Behind the scenes
Read about the history of the Library and meet the staff who bring our collections to life.
A capital idea
Decorated initials — artworks in themselves — have a long history.
- Behind the scenes
- Image
Reconstructing the Holtermann: the world's largest collodion glass-plate negatives
What do you do when one of the world’s largest wet-plate glass negatives, weighing over 30 kilos, smashes into hundreds of pieces?
Following the river
Darug people share a deeper story of Dyarubbin, the Hawkesbury River.
The Gatherings Order
A behind the scenes look at the new podcast series exploring the last great influenza pandemic in 1919.
Curating Eight Days in Kamay
In 1770 the Gweagal people of Kamay (Botany Bay) discovered James Cook and the Endeavour. The Library’s new exhibition explores the eight days that followed.
‘Unprecedented’: the Library through two pandemics
The extraordinary events of the past few months are unprecedented in our lifetimes, but the response to the Covid-19 pandemic contains echoes of the 1918–19 influenza outbreak. The Library is one of many institutions following the lead of our forebears.
The Library at war: 1939–1943
While the Nazis had conquered Western Europe in 1940 and threatened Britain’s very existence, the State Library had continued on much as it had before the war.
Living language: Aboriginal languages in New South Wales
A major exhibition opening in July at the Library will celebrate UNESCO’s International Year of Indigenous Languages.
Mitchell or burn: the Thompson family papers
Sifting through the ‘glorious clutter’ of the Thompson family papers offers a sense of early Sydney life and insights into several significant local families.
Behind the scenes in our new galleries
We’ve almost doubled our gallery space to show more of the Library’s collection and give exhibition visitors a chance to make their own connections.
Arresting gaze
A compelling portrait of a young colonial woman has been given new life.
- Behind the scenes
- Discovery
- Quick Reads
A remote drama
A Library fellowship uncovered an archive of emotion in the correspondence of Henry Parkes and Thomas Woolner.
- About the State Library
- People
- Quick Reads
Women of the Library
The Library celebrates International Women's Day by honouring the legacy of female Librarians.
- History
- In Depth
The Iron Church
For over 50 years, the site next to the New South Wales Parliament on Macquarie Street was occupied by one of the Colony's more unusual pieces of architecture.
- About the State Library
- In Depth
Origins of the State Library of New South Wales 1826 - 1869
Between 1826 and 1869 the Australian Subscription Library was reshaped into a Free Public Library.
- People
- Quick Reads
Libraries building communities
Winner of the 2017 Jean Arnot Memorial Fellowship essay by Kristin Twomey on the importance of libraries as information, educational, cultural and social institutions assisting to build local communities.
- Art and culture
- Behind the scenes
- Image
Boy oh boy!
In 25 years at the State Library, our Curator of Photographs has seen four people cry.
- About the State Library
- Art and culture
- People
- In Depth
Shakespeare at the Library
Discover the fascinating story behind Shakespeare's First Folio and other stories featuring Shakespeare in the Library.
- Quick Reads
The Library’s digitised collections showcased by Google’s Cultural Institute
In 2015 the Library began sharing some of its digitised collections on Google’s Cultural Institute.
- Art and culture
- Partnerships
- In Depth
The Dixson map collection
Explore the extensive collection of 16th to 20th century maps donated by Sir William Dixson.
- About the State Library
- Partnerships
- Quick Reads
Success story: the Mitchell campaign
A passionate group of benefactors collaborated to support the refurbishment of the ground floor of the Mitchell wing.