Find information about Australian Libraries, especially at national and state level, with some connection to those at a local level. There is a Gateway to further information, as well as connections to specific parts of major libraries and specialist services. We have not included college or university libraries at this time.

International Libraries are presented in two major groupings - World Premier Libraries and a number of major libraries from other countries that are not quite to that level.

Australian and International Library Associations can also be found, linked directly or via portals.

Further information covering archives, classifications systems, digital libraries, journals & magazines is provided.

Australian Libraries

Australian Libraries - National, State, Territory

• Australian Capital Territory Public Library
  The Virtual Library site covering the Public Library, Heritage Library & the ACT Government and Assembly Library.
• National Library of Australia
  Vast information, books and links to other libraries around Australia.

• Document Supply Services
  Access documents held by them [Fee-based].
• eResources
  ‘Use eResources to locate indexes, full-text ejournals, websites and guides available through the National Library of Australia on a range of topics’.
• Libraries Australia
  ‘Libraries Australia lets you discover what’s in Australian libraries. You can find it, borrow it, copy it, buy it’.
• Re-imagining Libraries
  National & State Libraries Australasia. ‘NSLA released the Re-imagining Library Services Strategic Plan in July 2008. It outlines the way in which we will embrace new opportunities in service delivery. We will be active, leading, visionary and collaborative in meeting the challenges ahead’.

• Northern Territory Library
  The library, catalogue, collections, online exhibitions, links to other information, worthwhile sites including government information.
• State Library of New South Wales
  Visit and work through its incredible resources.

• atmitchell.com
  ‘An amazing endeavour to bring the library’s unique collection to you here at Atmitchell Collections’.
• History of Our Nation Collection
  ‘Unrivalled collections provide a fascinating insight into the first encounters with the original inhabitants and amazing insights into how European explorers discovered, charted and settled this vast land’.
  Highly Recommended !
• INFOQUICK - an index to The Sydney Morning Herald.
• Manuscripts, Oral History & Pictures
• One Hundred
  ‘ONE hundred is a major exhibition at the Mitchell Library, from 9 March to 16 June, 2010. The Mitchell Library opened its doors on 9 March, 1910. During 2010 we celebrate one hundred years of collecting, collections and service to the people of NSW and Australia’.
• The State Library of New South Wales Links
  Other Libraries, Museums & Archives, many other topics.

• State Library of Queensland
• State Library of South Australia
• State Library of Tasmania
• State Library of Victoria
• State Library of Western Australia
• Your Gateway to Victorian Libraries
  Contact details, opening hours, monthly events, links, links to online catalogues for local libraries throughout Victoria, mobile library stops and times through a simple to use site.

Australian Libraries Gateway

From the National Library of Australia. Access the following services.

• Australian Libraries Gateway
  Search sites around Australia. Covers 5 000+ libraries.
• Find a Library
  Find a library Search Engine. Enter an area name and it will provide library information.
• Online Exhibitions
  ‘Gathered here are links to online exhibitions created and maintained by libraries throughout Australia [alphabetically listed by exhibition title]. Direct access to a sample of the wealth of material held in Australian library collections’.
• Pathways to Australian Information
  Information in directories. From Tracking down Resources to Digital Theses.

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International Liraries

International Libraries

• Auckland City Library
  One of New Zealand’s biggest and best libraries.
• Bibliotheca Alexandrina
  A new library at Alexandria [Egypt], designed to replace the original ‘Great Library of Alexandria’. Australia has submitted several thousand books for inclusion.
• National Library of New Zealand
  ‘The purpose of the National Library, is to enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchange with other nations’. You d also access Find, ‘where you can search across many collections and catalogues’.
• The European Library
  ‘Searches the content of European national libraries’. Search catalogues, digital collections, audio, images, manuscripts, maps, journals, children’s literature, theses, more. Images of all libraries, their specific treasures, take a tutorial on how best to access the material.
• World Digital Library
  ‘Makes available on the Internet, free of charge, in multilingual format, significant primary materials from countries and cultures around the world’.

World’s Premier Libraries

These are considered to be among the world’s premier libraries.

• Bibliothèque Nationale de France
  The National Library of France. Also in English or Spanish. Select from the top menu.
• Harvard Libraries
  Entry point for the libraries at Harvard University. Extensive information.
• Library and Archives Canada
  The National Library of Canada. English and French versions.
• Library of Congress
  Probably the biggest, and among the best, single library in the world. It contains a truly vast amount of accessible knowledge.
• National Library of Australia
• National Library of Medicine
  Probably the best medical library in the world.
• The Bodleian Library, The
  ‘Main research library of the University of Oxford. Also a copyright deposit library and its collections are used by scholars from around the world’.
• The British Library
  ‘One of the world’s great knowledge institutions. It holds over 150 million items from every age of global civilisation, from historical documents to the latest information for business and research. This website describes our collections and our wide range of services. Search our catalogues and order copies of some documents online’. Often provides access to special documents as part of the News section.

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Library Associations

From Australia and internationally. Resources for librarians.

Australian

• ALIAnet
  ‘Professional organisation for the Australian library and information services sector’.
• Australian School Library Association
  Australian body with links to relevant state bodies. Provides advocacy information, publications, policy, Professional Development, Research, more.
• National & State Libraries Australasia
  ‘Peak body representing State and Territory libraries and the National Library throughout Australia’.

Other

• ALA - American Library Association
  extensive information covering professional tools, publications, news, issues, awards, more.
• Association for Library Service to Children
  US based ‘network of more than 4 000 children’s and youth librarians, children’s literature experts, publishers, education and library school faculty members …’.Their book recommendations may be the most valuable section for Australians.
• Canadian Library Association
  Publications, links, Professional Development, conference information, more.
• Chartered Institute of Library And Information Professionals
  The major British Association related to Libraries.
• International Federation of Library …
  Associations and Institutions. Publications, electronic collections, search capacity, activities & services.
• Internet Library For Librarians
  ‘Designed for librarians to locate internet resources related to their profession. A popular information resource site for librarians since 1994’. Must visit site for librarians.
• LibDex
  ‘Worldwide index of library catalogues, web sites, Friends of Libraries pages’.
• Library Associations Around the World
  By the American Library Association. Search by alphabetical listings.
• Library & Information Association
  New Zealand. ‘Serves and promotes the interests of New Zealand library and information industry and professionals by providing continuing professional development, professionals awards and recognition, publications and resources, advocacy and collegial support’.
• ResourceShelf
  ‘Resources and news for information professionals’. Archives of information in calendar format.

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Other Information

Archives

Links to archives in Australia and overseas.

Australian

• 100 Extensive University Libraries from Around the World that Anyone Can Access
  ‘Universities house an enormous amount of information and their libraries are often the centre of it all. You don’t have to be affiliated with any university to take advantage of some of what they have to offer. From digital archives, to religious studies, to national libraries, these university libraries from around the world have plenty of information for you’.
• Australia’s Oral History Collections
  ‘Electronic access to oral history endeavour in Australia. These collections document Australian life, customs, politics, traditions and cover many subjects’.
• Digital Collections
  ‘Provide users with easy online access to some of Australia’s most significant cultural materials, the National Library digitises selected items in its collections. Discover our digitised collections’.
• Directory of Archives in Australia
  Links listed by state, national, even overseas archives.
• Guide to Australian Business Records
  ‘An endeavour to draw together historical information on Australian businesses and businessmen [business entities]’.
• Guide to Australian Literary Manuscripts
  ‘Electronic guides, or finding aids, for more than eighty collections of Australian literary manuscripts. A new way of unlocking the contents of archival and manuscript collections in institutions which act as custodians for Australia’s cultural heritage’.
• Libraries Australia
  ‘Lets you discover what’s in Australian libraries’.
  Brilliant search mechanism !.
• National Archives of Australia
  ‘We care for valuable Commonwealth government records and make them available for present and future generations to use. Our record keeping standards help government to account to the public, ensuring that evidence is available to support people’s rights and entitlements and that future generations will have a meaningful record of the past’.
• School Libraries and Information Literacy
  ‘Welcome to the School Libraries and Information Literacy site, for teacher librarians, teachers, principals, school assistants and those interested in collaborative teaching and school libraries supporting digital age information literacy and reading’.
• Tasmanian Archives : Guides
  ‘The following guides to some categories of records are available for purchase or the first three can be downloaded as Word Documents by clicking on the relevant guide’.
• Trove Australia
  ‘Trove is a new discovery experience focused on Australia and Australians. It supplements what search engines provide with reliable information from Australia’s memory institutions’. National Library of Australia. Replaces the Register of Australian Archives and Manuscripts.

Others

• A2A - Access to Archives
  ‘Contains catalogues describing archives held throughout England and dating from the 900s to the present day’.
• The Community Archive
  New Zealand National Register Of Archives and Manuscripts]. ‘Search archival collections held in museums, local government bodies, libraries, historical societies, community repositories, in-house business, educational, religious and sporting archives throughout New Zealand’.
• The national Archives
  ‘he National Archives and Records Administration is the nation’s record keeper’. USA.
• The National Archives : Research Guides
  A series of guides to help access the huge range of archives in the UK.
• The National Archives : Search the Archives
  ‘Information on the nature and location of manuscripts and historical records that relate to British history’. Search by multiple methods.
• UNESCO Archives Portal
  ‘An international gateway to information for archivists and archives users’.

Digital Libraries

Includes resources related to digital libraries.

• Berkeley Digital Library
  A collection of libraries covering textual, graphical, software, learning and other resources. A huge site with catalogue and index.
• Cornell Library Digital Collections
  Digital collections [not all accessible] from the Cornell Library in the US. From monographs to French Revolution Collections. Worth visiting.
• Digital Librarian
  A Librarian’s choice of the best of the Web. Directories from Activism to Yurts & Tipis.
• Perseus Digital Library
  Covers Greek, Classics, Latin, archaeology, papyri, Shakespeare & Marlowe, English Renaissance plus many other databases. Primary aim is to ‘bring as large a range of source materials to as large an audience as possible’.
• StoryPlace, The Children’s Digital Library
  Stories and story reviews as selected by the librarians from an American public library. Suitable to primary level.
• The Bradman Digital Library
  For this great Australian sportsman, start here. Check other links as well.

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Dewey Decimal Classification System

• A Simplified Dewey System
  Simplified version using only the major categories.
• The Dewey Decimal Classification System
  ‘Uses simple decimal notation to divide recorded knowledge into 10 main classes, 100 divisions and 1,000 sections. Browsing the summaries is a fast and easy way to become familiar with the DDC’s structure. Summaries in PDF format.
• The Dewey Decimal Classification System
  Explanation of of the system. Links to further information. From Wikipedia.
• Library of Congress Classification Outline
  With the Dewey system, this is one of the most commonly used classification methods.

General Sites

• FreePint
  ‘A collection of resources to help information workers be more effective, raise the value of information in their organisations and contribute to success’. Originally for librarians and other information people but now covers a wider area. Free to subscribe.
• Internet Archive
  ‘Building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form’. Free access to all, though there are terms of use, which you should read.
• Internet Public Library
  Accessible by anyone. This is the beginning of an online library with the possibility of unlimited works. Check the book page for 20 000+ books.
• Library Spot
  Listings to libraries of various kinds and purposes, library resources, mapping. You name it - it’s all there.
• Libweb - Library WWW Servers
  Updated daily, ‘Libweb currently lists over 7 200 pages from libraries in over 125 countries’. You can also access an alternate site at Libweb - Library WWW Servers.
• UNESCO Libraries Portal
  ‘An international gateway to information for librarians and library users’.
• WorldCat.org: The World’s Largest Library Catalog
  ‘WorldCat is the world’s largest network of library content and services. WorldCat libraries are dedicated to providing access to their resources on the Web, where most people start their search for information. WorldCat.org lets you search the collections of libraries in your community and thousands more around the world’.
• World Wide School® [Library]
  Downloadable books, articles, dissertations, more. Many inclusions are also found in other listings such as Project Gutenberg.

Magazines & Journals

• Australian Academic & Research Libraries
  ‘A quarterly journal devoted to all aspects of librarianship in university and college libraries, including the Technical and Further Education sector, and in research libraries of all types’. Full text articles online.
• Australian Library Journal
  ‘Has been reaching discerning and influential Australian libraries since 1951. Published quarterly, it contains a wide coverage of Australian library issues ranging from ongoing research to day-to-day news from the workplace’. Full text articles online.
• Computers in Libraries
  ‘A monthly magazine that provides complete coverage of news and issues in the rapidly evolving field of library information technology. Focusing on the practical application of technology in community, school, academic, special libraries’.
• D-Lib Magazine
  Online magazine with featured articles, archive, links, resources, featured collections.
• Electronic Library Journals
  National Library of Australia. ‘Library-Related Electronic Journals’.
• FreePint Newsletter
  Free newsletter with information and assistance with the internet, web site reviews.
• Library Journals, Newsletters & Zines
  Extensive collection, listed alphabetically and covering the world.
• Library Weblogs
  ‘Modern Day journals’ for librarians to be involved with.
• Online Journals & eZines of Interest
  Library, Information, Science & Education. Listing, news, new journals.
• School Library Journal
  Current Issue, curriculum connections, professional resources, web exclusives, archives, more. US Based.

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