Cast (in order of appearance):
Paul Bateman as State Library of Victoria Journalist
Mick Cahill  as Sir Redmond Barry
Nic Velissaris as Ancient Sumerian Shepherd
Chris Bunworth as Ancient Sumerian Tax Collector

The action takes place at the entrance to the exhibition, Mirror of the World at the State Library of Victoria. To the left is a 4000 year old clay tile, a relic from ancient Sumer with cuneiform writing.

[The signature theme melody starts the audio dramatisation and underscores the mood of the scene.]

Journalist

Welcome to Mirror of the World. I am here with Sir Redmond Barry. Sir Redmond, welcome.

Barry

Pleasure. So what is this Mirror of the World? 

Journalist

It is an ever-changing exhibition of some of the rare, beautiful and historically significant books held in the Library’s extensive collections. 

Barry

Are any of the books ones I purchased?

Journalist

Definitely. You started the collection and it has been added to since. All of these books have been selected because they have shaped defined and described and reflect the world in which we live. 

Barry

When I lived Melbourne it was a much different place than it is now. I don't know if you can even imagine this library back in 1856.

Journalist

Well tell me about it. What was it like?

Barry

You didn't need to post a bond or provide a letter of introduction like you did to gain admittance to other libraries. Our library was free and open to all over 14 years of age who had clean hands and would observe the decencies of dress and manner.

Journalist

Well, we don't check peoples hands anymore; but your vision has endured for over 150 years.

Barry

Has it been that long, I remember it like it was yesterday. Almost 4000 volumes arrived from England just in time for the opening, and my good friend Augustus Tulk and I spent the entire night unpacking the crates and shelving the books ourselves.

Journalist

That must have been quite a night. Sir Redmond, I want to change tack a bit. I know that libraries are important repositories of knowledge but I have often wondered, Why does civilization even have books? 

Barry

Well I suppose it is just the natural progression of writing and reading? 

Journalist

But why do we read and write? 

Barry

What a curious question. Well I imagine to record things. To preserve things.

Journalist

Well it seems that 4000 years ago in ancient Sumer, having things written down was pretty important.

[Music sweeps us back in time. We hear a heard of goats.]

Shepherd

I did pay. These goats are less than a year old.

Tax collector

Well, we have no record of you paying last year's taxes.

Shepherd

But I did pay.

Tax collector

There is no record. I will take these 10 goats as payment for last year and these 10 as payment for this year.

Shepherd

Wait, wait. [Sound of rummaging in a bag of clay tiles.] Here, is this it? 

Tax collector

This is the way of planting grain.

Shepherd

[He tosses that tile back into the bag and pulls out another one.] Must be this one.

Tax collector

This is how to make the medicine for coughing. Does it work?

Shepherd

The wife swears by it. [More rummaging.] What about this one?

Tax collector

This is it. Paid in full. Five sheep …  ten goats … the 10th month of the 46th year…

Shepherd

So?

Tax collector

This will do. You have a whole library in there.

Shepherd

I save everything that is written. Somewhere here I have the first part of the story of Innana.

[Music dissolves us out of that scene and back to the present.]

Barry

Lucky for us, mankind started recording things on vellum and paper. Can you imagine a library full of clay tablets?

Journalist

Well they would have lasted a long time.

Barry

When we purchased books for the traveling libraries we made sure that they would last. They were bound in full green morocco leather with gilt spine and marbled endpapers. 

Journalist

Mmm, those sound beautiful.

Barry

Sometimes we purchased books just because of their rarity. Of course they didn't travel. Did you know that in 1871 I managed to purchase Audubon's Birds of America for only 100 pounds. 

Journalist

I did know that but did you know that today it is worth millions.

Good heavens. Is it on display?

Journalist

I'm not sure. The physical items that are put on display in the galleries are changed quite often in order to preserve and protect them.

Barry

That's not important. It is the very existence of these books that has always fuelled my curiosity.  May I?

Journalist

Please, I think you'll recognize a few volumes.

[Musical theme signals the end of the scene.]

Credits

Conceived and Directed by John Paul Fischbach
Script by John Paul Fischbach
Engineered and mixed by Carl Priestly at Itchyacoustic Design
Orchestrations by David James Nielsen

Recorded December 2007