National Gallery of Australia Research Library and Archives
The National Gallery of Australia Research Library 'and Archives' is the pre-eminent art library in Australia, located in Canberra.
History
In 1975 and 1976 Kay Vernon held the title of Librarian of the Australian National Gallery. The Chief Librarian, Margaret Shaw, was appointed in 1978 about 3 years before the Gallery opened and retired in 2004.Services
The Research Library has a Reference Service that is available to the public online via the National Gallery website. Since 2020 the Research Library has partnered with Wikimedia Australia to host and support Know My Name edit-a-thons to increase understanding and appreciation of work by Australian women artists.Collections
The Research Library holdings provide a general coverage of art history with particular strengths supporting the Gallery's art collection, these include:- Aboriginal art
- Asian textiles
- Australian art
- Ballets Russes
- Contemporary art worldwide
- Selected areas of African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian art
Special collections
The Research Library has a number of special collections of rare or fragile materials, including:- Contemporary auction sale catalogues;
- Contemporary Exhibition catalogues;
- Crystal Palace Exhibition materials;
- Nineteenth Century Auction Sales;
- Nineteenth Century Decorative Arts;
- Nineteenth Century Periodicals;
- Nineteenth Century Photography;
- Paris Salon catalogues;
Ephemera collection and artists’ files
The Ephemera collection consists of more than 100,000 files, with over 1 million items, containing information on the National Gallery of Australia, Australian art schools and galleries, and on Australian and International artists, museums, collectors and curators.This is also known as the Documentation Collection, and each individual file can contain press clippings, exhibition flyers, catalogues, receipt books, or price lists preserved in mylar packets and acid-free archival boxes. These materials can be used to establish art chronologies and values.