Our Library.....

At this moment in time, our State Library of Victoria is a topic being talked of on radio, being written about in many forums, and it is also the subject of a rally this coming weekend, 13 December 2025, under the headline of  “Hands off our State Library”.

I have heard the current president of the Library Board, Christine Christian, on ABC radio with presenter, Ali Moore; I have read Gideon Haigh’s article ‘What’s Really Happening at the State Library of Victoria?’ of 10 December 2025  https://tinyurl.com/5hykdkxe  And, I have been aware of the letter penned by people from many fields of endeavour (cited in Gideon Haigh’s article  signatories to our open letter ).

I cannot write on the details of the controversy but can offer what are, hopefully, useful comments on the vital role this particular library plays in the history and contemporary life of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. A library that is justifiably often included in lists of the great libraries of the world.

I am a Melburnian, a reader, a past bookseller, a past convenor of literary festivals, a former library worker, an active supporter of the library, and, now, a member of the legal community. I also have credentials as a former runner up to a Women’s Business Award and was the instigator of joining with the library’s experts on taking an exhibition to Dublin, Ireland, and working with them and The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge for an exhibition hosted by the library.

In the context of today’s fascination and, to my mind, blind love affair with all things digital, I take solace in knowing that the next generation of my family are readers – ages covering a wide span, from a few months old to 52 years of age. I applaud their scepticism that all change is automatically for the better. And, of course, I feel vindicated when I learn of various statistics highlighting how young minds and emotional health are being fundamentally altered and negatively impacted by the saturation of the digital ‘marketplace’. I could go on about the nexus between altruistic intent of digital advances and money, but I won’t digress.

For me, the State Library of Victoria is a wonder and central to so many memories. It is a beautiful, physical space. It is a place where people from all walks of life and across economic strata are clearly at home. The library is a place of innovation and continuity. It is the embodiment of what I experienced working across four local, public libraries in recent years: a safe, non-judgmental place that uses technology to add to the experience of learning while still enjoying the world of ideas present between the pages of a book. It is not a place where change occurs under a pretext of ‘moving forward’, but where change occurs to enhance the expertise of their personnel so that their patrons have the best possible experience.

A library, and especially a world-renowned library such as the State Library of Victoria, should be a place where the knowledge and commitment of its staff are the focus, and it is understood that they and the patrons are the reason for the existence of the library.

Having been a business person in the customer service sector, I understand that negative commentary can be fatal to any entity. It takes years (read decades and more) to build something that becomes ‘vital’, relevant, and successful. It can take relative moments in time to erode the trust and support it has enjoyed. Change is not unwelcome, but it must be clearly articulated, genuinely discussed and explained, and it must reflect the core principles and activities of the institution or organisation.

I have studied under the dome. I have taken international and interstate visitors to the State Library. I have hosted events with the library. I have watched and listened as the great Irish writer, Colm Toibin, read from the library’s copy of James Joyce’s Ulysses (one of the first 100 copies) and sat at the metal and bluestone ‘seat’ my brother designed and placed in the forecourt of the library, alongside Brendan Kilty SC of Ireland who agreed to its inclusion as one of 62 such seats to be placed around the world where books and learning are celebrated. And, I continue to walk into the library and feel the wonder that books have always held for me.

The State Library of Victoria: the oldest free public library in Australia; the place of readers, writers, students, politically engaged people using it as the backdrop for their meetings; and, the home of our collective history.

I believe it would be a significant honour to be in any way involved in decision-making on the present and future direction of such an important and loved institution. An honour that brings with it responsibility to ensure change is for the better and builds on the present.