Archive for 2021

When Spanish Flu came to Victoria

When Spanish Flu came to Victoria

September 28, 2021

Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:

Spanish flu arrived in Australia in January 1919. With masks, closures, quarantine, inter-governmental squabbles and death, the events of a century ago resonate very keenly today.

Kermit reads a book about frogs

Online Collection Spotlight: Britannica Kids

September 27, 2021

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:

What do frogs and salamanders have in common? What’s the largest coral reef on Earth? And who wrote the picture book, ‘Possum Magic’? The Britannica Kids online encyclopaedia doesn’t just offer answers to these questions.

Online Collection Spotlight: World’s Fairs

Online Collection Spotlight: World’s Fairs

September 22, 2021

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:

What do Paris’s Eiffel Tower, Seattle’s Space Needle and Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building all have in common? Read on to find out!

Book:Top

Book:Top

September 21, 2021

People & professions, Such was life:

Ah Siug Jong came to Victoria from China to find gold but after a series of incidents he was jailed and eventually committed to an asylum. He left a complex diary which was his attempt to clear his name.

Victoria through the ages: the boom years

Victoria through the ages: the boom years

September 16, 2021

Collection spotlights:

In the 1880s, Victoria experienced an unprecedented property bubble. When it eventually burst, it left the economy in tatters.

Dante 700: an Australian story

Dante 700: an Australian story

September 13, 2021

Collection, Rare Books & Arts:

To mark the 700th anniversary of the death of italian poet Dante Alighieri, we’re taking a look at the illustrative interpretations of his work by Australian artists.

A modernist pastiche: Matisse’s etchings for Joyce

A modernist pastiche: Matisse’s etchings for Joyce

September 13, 2021

New books, Rare Books & Arts, Visual arts:

Read about an audacious collaboration between Henri Matisse and James Joyce for the Limited Editions Club.

Journey through the collection: swinging ‘60s Melbourne through the lens of Henry Talbot

Journey through the collection: swinging ‘60s Melbourne through the lens of Henry Talbot

September 10, 2021

Collection spotlights, Photography, Visual arts:

Muse over the iconic, mid-century photographs of Henry Talbot. Featuring the fashion and advertising world of 1950s and 60s Melbourne.

Science for Preschoolers

Science for Pre-schoolers on fostering curiosity in children

September 9, 2021

Events, News:

We interviewed co-founder Joelle about what to expect from Playdate at the Library this spring, and how scientific thinking can help kids develop important life skills.

The Wardian case by Luke Keogh

Book extract: The Wardian case by Luke Keogh

September 6, 2021

Announcements, News:

Read an edited extract from previous fellow Luke Keogh’s award-winning book The Wardian case: how a simple box moved plants and changed the world.