Getting help with VCE research
Ask a librarian, Research tips:
Our VCE research guides provide a wealth of resources and research tips for several VCE units, including the new English and EAL ‘Framework of ideas’.
Online Collection Spotlight: Travel Writing, Spectacle and World History
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Social life & customs, Uncategorized:
What were the conditions like on the Trans-Siberian railway for women in the 1930s? Which American city was most like Melbourne in the 50s? And does anyone know what to wear to dinner when traveling first-class by ship? Learn about travel writing, but from a uniquely female perspective in the Travel Writing, Spectacle and World History database.
Top blogs of 2023
News, Our stories, Tips and tricks:
Our incredible Librarians have added more than 50 new posts to the State Library Victoria blog this year. But what posts were most beloved by our audience?
The Jerilderie Letter
People & professions, Such was life:
The Jerilderie Letter is an 8,000 word document by the notorious outlaw Ned Kelly composed in 1879. In the Letter Kelly gives his interpretation of the crimes he was accused of and subsequently convicted for. The origins, content and legacy of this document are explored in this article along with the story of how State Library Victoria acquired this historic and unique document.
The unsolved mystery of the ‘Pride of Australia’
Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
In 1991, a seven-kilogram gold nugget was stolen from its display case in a daring raid on the Museum of Victoria. Speculation was rife that it was an inside job, but neither the thieves, nor the gold, were ever found.
Careful work for Howard Arkley’s ‘Casual Works’
Collection Care, Conservation:
State Library Victoria recently acquired 27 works on paper from Howard Arkley’s 1988 exhibition, Casual Works: Working Drawings, Source Material, Doodles, 1974-1987. This material forms part of a larger collection… Read More ›
‘Believe me to be your fellow laborer and friend’: The friendship between Redmond Barry and Augustus Tulk
Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
Sir Redmond Barry and Augustus Tulk are significant figures in the story of our State Library, as the first President and Chief Librarian. But what was their relationship like? Their personal correspondence provides an insight.
National Bird Week: Some of our birds
On the eve of the Aussie Bird Count, explore some of the birds in our collections.
Knitting, coding, and the stars: caring for a time-based media artwork in a library collection – Part 2
Collection Care, Conservation, Preventive conservation:
Through a two-part blog, gain a behind-the-scenes insight into ‘Stargazing’, a contemporary multimedia artwork that was the centrepiece of the Library’s Handmade Universe exhibition. Learn about the process of preparing it for display, a preventive conservation treatment undertaken once the artwork was deinstalled, and considerations for its care and future access.
3D modelling for ‘Beyond the Book’, bringing rare books to life by photogrammetry technique
Digitisation, Rare Books & Arts:
Learn more about the meticulous and extensive photogrammetry work undertaken by the Library’s Digital Production team in preparation for the digital exhibition, Beyond the Book: A digital journey through the treasures of the Emmerson Collection.
Such was life
Online Collection Spotlight: Bloomsbury Historic Dress in Detail
Watch the wonders of fashion unfold with this informative and visually stunning peak into the history of clothing. This video database, with companion articles, explores historical contexts, materials, and construction methods, enabling you to see how different garments were worn, and the function that each item served.
Arts
Online Collection Spotlight: American Music
From Willie Nelson to Dinah Washington, Muddy Waters to Flaco Jimenez, you can enjoy a journey across the diverse musical roots of America with the Music Online: American Music database. Hosting an astonishing array of talent the collection consists of almost 7000 albums and 120,000 songs.
