Ask a librarian

Melba, Queen of Song

Melba, Queen of Song

May 19, 2022

opera, Our stories, Victorian history:

Dame Nellie Melba was a legend in every possible way: her voice of an angelic purity and perfect pitch, her fame never equaled by another Australian singer, a fame which extended worldwide from the time of her international debut in Brussels in 1887 until the late 1920s when she staged her final performances.

Archives of Sexuality & Gender: history, changes and reality

Archives of Sexuality & Gender: history, changes and reality

May 17, 2022

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:

Join us as we explore the Archives of Sexuality and Gender. This amazing database illuminates the experiences of the LGBTIQ+ community across centuries, ethnicities, ages, religions, political orientations and geographical locations.

William Shakespeare, 1860, Sadd, H.S. (Henry Samuel), H88.46/1

Online Collection Spotlight: New Oxford Shakespeare

May 15, 2022

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:

What exactly is ‘the wat’ry star’? What does ‘verily’ mean? And who really wrote the ‘Fly Scene’ in Titus Andronicus? Read on and discover the answers using the New Oxford Shakespeare database!

Capturing politics & protest through ephemera

Capturing politics & protest through ephemera

May 12, 2022

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Victorian history:

The Riley and Political Ephemera Collection is a wide-ranging and living collection that captures political life in Victoria through the medium of ephemera.

Australian houses and European migration: architects, designers and builders.

Australian houses and European migration: architects, designers and builders.

May 7, 2022

Ask a librarian, Victorian history:

See some of the contribution of European migrants to architecture, design and home-making in Melbourne.

Celebrating 150 years of public education

Celebrating 150 years of public education

May 3, 2022

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Victorian history:

This year marks the 150th anniversary of public education in Victoria, and a chance to reflect on our long-held belief that every child deserves a high-quality education, regardless of their background.

Evolution of the people’s forecourt

Evolution of the people’s forecourt

May 2, 2022

Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:

State Library Victoria was not always a popular venue for rallies, protests and public speakers in the Melbourne CBD. So when did it become the norm?

The Collected Works bookshop: Melbourne’s hidden treasure

The Collected Works bookshop: Melbourne’s hidden treasure

May 1, 2022

Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:

For years, writers from around Australia and across the globe, made beelines to Melbourne’s ‘hidden treasure,’ the Collected Works Bookshop in the Nicholas Building. Entering it felt like reaching ‘heaven,’ with Kris and Loretta Hemensley its warm, generous hosts.

Autumn delights: Trial databases on travel, trailblazers and more!

Autumn delights: Trial databases on travel, trailblazers and more!

April 19, 2022

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Collections:

From new content in the Food and Drink in History database to three new databases available on trial, there’s plenty to discover online this Autumn. Trial databases cover empire studies, travel adventures of women in the 19th and 20th centuries, and trailblazing female forerunners in history. Explore and share your feedback!

Humans of Melbourne, 1930s style

Humans of Melbourne, 1930s style

April 16, 2022

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories, Victorian history:

The Library holds a set of images with a particularly intriguing name – Street characters: a series of photographs taken of Melbourne street personalities, about 1930. They are compelling snapshots of the social fabric of Melbourne at that time, images of characters long gone, likely long forgotten, their stories spent.