National Library of Australia

Summary subject collecting information (definitions of the ALG collecting levels are available for reference):

Art and architecture [Basic]

    Comments: Basic general collection of material on the visual arts with wide historical & geographic coverage. Emphasis on the 19th-20th Centuries & on SE Asia, East Asian & Pacific regions. Selection of the more important periodicals on the history of Western art & architecture & strong collection of reference sources support the monograph collection. Some general research level strengths, although these are regarded historical rather than current.

- The Arts (general) [Basic]

- Urban and regional planning [Minimal]

- Landscape architecture [Minimal]

- Architecture [Basic]

- Sculpture [Minimal]

    Comments: Yves Coffin collection of photographs of Bali, Cham, Javanese, Khmer and Thai art, architecture and sculpture. Javanese series = 1,000 photographic prints from most of the temple sites such as Borobadur, Sari, Sewu, Pringapus, Mendut, Kidul, Lara Djonggrong et al. and items from the collection of the National Museum in Djakarta. Cham series = 300 photographs taken from the Municipal Museum, Danang and the National Museum, Saigon. Photographs of sculpture from South Asia on microfiche.

- Metals [Minimal]

- Ceramics and glass [Minimal]

- Drawing [Minimal]

- Decorative arts [Minimal]

- Textiles [Minimal]

- Interior design and furniture [Minimal]

- Painting [Basic]

- Printmaking and graphic arts [Minimal]

- Photography [Minimal]

    Comments: The general monograph and serial collection is minimal, with some notable historical monographs and runs of serials. However collections relating to Australia are at research level. The National Library's Pictorial Collection includes an extensive collection of photographs covering events and aspects of life in Australia, especially those of national importance.

- Cinematography [Minimal]

    Comments: The Library's Film and Video Lending Collection is managed by the Cinemedia organisation in Melbourne.

- Museum science [Basic]

    Comments: Museology has been collected to support, in the first instance, the Library's own program of preservation and exhibition activities.

Highlights of the collection: The National Library of Australia holds a comprehensive collection of material relating to Australia and the Australian people. The Library's collections of Australiana have developed into the nation's single most important resource of materials recording Australian cultural heritage. The Library collects Australian materials of all kinds - not just works in print form - books, serials, maps, music and ephemera - but also online publications and unpublished material such as manuscripts, pictures and oral histories. The Library also has considerable collections of general overseas and rare book materials, as well as world-class Asian and Pacific collections which augment the Australiana collections.

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