Tucked inside the Australian Film Television & Radio School (AFTRS) on Gadigal land in Sydney is a library that many Australians may not have heard of. The Jerzy Toeplitz Library is both an academic library, a public library and a special library. It holds more than 60,000 items spanning books, eBooks, DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, magazines, journals and more, representing the most comprehensive specialist screen arts and broadcasting collection in Australia. The small library team curates themed displays, hosts a free public film screening program, and counts among its treasures a unique personal collection donated in honour of one of the country's most beloved film advocates. Many first-time visitors are excited to learn it is open to the public!

The library opened in 1973, at the same time as the school, and takes its name from Polish-born Jerzy Toeplitz, the founding director of AFTRS and a towering figure in international film scholarship. The character of the collection today is reflected in Toeplitz’s legacy, focussing on developing and inspiring new generations of storytellers.

I came to the library three years ago as I was wrapping up my Master of Information Studies from CSU. I spent many years prior working in the film industry, so this role has been a lovely fusion of my old and new careers. As Research Support Librarian, my job is to bring the collection to life for the people who need it. That means one-on-one consultations with AFTRS students to help them locate resources specific to their area of creative inquiry, whether they are developing a documentary, writing a screenplay, or tracing the evolution of sound design in South Korean cinema. It also means presenting research skills sessions to classes of undergraduate and post-graduate students, embedding information literacy into an otherwise very practical and creative curriculum. I also maintain the library's web presence so that the collection is discoverable well beyond our physical walls.

The library's extensive collection is remarkable in both its scale and its specificity. Books and journals cover every dimension of film studies, including disciplines such as screenwriting, directing, production design, documentary, music and beyond, creating a unique and scholarly resource that serves not just the AFTRS community, but anyone with an interest in the screen arts. We also maintain a substantial collection of film and television scripts and screenplays, many of which are not readily accessible through conventional publishing channels. Our audio-visual collection is originally catalogued in-house to best meet the needs of the AFTRS community. It encompasses over 22,000 DVDs and Blu-rays, offering a depth and range that streaming platforms cannot replicate. We have an obvious focus on collecting Australian stories and works by Australian creatives, in addition to arthouse cinema, international film, documentary, classic Hollywood, experimental work, short films and titles that have never made it to any subscription service.

Among our most treasured holdings is the Bill Collins Collection. Bill Collins was Australia’s very own ‘Mr Movies’: a broadcaster, critic and passionate cinema advocate. When he passed, his family donated his personal book collection to the library, where it has been fully catalogued and made available to borrowers. A curated selection is accessible on-site, while the remainder is held in off-site storage but remains fully available to request via the library’s catalogue.

The library is, like so many libraries today, a space in active, creative conversation with the wider cultural life of AFTRS. Throughout the year, the library presents rotating curated collections and artistic displays that connect directly with our ‘AFTRS Library presents’ film screening program which is free and open to the public. These exhibitions are designed around a theme, film genre, filmmaker, or in tribute to a specific film. They shine a light on overlooked and underappreciated gems available in our collection.

For the LIS community, our library offers a model worth examining: a specialist collection with genuine research depth, a dual mandate to serve both a professional training institution and the broader public, and a demonstrated commitment to building meaningful relationships with its community of users. One of our more active community members is a gentleman who runs a local film club. Before each session, he visits the library to borrow everything related to the film or director he plans to discuss with his members. He immerses himself in the collection so he can write informed viewing notes. His regular visits, his punctual returns, and his genuine enthusiasm for the collection have led to us designating him an ‘extra special member’. He is a reminder that a specialist library's community is not defined by institutional boundaries.

Uniquely positioned right next door to Disney Studios in Moore Park, the Jerzy Toeplitz Library welcomes researchers, film enthusiasts, students from other institutions, industry professionals, and members of the public. Membership is free, and includes borrowing access, with some of our items restricted to AFTRS staff and students only. We also have bookable viewing facilities on-site.

Visit us at AFTRS, Building 130, The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, NSW 2021. We are open Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm and we are staffed by a team of experienced information professionals. Find our collection online at aftrs.spydus.com, follow us on Instagram @aftrslibrary, and visit us on campus to sign up for a membership.