What We Collect

Australian Books

See also: Australiana

The history of publishing in and about Australia is comparatively short - spanning just over 200 years of white settlement and including earlier speculation about the Great South Land and European voyages of discovery. The National Library has the largest collection of Australian printed material in the world. The collection is shaped by the Library's Collection Development Policy.

Great collectors such as Sir John Alexander Ferguson, Edward Augustus Petherick and Rex Nan Kivell recognised the importance of gathering this national published documentary record. Formed Collections from benefactors such as these, and others in specialist subject areas, established a strong base for the National Library's rich resources on Australiana. In its own short history, the Library has continued to build on these founding legacies.

The diversity and output of the Australian publishing community testifies to the healthy attitude Australian society has toward recording its activities, concerns, achievements, conflicts, debates, celebrations, aspirations and passions. Currently published books, serials (magazines, journals and newspapers) and music are sent to the Library under the Legal Deposit provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Tens of thousands of newly published Australian titles are received by the Library each year, for example, in 1994 more than 10,800 books and 1,000 new serial titles. The Library also purchases Australian material, including overseas imprints by Australian authors, and works for, about or relating to our country and our people. C.A. Burmester's Guide to the Collections is a useful introduction to the collections.

Even with such a large collection there are gaps to be filled and missing items to be had so retrospective purchases continue to be made. Older, out-of-print Australiana is purchased from booksellers, at auctions and fairs, from private collectors, or from families associated with authors. One such example of the latter is the Bleeck collection of pulp fiction. The National Library is pleased to receive book donations from the public. Such donations cover all areas of publishing and help ensure the diversity of the National Library's collections is maintained. For example, the recent fanzine donation by Susan Smith-Clarke.

You may be able to help us acquire wanted items: see Book Search.

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