Melbourne joins cities including Edinburgh, Berlin, Montreal and Bologna as a member of UNESCO's Creative Cities Network, which recognises achievement in creative endeavours such as music, literature and design.

CEO and State Librarian Anne-Marie Schwirtlich said, 'The Library is delighted with UNESCO's decision to name Melbourne as a City of Literature. Melbourne's engagement with literature - our writers, publishers, libraries, booksellers and readers, as well as our vibrant literary events all make Melbourne a literary focal point and UNESCO's recognition reflects this'.

'The decision also acknowledges the Library's longstanding place in Melbourne's literary history and, together with Victoria's public libraries, its role as one of the elements that contributed to the UNESCO recognition.'

The Library, over its 150-year history, has supported Melbourne's literary and cultural life in many ways. It currently administers the Premier's Literary Awards; auspices the Centre for Youth Literature; provides reader development programs such as The Summer Read and the Bedside Books Club; collects a diverse range of publications and makes them available to the public; offers Fellowships to writers, researchers, scholars, artists and musicians; and showcases the Library's literary treasures through exhibitions such as Mirror of the World: Books and Ideas and the accompanying Mirror of the World website.

The State Library is also the site for the Victorian Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas. The new centre - due to open in late 2009 - will be a hub for writing and literature-based activities and organisations, including the Victorian Writers' Centre, Australian Poetry Centre, Express Media, Emerging Writers' Centre and Melbourne Writers Festival.

CEO and State Librarian Anne-Marie Schwirtlich said, 'As the future home of the Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas, we look forward to further enhancing the vibrant literary culture that exists in Melbourne.'

Find out more about UNESCO's Cities of Literature >

The awards, organised by the Centre for Youth Literature and now in their second year, recognise the best in Australian and international writing for young adults - as chosen by young people.

A panel of six young people will whittle the list down to a shortlist of three Australian and three international books. The shortlist will be announced and voting on the shortlisted books will open on 12 September on the insideadog website. Voting will close on 27 October, and the winners of the Golden Inky (for best Australian book) and the Silver Inky (best international book) will be announced on 6 November.

This year the Inkys will also launch a Creative Reading Prize, which provides the opportunity for young people to submit a creative response (in any format) to one or more of the books on the longlist. Entries close on 27 October and great prizes are up for grabs.

Discover more about the Inky Awards >

Shortlisted writers include:

• Nobel Prize winner JM Coetzee and Helen Garner in the fiction category
• Richard Flanagan for essay writing
• writer/director Mathew Saville with composer Briony Marks for their musical theatre script Crossing Live.

Ms Kosky said the Premier's Literary Awards were a key element in the Government's City of Literature initiative, which aims to promote and raise the profile of literature in Victoria. 'This is an exciting time for literature in Melbourne and Victoria as we await the outcome of our bid to become recognised internationally by UNESCO as a 'City of Literature',' Ms Kosky said.

'We have also commenced work on developing Australia's first Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas, to be located within the State Library of Victoria, which will become a hub and meeting place for the literary and publishing community.'

Read the 2008 Premier's Literary Awards shortlist >

The winners of the Premier's Literary Awards will be announced by Premier John Brumby at an awards dinner on Monday 1 September. Book now to attend this major event.

Find out more about the awards dinner >

In the first full month after its launch in April 2008, 'ergo' received an impressive 18,768 visits and attracted over 11,000 unique visitors. In addition, a large number of visitors are being referred from blogs, school intranets and websites for teachers, indicating that the site is reaching its target audience of secondary school students and teachers.

'ergo' content producer Linda Angeloni has been demonstrating the site at schools, libraries and conferences since May, and says that the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

'Teachers are excited about how "ergo" combines skills and SLV's wonderful resources all in the same place. And they can't believe how much has been digitised and that it's there for them to use!'

The website offers secondary students practical guides to research, essay writing and study skills, plus access to over 500 primary documents and images from the Library's collections. It also provides teachers with a range of exercises and activities to help develop students' critical thinking skills.

Explore the 'ergo' website >

Showcasing original photographs, documents, artwork and relics, Sport and War tells the stories of Australian sporting personalities whose lives were affected by war. Highlights include a football jersey worn on the Western Front, a 'Melbourne Cup' made by prisoners of war in Borneo, and Donald Bradman's war medals.

This inspiring exhibition is complemented by a program of talks, tours and events, the first of which is the panel discussion 'Sport in a Time of War', on 15 July. Featuring guest speakers including writer and broadcaster Tony Wilson and cricket writer Gideon Haigh, it promises to be a lively event.

Find out more about the exhibition >

Book now for the panel discussion >

'Flashpoint: New Writing for Theatre' will feature excerpts from plays by Kit Lazaroo, Tom Holloway, and Jianguo Wu and John Ashton, read by outstanding Australian actors including Grant Cartwright, Georgina Capper, David Whitely, Sarah Sutherland, Gareth Yuen and Jessie Wei.

The readings will be followed by Q&A with the playwrights and artists, facilitated by Kristy Edmunds, Artistic Director of the Melbourne International Arts Festival.

The RE Ross Trust Playwrights' Script Development Awards allow Australian writers to develop an original script with a theatre group or workshop.

Book now for this event >

Find out more about the RE Ross Trust Playwrights' Script Development Awards >

The scholarship, worth $30,000, is awarded biennially, alternating with the Barrett Reid scholarship. Both scholarships provide a public library staff member with funding for a broad range of activities to further their career development.

Applications for the 2008 Margery C Ramsay Scholarship are open until 4pm Friday 29 August. The official scholarship awards will take place later in the year.

Find out more or apply for the Margery C Ramsay Scholarship >

Learn about the Library's range of Research Programs >

In this lecture, Trinh will discuss how she uses digital tools to generate ideas for her artwork, and the significance of this process in a time of technological change.

Trinh is a lecturer in Multimedia and Digital Arts at Monash University, and the recipient of the inaugural (2007) Georges Mora Foundation Fellowship. The Georges Mora Foundation Fellowship supports artists in exploring new thinking and researching new ideas.

Book now for this event >

Find out more about the Georges Mora Foundation Fellowship >

The panel discussion is the first event associated with the Library's new exhibition Sport and War, and will feature Australian personalities such as writer/broadcaster Tony Wilson and cricket writer Gideon Haigh. Panellists will explore the stories, language and ideals of sport and war in Australia.

Sport and War will be at the Library from 11 July to 26 October, and is complemented by a range of talks, tours and activities for the whole family.

Book now for this event >

Find out more about the exhibition >

The Bedside Books Club is a great opportunity to share your opinions on the best and worst your bedside collection has to offer, and find out what other people are reading.

The July meeting will feature guest speakers including author Dorothy Porter, reading advocate Andrew Webster and book-trend guru Mary Dalmau, from Reader's Feast Bookstores. It promises to be a lively event.

Find out more or book now for this event >

The exhibition draws on original photographs, documents, artworks and relics to tell stories of courage, loyalty and achievement, and illustrate the significance of sport during wartime.

Featuring items such as a 'Melbourne Cup' made by prisoners of war, and cricketer Donald Bradman's war medals, Sport and War promises to be an inspiring event.

Find out more about this new exhibition >

Research for the series began in 2005 and included every public library in Victoria. 'Connecting with the Community' focuses on five community groups that may not fully utilise the services offered by public libraries, and examines how libraries can better attract and engage these target groups.

'Connecting with the Community', along with the previous reports in the Libraries Building Communities series, can now be downloaded from the State Library website.

Read the new report >

The exhibition is the gallery's first online offering, and features animated self-portraits by 14 Australian artists, including Oscar-nominated animator Anthony Lucas. Artists Troy Innocent, Adam Nash and Tim Devine (via video phone), will join Gillian to discuss the joys and challenges of creating art in the online space.

Animated [external link] will run until 31 August 2008.

Find out more or book a place for this event >

Kids can listen to Bernard Caleo tell stories of the Trojan War, make their own digital story book or stop-motion animation, see Ned Kelly's real suit of armour and more. There's also plenty of exhibitions, talks and tours to keep adults entertained.

Visit the Library for some holiday fun, from Sunday 29 June to Sunday 13 July.

Find out more about school holidays at the Library >

CEO and State Librarian Anne-Marie Schwirtlich is delighted by the exhibition's enormous success. 'The Medieval Imagination has been hugely popular,' she said. 'It is unique and beautiful...I do encourage you to see these remarkable books before the exhibition closes as it will not be shown anywhere else in the world.'

If you can't get in to the Library, a range of interactive extras are now available online. You can also listen to recordings of lectures by John Armstrong and Clare Monagle, as part of the 'Life in the Middle Ages' series.

Listen to the lectures online >

Find out more about the exhibition >

Seven Creative Fellowships were awarded, each worth between $12,500 and $25,000. Three Honorary Fellowships were also awarded, with children's author Morris Gleitzman among the recipients.

The inaugural Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE Fellowship, worth $20,000, was awarded to Rodney James, who will produce a manuscript for an illustrated book of edited letters to and from Alan McCulloch AO.

Geographer Dr Wayne Caldow was the recipient of the second annual La Trobe Society Fellowship. Dr Caldow will examine the way that the Gippsland landscape and environment were perceived by European settlers.

The six-month Redmond Barry Fellowship was awarded to zoologist and science writer Dr Danielle Clode, who will explore major environmental issues affecting Australia, including fire ecology and climate change.

Cyrus Tang received the six-month Georges Mora Fellowship, which promotes contemporary art and artists in Australia. Ms Tang will produce artworks and installations documenting her childhood in Hong Kong.

See the full list of 2008 Fellowship recipients >

Learn more about the Library's Fellowships >

The DVD, Football Stories from Country Victoria, is a compilation of 21 short films that give an insight into the significance of football in rural Victoria, and how the sport has changed over time. Veteran players also provide humorous first-hand accounts of the scandals and mysteries that accompany a sport with such passionate supporters.

The annual Victorian Community History Awards support projects that contribute to the development of history in Victoria and use new and innovative methods to tell the story of Victoria's history.

Find out more about the awards [external link] >

The documentary, 'The Medieval Imagination - a Chronicle Documentary', features interviews with key players behind the exhibition, as well as footage of some of the beautiful manuscripts on display.

Experimedia is offering free screenings of the documentary from Monday 2 June until Sunday 15 June, every half hour during Library hours, except when special events are being held. Don't miss out on your chance to get a glimpse behind the scenes of this major exhibition!

View the documentary trailer >

These beautiful manuscripts have been on display since 28 March, and have attracted record crowds and widespread media attention.

Don't miss out on seeing this spectacular exhibition. The Medieval Imagination is open daily from 10am to 5pm (to 9pm Thursdays). In its final week, the exhibition opening hours will be extended as follows:

• 10am to 5pm Monday 9 June, Tuesday 10 June and Wednesday 11 June
• 10am to 9pm Thursday 12 June
• 10am to 6pm Friday 13 June, Saturday 14 June and Sunday 15 June.

If you can't make it into the Library, experience the beauty of these medieval manuscripts online through our image gallery, audio tours, videos and other interactive extras.

Learn more about the exhibition >

Explore the interactive extras >