Library Dreams

Thousands of people walk through the doors of the State Library of NSW every day, many of them students and children.

It’s a place they come to study, research, and explore, but currently there isn’t an informal area where children and their families can go to enjoy books in a relaxed atmosphere.

It seems however there are plans to rectify this with a new Children’s Library that will showcase the best of Australian children’s literature.

Located in the Macquarie Street building, the Children’s Library will offer direct access to the best works for children and young adults written and published in Australia, with a representative sample of classic works from beyond our shores.

It will house one of the most significant collections of children’s literature in Australia, holding manuscripts and illustrations from authors like May Gibbs, Pixie O’Harris, Norman Lindsay, Ethel Turner, Ruth Park, C.J. Dennis, Alison Lester, Bronwyn Bancroft to name a few.

This week the Library Foundation has launched Support the Children’s Library annual appeal in order to raise $300,000 to contribute to the funds necessary for this plan to become a reality.

The idea of children being up close with the original manuscripts of iconic Australian children’s books is something we know will appeal to you, so if you’d like to learn more about this please visit The State Library of NSW website.

This new addition to the space dedicated to children and families, will perfectly complementthe new Michael Crouch Family Galleries, the refurbished Dixson Galleries and purpose-built children’s learning Centre. You can read our previous article about new developments at the State Library of NSW here.