Welcome to the Connect eNewsletter, helping to keep you up-to-date with what’s happening at the State Library of Western Australia.  As a subscriber you will receive your copy of the eNewsletter in your inbox every quarter. 

Highlights of 2015 include the renewal of the Better Beginnings partnership with Rio Tinto, celebrated by the Open Up campaign; hosting Disrupted - Festival of Ideas; launching the Western Australian New Music Archive and the associated live performance series in the Library;  Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall visited and was introduced to the literacy programs and some of the collection treasures; and the Lynley Dodd Story exhibition which included a visit from the author herself.

I wish you a safe and happy festive season
and I look forward to welcoming you to the
State Library during 2016.

Margaret Allen, CEO and State Librarian

Entries for the 2016 Awards are now open.
To be eligible,  authors must be citizens or permanent residents of Australia, or their work must have Australia as its primary focus. 

The 2016 Awards are for works published between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2015. The closing date for entries is 5pm Friday 29 January 2016.

For category details, guidelines and the online entry form visit the State Library website.

Artworks by acclaimed Australian artist Robert Juniper are enhanced and more accessible for students and teachers through an exciting and interactive app developed by the State Library.

Juniper’s works from the book Mason Judy by Trevor Todd, were re-imagined into the free app for iPad or tablet, which is aimed at middle to upper primary school aged children, but has much wider appeal.

Funding for the development of the app was provided by the State Library Foundation in partnership with BHP Billiton Iron Ore.
More information about the Juniper app can be found on the State Library website.

The usual calm of the State Library was disrupted recently when local artists and illustrators Wendy Binks, Joe Filocamo and Henry Lam were kept busy creating delightful images of animals of all shapes and sizes.

Visitors enjoyed the skill of the artists, as they took the opportunity to say hello to Hairy Maclary, Slinky Malinki, Schnitzel von Krumm, and Scarface Claw who all feature in the Lynley Dodd Story exhibition.

Open during library hours, the exhibition runs until 27 January. More information is available on the State Library website.

The State Library now has two Fellowships which are both open for applications until 29 January 2016. The inaugural J.S. Battye Creative Fellowship is available to artists of any discipline across all contemporary art forms.

The J.S. Battye Memorial Fellowship is for Australian residents studying or researching topics relating to Western Australian history.

The successful applicants will each receive a significant cash award and research support. Find more information on both Fellowships at the State Library.

 A 1941 Smith Corona typewriter once owned by eminent academic and patron of the arts Professor Fred Alexander has been donated to the State Library by his grandson Andrew Blanckensee.

Prof Alexander enjoyed a distinguished career as Head of the Department of History at the University of Western Australia and served as the inaugural Chairman of the Library Board for thirty years from 1952-82.  

The State Library welcomes donations of photographs or documents such as letters which relate to Professor Alexander and his term as Chairman of the Library Board. If you can help, please contact collection.liaison@slwa.wa.gov.au or call 9427 3230.

The lockers for public use on the ground floor will be closed permanently from 11 January 2016. Visitors to the Leah Jane Cohen Reading Room should seek assistance from staff on the 3rd floor. Public use lockers are available for hire at Citiplace Rest Centre on the upper level of the City Railway Station, just across the Perth Cultural Centre.  

Thursday       24 December 2015  OPEN 9:00am – 5:30pm
Friday             25 December 2015  CLOSED 
Saturday         26 December 2015  CLOSED 
Sunday           27 December 2015  CLOSED
Monday          28 December 2015   CLOSED 
Tuesday        29 December 2015  OPEN 9:00am – 5:30pm
Wednesday   30 December 2015  OPEN 9:00am – 5:30pm
Thursday      31 December 2015  OPEN 9:00am – 5:30pm
Friday             1 January 2016      CLOSED 
Saturday         2 January 2016      CLOSED
Sunday           3 January 2016      CLOSED

Books From Your Backyard – 16 January. Twelve writers from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (WA) read, perform and create drawings before your eyes. More information.

Travelling Sketch Book – 21 December to 29 January. View more than 50 sketchbooks produced by young people across WA, created as part of the Propel Youth Arts KickstART Festival for National Youth Week. More information.

Maui and the Big Fish – Explore original illustrations by Frané Lessac from the book Maui and The Big Fish, written by Barbara Ker Wilson. More information.

RhymeTime for children is back from 5 January every Tuesday at 10:30am and Story Time is every Wednesday 10:30am. International Story Time goes to China on Wednesday 2 March at 10:30am. More information.

Fringe World Festival – 22 January to 21 February. Visit ‘The Shambles’ the new Fringe performance venue at the State Library. More information.

Check out the fringe-style events that have been part of the cultural fabric of Perth in years gone by as featured in the giant window mural at the State Library. Articles and photos are featured from our collection of digital prints and newspapers.

As part of Fringe World readers at the State Library are invited to help create  'Seven' an interactive poem that will feature on the Perth Cultural Centre's big outdoor screen from 1 - 7 February. More information.

Live @ the Library - The State Library presents a program of free pop-up live performances. First up, a pre-Fringe sneak preview by Menagerie Choir on Saturday 31January at 2:30pm.

Our Love Affair with the Beach - 13 February to 31 March. See how Western Australian's love the beach and how it has influenced our life. The State Library presents a unique collection of images, stories and ephemera that reflects our passion for the beach.  The display complements a very special presentation of the Seymour Lecture by renowned Western Australian storyteller Robert Drewe on Sunday 14 February. 

The Lynley Dodd Story - Catch the last weeks of The Lynley Dodd Story and Hairy Maclary exhibition which runs until 27 January. More information.