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What’s got us talking

Free lockers for Library card holders.

Lockers are now free for all Library cards holders, following a recent upgrade. Learn more about our new locker system.

Woman with her back to the camera putting her belongings into a Library locker.

Openbook magazine

Inside each issue you'll find stories that are inspiring, thought-provoking and surprising.

Openbook autumn

2021 Drug Info website survey

You’re invited to complete a short survey on drug and alcohol information. Your answers will help us improve the State Library of NSW Drug Info website. 

Close up of scattered pills of different shapes and sizes

What about the sheilas?

Peter Kingston couldn’t please everyone in his artist’s book Sheilas, but the result is a special piece of work.

Collection buzz

Did your book get wet?

Learn the best way to dry wet books from our Collection Care experts.

Old brown leather books on bookcase

Sydney's Bungaree

Bungaree (c 1775–1830) is a remarkable and enigmatic figure in Sydney and Australia’s colonial history.

Bligh’s Bounty logbooks

The logbooks of William Bligh, which document the most notorious mutiny in history, were officially inscribed on the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World register.

William Bligh's Logbook

Drawing to a close

Discover how an artist followed in the inspiring footsteps of a botanist rescued from a tragic expedition in 1848.

Backscratcher Ginger, drawing by Janet Hauser, 2017

A home among the plum trees

A little notebook rescued from the Mittagong tip paints a picture of Sydney suburban life in the early 1900s.

Featured events

Significant Individuals: Quong Tart

Schools
Wednesday
Wednesday 21 April 2021 - 1:30pm to 2:15pm
Free
Talk

Step into Quong Tart’s shoes and piece together the missing primary sources to bring Quong Tart’s story to life.

Learning
Online

Grapho

Thursday
Thursday 22 April 2021 - 12pm to 1pm
Free
Workshop

Join us at the Library for calligraphy demonstrations in languages other than English

Desk with quill

The B List with Bri Lee & Emily Maguire

The B List bookclub
Thursday
Thursday 22 April 2021 - 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Talk

Acclaimed author Emily Maguire joins the book club to talk about her latest novel  Love Objects.

Bri Lee holding novel Love Objects

And the Award Goes To...

Sydney Writers' Festival
Tuesday
Tuesday 27 April 2021 - 11:30am to 12:30pm
Free
Talk

Be among the first to hear from some of the newly announced winners of the 2021 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

Past PLA winners Trent Dalton and Billy Griffiths holding awards