National edeposit (NED) is a collaboration between Australia's nine national, state and territory libraries which provides for the legal deposit, management, storage and preservation of, and access to, published electronic material across Australia. It is a website, a system and a service, the result of a project by National and State Libraries Australia, and is a world-first collaboration. The National Library of Australia (NLA), Libraries ACT, Libraries Tasmania, Northern Territory Library, State Library of New South Wales, State Library of Queensland, State Library of South Australia, State Library Victoria and the State Library of Western Australia are the member organisations, while the system is hosted and managed by the NLA.

References

  1. 1 2 Annual Report 2011-2012 of the Library Board of Western Australia : 60th Annual Report of the Board (PDF), State Library of Western Australia, 2012, archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2013, retrieved 6 February 2013
  2. 1 2 Battye, J.S., ed. (1912), "Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery of Western Australia", The cyclopedia of Western Australia : an historical and commercial review : descriptive and biographical facts, figures and illustrations : an epitome of progress, vol. 1 (facsimile ed.), Carlisle, W.A.: Hesperian Press (published 1985), pp. 530–533, ISBN   0-85905-073-4
  3. "THE PUBLIC LIBRARY". Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 – 1954) . Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 22 August 1913. p. 16. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  4. A library service for Western Australia : 1st annual report of the Board 1952–53, Perth, W.A.: Library Board of Western Australia, 1953
  5. Alexander, Fred, "Battye, James Sykes (1871–1954)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 6 February 2013
  6. Jamieson, Ronda (2005). "A people with a past and the J S Battye Library of West Australian history". Fremantle Studies. 4: 22–31.
  7. The Library and Information Service of Western Australia : twelfth annual report of the Board, Perth, W.A.: Library Board of Western Australia, 1964
  8. Annual report 2001-2002 of the Library Board of Western Australia (PDF), Perth, W.A.: Library and Information Service of Western Australia, 2002
  9. Annual report 1984-85 of the Library Board of Western Australia, Perth, W.A.: Library and Information Service of Western Australia, 1985
  10. "A brief history : SRO". State Records Office of Western Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  11. "Reference collecting principles". State Library of Western Australia. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  12. Framework agreement between the State and Local Government for the provision of public library services in Western Australia (PDF), Western Australian Local Government Association; State Library of Western Australia, 2010, retrieved 8 February 2013
  13. "What is legal deposit?". National Library of Australia. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  14. "What is National edeposit (NED)?". NED. Retrieved 6 May 2020.