Is it history or is it hoarding?

A great podcast which explores the history of the collections held by one of Australia’s oldest libraries. Journalist Annabel Crabb asks us to consider if these collections are history or hoarding in a multi-episode deep dive into the story of the State Library of New South Wales and its collections. History Or Hoarding? With Annabel Crabb

A glimpse into a 1950s library

Step back in time and have a look at this wonderful film from Libraries Tasmania about library services in Tasmania (Australia) in the 1950s. It includes a glimpse at the Archives, Children’s Library Bookmobile, book repairs, book processing, microfilm, librarian training, school libraries and more about all the library had to offer. Enjoy! For All Who Read.

What is Library History? What is Information History? IFLA WLIC 2026 Satellite Meeting

The IFLA Library Theory and Research Section and the Library History Special Interest Group will host the Satellite Meeting at Pusan National University of the Republic of Korea in Busan, Korea, on 7th August (morning) 2026.

Celebrating a 200 year long history: The State Library of New South Wales, Australia

Learn a little about the history of the State Library of New South Wales from Mitchell librarian Richard Neville as the library celebrates 200 hundred years of library service https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/shorter-history-state-library-nsw. You can find a little more about the foundation of the Mitchell collection here https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/research-and-collections/about-collections/david-scott-mitchell-collection.Richard has also authored The Library That Made Me: 200 Years of the State Library of NSW in celebration of this milestone. If you are not familiar with the library here is a little more information about its collections https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/200-years-on-display Or maybe you would like to learn a little about the ghosts that haunt the library https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/ghosts-collection !

The Australian Museum turns 190

A short video to mark the 190th birthday of the research library of the Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia. The video shows not only some favourites from its collection but shows a comprehensive history of the library and its collection from an unpublished thesis. See the Video. If you want to learn more about the library and its history have a look here: History of the library

LIS Education Internationalisation Webinar series: Webinar 2

Topic: The Vatican Apostolic Library’s Pivotal Role in the Birth and Early Years of IFLA

Speaker: Raffaella Vincenti When: 22 June 2026 at 15:00 CET Where: Online

Description: The IFLA Library History SIG, invites you to the second of its Library Information Science (LIS) Education Internationalisation Webinar Series. This Webinar, presented in the context of the IFLA Centenary, explores the extraordinary role the Vatican Apostolic Library played in founding and in the early years of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). The Library’s reorganization in the 1920s, largely funded by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, was a major catalyst for international cooperation. This project brought together American experts and European leaders who were simultaneously working to establish IFLA. The event will specifically highlight the collaboration between the Vatican Apostolic Library and IFLA’s first two presidents, Isak G.A. Collijn and William Warner Bishop. Both were hosted by the Library while engaged in the project for its reorganization between 1928 and 1929. This historical perspective contributes high scientific and symbolic value to the IFLA Centenary celebrations, emphasizing the deep connection between the Library’s tradition and the evolution of international library education.

Registration and Further Details: https://www.ifla.org/events/library-information-science-lis-education-internationalisation-webinar-series-webinar-2/

Lecture: Friends of the Bodleian Annual Lecture // Richard Ovenden: Defending Knowledge: Why Libraries Matter.

Listen to Richard Ovenden OBE, Bodley’s Librarian, as he explores the deliberate destruction of knowledge throughout history and its urgent relevance today.Drawing from his acclaimed book Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge Under Attack, Richard disusses how libraries, librarians, and archivists bear the profound responsibility of preserving and transparently sharing information, and their critical role in safeguarding knowledge for future generations.“Why are books destroyed? It’s about control—controlling knowledge to control societies, to control the way people behave, the way people think, the way people spend money.”(Richard Ovenden). https://youtu.be/TlKBAYH1KAc?si=D0BAYNzWBcsaV0pE

At 5 AM Thursday the 16^th of June Australian Eastern Standard Time (3 PM EDT Wednesday 15^th June) Drs Mary Carroll, Louise Curham (School of Information and Communication Studies) and Holly Randell-Moon (School of Indigenous Australian Studies) joined their US colleagues to present an online paper as part of the American Library History Round Table (LHRT) research seminar.  You can find a little more about their presentations on the blog of the Charles Sturt University Library Research Group Blog. https://librariesresearchgroup.csu.domains/blog/2022/06/23/an-initial-exploration-of-the-history-of-australian-libraries-and-collections-as-forces-of-social-control-and-whiteness/

If you would like to know a little more about libraries and archives in other parts of the world try these podcasts and blogs

IFLA Library History SIG https://iflalibraryhistorysig.blogspot.com/

Archives Fever https://www.archivefeverpod.com/

Libraries Research Group blog

A reflection of the origins of Australian public libraries https://librariesresearchgroup.csu.domains/blog/2021/12/17/a-reflection-on-the-origins-of-australian-public-libraries/

Australian public libraries by design https://librariesresearchgroup.csu.domains/blog/2022/02/08/australian-public-libraries-by-design/

SICS Radio https://2mce.org/podcastfilter/sics-radio/

GLAMcity https://2ser.com/glamcity/

Library and information history group blog http://www.cilip.org.uk/library-information-history-group/blog

The UK Bibliographic Society has organised a virtual tour of some of Melbourne, Australia’s historic libraries and special collections. Visit

• The State Library of Victoria
• Baillieu Library, University of Melbourne
• Special Collections at Monash University

Dates: Tuesday, July 27, 2021 – 10:00 Location: Online via Zoom

Book your place https://www.ies.sas.ac.uk/events/event/24512

This is a fascinating first look analysis of the a project Books and Borrowing 1750-1830 looking at the the historic loans records of the University of Edinburgh.

A First Look at the University of Edinburgh Library Borrowers’ Receipt Books

THe Society of Antiquaries of London have launched a campaign to save their historic libraries based in Burlington House. with rents for their space having increased by 3,100% since 2012 the Society and its 300 year old library may be forced to move. Find out more about these collections and the campaign here https://www.sal.org.uk/save-burlington-house/?fbclid=IwAR0bZECFe-sAZIUeW37dfliF6aFK3-Q7JFsnDgqBMHdMwV4uM197gEtg0Yw