The State Library of Victoria is the oldest public collecting institution in Australia. For over 150 years its collecting has reflected changes in taste, research needs, intellectual fashion, technologies and of course the financial resources available. Sir Redmond Barry, the inaugural and long-serving chair of the Library’s trustees, famously advertised for public suggestions for the first purchases and when none were forthcoming made his own list. Barry’s vision was for a comprehensive public collection of the ‘most approved editions of all standard works’ and specifically rejected works of fiction and ‘mere literary curiosities … recommended by their rarity alone, or by their sumptuous bindings’.
Fortunately for Victorians these restrictions did not endure. The Library collects extensively in fiction - especially Australian authors - and, through donation and wise purchase over many years, now has the largest collection of medieval and renaissance manuscripts and incunabula of any comparable library in Australia.
The Libraries Act 1988 requires the Library to maintain, develop and preserve the State’s collection of library materials and the Collection & Resources Development Policy articulates how we will do this. The Library’s strategic intentions for creating the library of the 21st century, slv21, emphasise the centrality of expanding holdings of electronic resources and strengthening its collecting capacity.
This latest Collection & Resources Development Policy builds on the version published in 2001. While much of the collecting intention remains the same, the most significant difference is the recognition of the importance of digital access to ever-expanding sources of information. At the time of writing, the Library provides access to over 300 international newspaper titles through digital databases – the largest number of international titles ever provided by the Library.
The Collection & Resources Development Policy serves to make public the intentions of the Library in building this vital public collection. It helps to guide Library staff in the best use of the funds available for purchase and supports donors in making decisions about placing items in the State Collection. The information needs of researchers, and the environment in which we collect, change constantly. For all these reasons comment from members of the public is most welcome. Please direct all feedback to collectionpolicy@slv.vic.gov.au
The Collection & Resources Development Policy was endorsed by the Library Board of Victoria at its meeting in August 2006.
Anne-Marie Schwirtlich
CEO and State Librarian
