On the 7 October we had the Active ALIA tour of the ACT Heritage Library with a small interested group turning up to experience the delights of the Heritage Library. Antoinette Buchanan the Heritage Librarian gave us an expose of current challenges facing the library and how much progress the small team have made on processing their manuscript collection . The purpose behind the Heritage Library is to “help tell the stories of Canberra and its people. We collect, preserve, promote and provide access to the documents that record the lives of Canberrans at home and in the wider community.” This was very evident in Antoinette's discussion of the library team's current work and their collection emphasis.
I was very interested in the increasing web presence of the Heritage Library and how they intend to move this forward in the future with digitising their collection. Antoinette explained the focus of the archives and manuscripts collections in the ACT Heritage Library is on local groups and individuals who have made notable contributions to the ACT community. Their book collection focuses on publications produced here in the ACT, by ACT residents, or about the ACT. The heritage library uses the library system of the wider Libraries ACT so the catalogue is easily accessible to all Canberra residents . I envied the climate control stacks for their special collections.
The library is housed in the Woden town centre library and is open to all ACT people. It is a treasure not to be missed so if you can go on a future tour do so or just go and visit.
