Collection spotlights

Online Collection Spotlight: Life at sea

Online Collection Spotlight: Life at sea

January 17, 2025

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Where can I learn about the American whaling industry? What would a ship’s master have in his chest? What would the dying words of a pirate be? And can anyone help me to tell the flags of the Union and Orient shipping lines apart? Find out all of this and more in the AM Digital database Life at Sea: Seafaring in the Anglo-American Maritime World, 1600-1900.

Online Collection Spotlight. British Theatre, Music and Literature: High and Popular Culture

Online Collection Spotlight. British Theatre, Music and Literature: High and Popular Culture

December 20, 2024

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories:

Ever wanted to peer inside a penny dreadful? Or wondered who the Wandering Minstrels were? Join us as we explore the arts world of Victorian-era Britain with Gale’s British Theatre, Music, and Literature: High and Popular Culture database.

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Discovering Oscar Wilde through State Library Victoria’s collection

November 28, 2024

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Uncategorized:

The State Library Victoria collection holds many resources for those interested in Oscar Wilde’s writings and life. Through newspapers, databases, books and manuscripts we explore the life of this wonderful Irish writer.

Online Collection Spotlight: Naxos Spoken Word Library

Online Collection Spotlight: Naxos Spoken Word Library

November 15, 2024

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Love a good story but feeling overwhelmed by that heavy book, classic literary prose, or confounding nature of James Joyce’s wit? Want to explore new and classic literature, biographies, histories, and philosophies but struggling to find the time? Then listen up and be inspired by the range of audio books available through Naxos Spoken Word Library!

Discovering Sylvia Plath’s novel: The Bell Jar

Discovering Sylvia Plath’s novel: The Bell Jar

October 27, 2024

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Rare Books & Arts:

In honour of Sylvia Plath’s 92nd birthday, we explore the resources available at the Library for exploring the themes and context of Plath’s only published novel: The Bell Jar

Online Collection Spotlight: Political Extremism and Radicalism

Online Collection Spotlight: Political Extremism and Radicalism

October 18, 2024

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Discover the philosophies and tactics of extremist groups in the 20th century with the Political Extremism and Radicalism database.

Online Collection Spotlight: The OECD iLibrary

Online Collection Spotlight: The OECD iLibrary

September 23, 2024

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This Online Collection Spotlight features the OECD iLibrary. The iLibrary includes a vast collection of high level research into all aspects of policy areas that effect our daily lives and our future.

Online Collection Spotlight – Decolonization: Politics and Independence in Former Colonial and Commonwealth Territories

Online Collection Spotlight – Decolonization: Politics and Independence in Former Colonial and Commonwealth Territories

August 25, 2024

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Through primary sources, the ‘Decolonization: Politics and independence in former colonial and Commonwealth territories’ database, provides an insight into the development of Commonwealth nations and former British colonies in the post-World War II era, as they moved toward self-determination and the development of their own identities.

Collection Discovery: Children’s browsing collection

Collection Discovery: Children’s browsing collection

August 21, 2024

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State Library Victoria has a collection of more than 4000 children’s books in our browsing collection, all of which are available in the Pauline Gandel Children’s Quarter. The collection spans from durable board books for the youngest learners to engaging graphic novels and detailed non-fiction for older children. With so many books to view we have created a collection discovery page to help families find the right book for them.

Central map showing streets and allotments, surrounded by text. The text says there are 45 allotments, trains every ten minutes, and that the deposit required is ten pounds. Dalley’s Orchard (Riversdale Road, Henrietta Street and Marian Street), 1884

Online collection spotlight: Batten and Percy Auction Plans

July 19, 2024

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As Melbourne began to be subdividen in the late nineteenth century, real estate agents produced maps and advertisements to advertise these land sales. In this blog post we take a closer look at these digitised plans and the sort of information they can reveal.