Retention of material
The State Library of Victoria is required by the Libraries Act 1988 [external link] to permanently retain all material that has been accepted and accessioned into the State Collection. The only exceptions to this requirement are outlined in the Retention & Withdrawal of Materials Policy.
Section 50 of the Libraries Act 1988 governs the methods of disposal for material to be withdrawn.
In general it is the Library's policy to avoid duplication of material. Exceptions are made to this rule when:
While the collections of the Library throughout its history have been dominated by print material, other formats, in particular pictures and manuscripts, have always been held. The collections include the whole range of printed books, pamphlets, newspapers and serials, microforms, manuscripts, printed music, pictorial material including photographs, maps, ephemeral publications, audio and video recordings including oral history, multimedia, CD-ROMs, internet and digital resources.
Where alternative formats exist the following preferences apply:
The exception to these preferences is that the Library collects all formats for Victorian publications in compliance with its legal deposit obligations.
Further details of format are covered throughout the policy.
The collections of the State Library of Victoria are substantially built and maintained by the purchase of materials. Other methods of acquisition also play a very important part in collection development. These methods include:
As a general rule the same principles are applied to all materials considered for acquisition regardless of the source of acquisition. All material is assessed according to the principles set out in the Collection Development Policy.
Under the legal deposit provisions of the Libraries Act 1988, the Library is entitled to receive one copy of every item published in Victoria. Material published by the Victorian Government and its instrumentalities is deposited with the Library under the terms of the Premier's Circular and its predecessors.
A number of deposit arrangements exist with governments such as those of the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as with many international organisations. In view of its central position within the state's library system, it is an appropriate role of the Library to act as a deposit library for governments and other bodies. These deposit collections involve the addition of material according to source rather than subject matter.
The Library receives a very large number of donations from individuals and organisations from within Victoria and elsewhere. At times the Library is also the recipient of materials from bequests. Because of its public accessibility and central role, it is widely seen as an appropriate repository for collections and items which donors wish to make generally available. Donations and bequests are accepted according to the guidelines outlined in the Donations Policy. Donation of material under the terms of the Cultural Gifts Program [external link] is promoted.
The Library has an ongoing program to microfilm Victorian newspapers. The intention of this program is to provide access to high-use titles that may become damaged due to overuse, and to preserve vulnerable or aging newspapers.
The Library is committed to making its unique materials available as widely as possible through its digitising programs. While primarily an access issue, digitising also builds the collections. The programs involve the conversion of many heritage items into digital format, including photographs, manuscripts, maps, sheet music, audio-recordings and newspapers.
