Enter a World of Whimsy and Fantasy – at the State Library!

Monsters by the sea, sandcastles with personality, mining excavators with attitude and farm equipment with eyes to watch your every move! Imaginations soar and stories are inspired by David Miller’s whimsical sculptures on display at the State Library.

David Miller is an Author and Illustrator and paper has always fascinated him. He has written a book called “You Can Make Paper Sculptures” and his latest book is “Big and Me”. Bring the kids to the State Library to begin the journey to another world.

Where: State Library

Location: 25 Francis St, Perth, 6000

The Place, Mezzanine Level

When: Now until Thursday December 10th

Mon – Thu        9.00am – 8.00pm
Fri                    9.00am – 5.30pm
Sat – Sun         10.00am – 5.30pm

Cost: FREE

The State Library of Western Australia is located in the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre. It preserves and provides access to Western Australia’s published heritage and original historical records. The State Library also provides numerous on-line and e-resources, many of which are accessible from home using your public library membership. To see what else the State Library has to offer you please check out the State Library’s web pages at http://slwa.wa.gov.au/

For further information please Contact:

Hilary Hatfield: Subject Specialist

(08) 9427 3161 or hilary.hatfield@slwa.wa.gov.au

or

Linda Frederick: Community Awareness Coordinator

(08) 9427 3151 or linda.frederick@slwa.wa.gov.au

 

Singing from the same song sheet

Have a listen carefully on Thursday 22nd October at 11.30am  (AEDT) and it’s possible you can hear only one piece of music. All around Australia, students, parents and families will be singing from the same song sheet – literally,  as they all sing The music is everything. The song, written by 4 NSW high school students under the tutelage of John Foreman,  is part of a national campaign runned by the Music Council of Australia called Music. Count us in and is an annual promotion of the value of music education in schools.  Last year, there were 450,000 performers. There will even be a choir signing in Auslan. Check out the website to hear the song, see promotional material and dwell on the importance of music education in children’s lives.

 

WA Week and Seniors Week at the State Library

Take a new look at your State Library by coming along to a tour, talk, concert or event during WA Week and Seniors Week at the library.

Find out about WA history, see your State Library at work, entertain the grandchildren, or enjoy a talk or concert. 

There are still places left, and for some events you don’t need to book at all – so bring a friend and come along.

whats on SLWA Oct2009-for web & email

 

Second Australian series of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’

John Butler with his late grandfather's Dobro guitar. Photo credit: David Dare-Parker, kindly supplied by ScreenWest.

The second Australian series of Who Do You Think You Are? is currently screening on Sundays at 7:30pm on SBS. It was made in Western Australia by local production company Artemis International with Serendipity Productions and was supported by ScreenWest. This fascinating series traces the family history of well-known Australians such as Western Australian musician, John Butler, who will be appearing on November 1st. Other celebrities featured are Ron Barassi, Sigrid Thornton, Ben Mendelsohn, Christine Anu and Maggie Beer.

 

What we collect…

Ever wonder how librarians decide what gets included in the library’s collection? What guidelines we use to select resources from the mass of published  information?  That’s where a collection development policy comes in!   The State Library has recently updated it’s Collection Development Policy.  The policy, together with the supporting document Developing our Collections – a Collection Development Policy Framework, is now available on the State Library’s website.  So now you can see not just why we collect, but what we collect and how we collect it.

 

Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival, 2009

6th & 7th October 2009 – Cinema Paradiso, Perth
Free Admission

One of Australia’s most popular film festivals invites you to view the world through the eyes of Australian Indigenous filmmakers.

Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival 2009, presented by the Australian Film Commission and Black Screen, is curated by renowned Indigenous filmmakers Rachel Perkins and Darren Dale. Showcasing the talents of Indigenous Australians in the film industry, the films tell the stories of Aboriginal life and experiences, reflecting traditional cultures, the affinity with the land, and the love and the struggles from the past to the present as they intimately share their worlds, their stories, and their humour.

Message Sticks is currently touring nationally and will be screening in WA in October on the following dates:

6 & 7 October, 2009 – Cinema Paradiso, Perth
19 & 20 October, 2009 – Orana Cinema, Geraldton

This is a free event. For film screenings and session times contact the venues or visit www.afc.gov.au/blackscreen to download a program.

If this gives you an apetite for Indigenous films, be sure to have a look at the many Western Australian Indigenous films in the State Library’s collections. These are a wonderful way to learn more about Aboriginal culture and to celebrate these unique stories. You can find films through our online catalogue. Enjoy!

 

Amazing paper sculptures and more for the school holidays!

If your family needs things to do during the holidays, come along to The Place on the mezzanine and admire artist David Miller’s amazing paper sculptures from his new book Big and Me.  Copies of David’s books will be available for purchase at the State Library Shop.

Grab a trail guide and find out more about The Place; have a look at original artworks by WA illustrators in the gallery; and find out some interesting facts about WA history from the Telling Our Story display in the cases.

And you can even make your own paper sculpture – and look at the back of the trail for instructions on how to make a “My Story” showbag.

There’s lots to do at The Place during the October school holidays! For information about story sessions, check here: http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/whats_on/school_holidays

 

London Marriages, Baptisms and Burials go Online at Ancestry.com

London Metropolitan Archives

The long-awaited London Metropolitan Archives records have begun to appear on Ancestry.com.  London, England: Marriages and Banns 1754-1921 and London,  England: Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1538-1812 were loaded on 14th September.  Marriages include the images of the banns record and marriage record if available. The easiest way to access these records is to click on List Recent Databases on the homepage and then click on the titles given above.  The information comes from more than 10,000 Church of England parish registers from the Greater London area.  The baptism and burial registers are not currently indexed. You can’t search these by name. You must scroll down and click on the most likely borough and browse rather than using the search boxes.  You will do better if you have some idea of the dates and place you wish to search.

Ancestry.com (Library edition) is a subscription database that is available free to researchers within the State Library building. Some public libraries also subscribe to Ancestry.com so you may wish to enquire as to its availability at your local library.  Happy hunting!

 

Auditioning for WAAPA, NIDA or VCA?

Are you auditioning for a 2009 place at WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts), NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts) or VCA (Victorian College of the Arts)? The majority of audition plays are now available on closed reserve at the second floor reference desk in the State Library. Closed reserve means you cannot borrow the plays but you can read them in the library. Please ask for the play you want at the desk. You will be asked to sign for the play. The plays are part of Prompt Copy, an excellent collection of plays and film scripts on the second floor of the library.

 

A collection to make a song and dance about

Come to the 2nd Floor of the State Library to find out why we make a fuss of our music collections. Thousands of Western Australian musicians and music lovers have been members of this library for over 40 years. Many of the State’s sons and daughters have gone on to illustrious musical careers, either here or internationally. Rhapsody: a serenade to the music library features a few of their stories and memories of using the music collections during their formative years. Find out why David Helfgott used to love coming to the library, and how composer Lindsay Vickery used to use the old card catalogue as a sort of mini gamelan orchestra. They have all helped put the state on the map, and we are proud of their achievements.