State Library of Western Australia

State library in Perth, Western Australia

Not to be confused with City of Perth Library.

State Library of Western Australia

State Library of Western Australia, Alexander Library Building

31°56′57″S 115°51′38″E﻿ / ﻿31.949057°S 115.860534°E﻿ / -31.949057; 115.860534﻿ (State Library of Western Australia)
Location| Perth, Western Australia
Type| State Library
Established| 1889; 136 years ago (1889)
Collection
Items collected| Books, journals, newspapers, magazines, manuscripts, personal papers, maps, printed music, sound and music recordings, oral histories, films, photographs and ephemera
Size|

* 1.5 million items
* 4,000 linear metres (13,000 ft) of archives[1]

Other information
Director| Catherine Clark (CEO and State Librarian)
Website| slwa.wa.gov.au

The State Library of Western Australia is a research, education, reference and public lending library located in the Perth Cultural Centre in Perth, Western Australia. It is a portfolio agency of the Western Australia Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, and facilitated by the Library Board of Western Australia.

The State Library has particular responsibility for collecting, preserving and digitising Western Australia's heritage materials. The J. S. Battye Library of West Australian History is the section of the Library dedicated to Western Australian historical materials.

## History

[edit]

In 1886, the Western Australian Legislative Council allocated £5000, equivalent to A$748,000 in 2022, to be spent in celebrations for Queen Victoria's golden jubilee. Of this, it was decided that £3000 would be used to establish a free public library in Perth. A foundation stone was laid at a site in St Georges Terrace in 1887, however due to the lack of funds this site was not built upon. Instead, books to the value of £1000 were ordered from England, and the library found temporary accommodation in a building opposite the site. The Victoria Public Library, named in honour of Queen Victoria, opened on 26 January 1889. The first managers of the library were the clerks to the management committee, W. C. Townsend and then Basil Porter. The first Chief Librarian, James Sykes Battye, was appointed in 1894.[2][3]

1897 Plaque for the Victoria Public Library

By 1896, construction had begun on a site at the corner of James and Beaufort Streets, and in 1897 the library moved to the new James Street site.

In 1904, the word 'Victoria' was removed from the name of the library, which then became known as the Public Library of Western Australia.[2] A new addition to the site was opened in 1913. It was called Hackett Hall after John Winthrop Hackett, the President of the Trustees of the Library, Museum and Art Gallery.[4] The library shared this building with the Art Gallery and Museum, and the Western Australian Museum still occupies the building today. The Library Board of Western Australia was established with the passing of the Library Board of Western Australia Act 1951, appointing the first State Librarian, F. A. (Ali) Sharr. The purpose of the Board was to assist local authorities in establishing free public libraries throughout the state, and work to co-ordinating those libraries as a statewide system.[5] However, James Battye successfully resisted having the Board take over control of the Public Library of Western Australia.[6] It was only after Battye died in office in 1954 that the Library Board gained control of the library. It was closed for a year for renovations, then reopened in 1956 as the State Library of Western Australia. This included a section dedicated to collecting Western Australian material – the J.S. Battye Library of West Australian History and State Archives.[7]

Between 1964 and 2002 the organisation was known as the Library and Information Service of Western Australia. This reflected the Library Board's broader operations beyond the walls of the library, particularly in encouraging the development of public library services throughout the state. In July 2002, the library once again became known as the State Library of Western Australia.[8][9]

By the late 1970s, the library had grown sufficiently that staff were working from ten different sites and annexes in the city. Planning was undertaken for a new building as part of the development of the Perth Cultural Centre. In 1985 the library's current home, the Alexander Library Building, was opened. It is named after Fred Alexander, the first chairman of the Library Board of Western Australia.[10]

The State Archives (later called the Public Records Office) was established as a separate unit in 1988, and the State Records Office of Western Australia was created as a separate entity to the library in 2000 with the passing of the State Records Act 2000. Responsibility for the collection and management of public records was transferred to SRO, although it remains co-located with the State Library in the Alexander Library Building.[11]

## Collections and services

[edit]

The State Library's operations fall into four main areas – collecting and preserving Western Australia's documentary heritage, general reference and public lending library services, literacy and education, and supporting the public library network in Western Australia.

### Western Australian heritage

[edit]

Main article: J S Battye Library

The J. S. Battye Library of Western Australian History is the arm of the Library dedicated to Western Australian historical materials.

The Library has extensive collection of Western Australian:

* Newspapers
* Original manuscripts, journals, diaries and letters
* Records of non-government organisations
* Music recordings
* Photographs
* Western Australian films
* Oral history recordings and transcripts
* Maps, charts and serials
* Private archives
* Post Office Directories

The Battye Library contains a comprehensive collection of books published in Western Australia, as well as books by a Western Australian or about Western Australia published elsewhere.

The State Library was the legal deposit library for Western Australia under the Copyright Act 1895 and the Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1884, but these Acts were repealed in 1994 and 2005 respectively. Legal deposit provisions were re-established in principle in 2012, with the passing of the Legal Deposit Act 2012, and brought into force for physical publications with the passage of the Legal Deposit Regulations 2013.

### Reference and lending library

[edit]

The library's reference collection provides resources which "reflect key Australian reference publications; and cover all subject areas to support self-directed learning to an undergraduate level".[12] The collection holds over 300,000 books and nearly 5,000 serial titles, and many items are available for loan. The library also provides a number of electronic resources, some of which are available off-site for library members. There are also approximately 100 public computers available to users, as well as free Wi-Fi.[1]

Other specialised collections and services include:

* Sheet music – the library holds over 70,000 music scores, making it the second largest public music lending library in Australia
* Genealogy resources – the library has a specialist family history section, and volunteers from the Western Australian Genealogical Society provide assistance to clients
* The Story Place – a dedicated children's area
* Read WA – a collection of loanable books by Western Australian authors.
* WA Premier's Book Awards – all the books shortlisted from the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards.
* Justice of the Peace
* eConnect – a space where you can get help with using your computer, ipad or phone. Learn how to download forms, apply for jobs, set up email, use government sites and apps and become better equipped to use the internet and technology.
* Community Languages Collection – language teaching materials, books and guides in over 40 different languages.

### Relationship with public libraries

[edit]

Public library services in Western Australia are delivered as a partnership between the State and Local Governments. The State Government provides funding for the majority of the book stock and some other library materials, and local governments provide physical and technological infrastructure and staffing to operate public libraries. This partnership is administered by the Library Board of Western Australia through the State Library. The library provides centralised purchasing, and a statewide online catalogue, as well as facilitating the exchange of materials between public libraries.[13]

### National edeposit (NED)

[edit]

As a member library of National and State Libraries Australia, the organisation collaborated on the creation of the National edeposit (NED) system, which enables publishers from all over Australia to upload electronic publications as per the 2016 amendment to the Copyright Act 1968 and other regional legislation relating to legal deposit,[14] and makes these publications publicly accessible online (depending on access conditions) from anywhere via Trove.[15]

### Better Beginnings

[edit]

Better Beginnings[16] is a statewide program run by the State Library and started in 2004, aimed at increasing young children's access to books and encouraging daily parental interactions with their children.

## Gallery

[edit]

* State Library of Western Australia, Alexander Library Building

* Hackett Hall, home of the Public Library of Western Australia, in 1913

* Inside the Public Library of Western Australia, 1913

*   *   *   *   * Gateway 2: Coalesce sculpture by Akio Makigawa, outside SLWA

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Annual Report 2011-2012 of the Library Board of Western Australia : 60th Annual Report of the Board (PDF), State Library of Western Australia, 2012, archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2013, retrieved 6 February 2013
2. ^ a b James Battye, ed. (1985). "Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery of Western Australia". Cyclopedia of Western Australia. Vol. 1\. Carlisle: Hesperian Press. pp. 530–533\. ISBN 0-85905-073-4. Wikidata Q125967197.
3. ^ Battye, James S., ed. (1912). "State Institutions Governed by Boards". Cyclopedia of Western Australia. Vol. 1\. Adelaide: Hussey and Gillingham. pp. 530–531\. OCLC 758407223. Wikidata Q125962577.
4. ^ "THE PUBLIC LIBRARY". Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 – 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 22 August 1913. p. 16. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
5. ^ A library service for Western Australia : 1st annual report of the Board 1952–53, Perth, W.A.: Library Board of Western Australia, 1953
6. ^ Alexander, Fred, "Battye, James Sykes (1871–1954)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 6 February 2013
7. ^ Jamieson, Ronda (2005). "A people with a past and the J S Battye Library of West Australian history". Fremantle Studies. 4: 22–31.
8. ^ The Library and Information Service of Western Australia : twelfth annual report of the Board, Perth, W.A.: Library Board of Western Australia, 1964
9. ^ Annual report 2001-2002 of the Library Board of Western Australia (PDF), Perth, W.A.: Library and Information Service of Western Australia, 2002
10. ^ Annual report 1984-85 of the Library Board of Western Australia, Perth, W.A.: Library and Information Service of Western Australia, 1985
11. ^ "A brief history : SRO". State Records Office of Western Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
12. ^ "Reference collecting principles". State Library of Western Australia. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
13. ^ Framework agreement between the State and Local Government for the provision of public library services in Western Australia (PDF), Western Australian Local Government Association; State Library of Western Australia, 2010, retrieved 8 February 2013
14. ^ "What is legal deposit?". National Library of Australia. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
15. ^ "What is National edeposit (NED)?". NED. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
16. ^ "Home | Better Beginnings". www.better-beginnings.com.au. Retrieved 6 July 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Search the SLWA Catalogue
* State Library of Western Australia Foundation
* Friends of J. S. Battye Library Inc.

Portals:

* Western Australia
* Books

State Library of Western Australia at Wikipedia's sister projects:

* Media from Commons

* v
* t
* e

National and State Libraries of Australia

National|

* Australia

State|

* New South Wales
* Queensland
* South Australia
* Tasmania
* Victoria
* Western Australia

Other|

* Australian Capital Territory
* Northern Territory

* v
* t
* e

Landmarks of Perth

Buildings and structures|

* Perth Town Hall
* Parliament House
* Barracks Arch
* Supreme Court of Western Australia
* Round House

Precincts|

* Perth Cultural Centre
* Cathedral Square
* Chinatown
* Leederville
* Fremantle
* Maylands
* Mount Lawley
* Northbridge

Parks and open spaces|

* Kings Park
* Elizabeth Quay
* Yagan Square
* Supreme Court Gardens
* Stirling Gardens
* Queens Gardens
* Russell Square
* Hyde Park
* Gija Jumulu

Cultural institutions|

* Art Gallery of Western Australia
* Western Australian Museum
* State Theatre Centre of Western Australia
* State Library of Western Australia
* His Majesty's Theatre
* Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
* City of Perth Library
* Scitech

Sport|

* Arena Joondalup
* Ascot Racecourse
* Belmont Park Racecourse
* Cannington Greyhounds
* Cockburn Ice Arena
* Gloucester Park
* Lake Karrinyup Country Club
* Perth High Performance Centre
* Perth Hockey Stadium
* Perth Ice Arena
* Perth Motorplex
* Perth Rectangular Stadium (HBF Park)
* Perth SpeedDome
* Perth Stadium (Optus Stadium)
* Subiaco Oval
* WA Basketball Centre
* WACA Ground
* Wanneroo Raceway
* Western Australian Athletics Stadium
* Royal Perth Yacht Club

Transport|

* East Perth Terminal
* Elizabeth Quay bus station
* Elizabeth Quay railway station
* Perth Busport
* Perth railway station

Entertainment|

* Crown Perth
* Perth Arena
* Perth Concert Hall

Beaches and islands|

* Cottesloe Beach
* Rottnest Island

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Czech Republic

Other|

* Yale LUX

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template