Information services Archives

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Uncorking the Australian Wine Industry’s Specialist Library

The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI), at Urrbrae, South Australia, houses the John Fornachon Memorial Library, a specialist library focused on the technical aspects of oenology, viticulture, agricultural business, sensory and food science. The library is primarily focused on the needs of Australian grapegrowers and winemakers, as well as the researchers and extension staff of the AWRI. However, our collections spill over into other agricultural, food and beverage industries, and owned resources are shared with clients from government departments, consultants, students, educators, and the general public through our document delivery service.

Performers in dark costumes and traditional hats dance on a brightly lit stage, beneath the words “Every library, a beacon” in English and Korean.

To Busan and Beyond: Reflections from IFLA 2026 World Library and Information Congress

Attending the IFLA 2026 World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Busan, South Korea was an incredible professional and cultural experience. As a conference grantee, it was both an honour and a privilege to participate in this global gathering of library professionals and connect with colleagues from around the world.

A silver stethoscope rests across the open pages of a thick book, symbolising the connection between healthcare and knowledge. The softly blurred background features cool blue and white tones with circular bokeh lights, creating a calm, clinical atmosphere.

Reframing the Profession: The Updated HLA Competencies

Health Libraries Australia (HLA) has released its updated Competencies for Health Librarians and Health Library Technicians (2026) – a contemporary and future-oriented framework that reflects the expanding scope, complexity, and impact of health librarianship in Australia.

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Reflections on the ALIA Mentoring Program

Thinking about applying for the ALIA Mentoring Scheme? In this reflective piece, mentee Jacinta Ward and mentor Martin Payne share their experiences of the program, exploring the value of a well-matched mentoring relationship, the insights gained through strategic conversations, and the lasting professional connections that can emerge along the way.

Profile of the PMI Victorian History Library

The PMI Victorian History Library began life as the Prahran Mechanics’ Institute in 1854 and it still hold true to its original aims of being for the mental moral improvement and rational recreation of its members, by means of Lectures, Discussions, Library, Reading Rooms, Classes, Museum, Philosophical Apparatus, &c. The PMI Library still does all of this, excepting the museum and the Philosophical Apparatus, as the current staff remains unclear on exactly what a “Philosophical apparatus” constitutes. Today the PMI Library specialises in Victorian history and holds a collection of over 70 000 items onsite in its building in Prahran. Most of the PMI Library’s collection is available for loan to its members, with membership only costing $30 a year.

A crowd of people enters a library through a wide entrance beneath a large illuminated red "LIBRARY" sign. The doorway is decorated with blue and silver star-shaped decorations, creating a welcoming atmosphere as visitors make their way inside.

Lights, Camera, Borrow: Inside the Jerzy Toeplitz Library

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

Law, Legacy and Libraries: 10 Years of the Law Library of Western Australia

The Law Library of Western Australia, located in the David Malcolm Justice Centre in the Perth CBD, is the result of an amalgamation of the former Crown Law Library and the Supreme Court Library.

The Library provides services to members of the Judiciary and courts, legal officers of the State, and the broader WA legal profession. It is funded by the Department of Justice, with a contribution from the WA legal profession derived from annual practising certificate fees.

A library worker retrieves a book from a shelving range in a compact storage area. Rows of books line the shelves, while movable high-density shelving units with hand-crank mechanisms maximise storage space for the collection.

A New Era for Government and Special Libraries

There are over 2,000 special libraries in Australia, yet many of them are buried inside larger organisations and lack visibility. This is the challenge and opportunity of working in a special library – special librarians must tailor their skills and services to match their organisation’s mission or risk losing relevance

‘Silence’ sign on library desk with bookshelves in the background

From shushing to singalongs: noise in public libraries

A while ago, I came across an online article in the Washington Post with the catchy title “It’s okay for libraries to be loud! Take it from me, a...

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Knowledge, reading and culture

Adult non-fiction is where libraries stop sounding abstract and start making calls. This item or that one. Credible or crank. Solid synthesis or confident...