State Library offers young writers a chance to win $2,000

Queensland’s young wordsmiths have a chance to win $2,000 with the launch of State Library of Queensland’s Young Writers Award 2013.

State Librarian Janette Wright said the prestigious competition, open to Queensland residents aged 18 to 25, is a great opportunity for aspiring writers to kick-start a literary career.

“The Young Writers Award is an annual short story competition for works of 2,500 words or fewer,” said Ms Wright.

“It’s a chance for emerging and aspiring writers to increase their exposure to the publishing industry, providing not only $2,000 in prize money to the winner, but also invaluable professional opportunities.

2013 marks the 18th birthday of the Young Writers Award, and we’re delighted to boast that over the past 18 years the competition has helped launch the careers of many well-known writers, including Tara June-Winch (Swallow the Air) and Alasdair Duncan (Sushi Central, Metro).

Queensland is a gold mine of young creative talent, and it’s competitions like this one that help reveal that hidden talent and provide the support and encouragement needed to further their careers,” Ms Wright said.

Last year’s winner Rebecca Jessen said winning gave her an incredible sense of validation as a writer.

“It let me know I was on the right track with my writing, and gave me the confidence to continue putting my writing out there”, said Ms Jessen.

The 2013 judging panel comprises of award-winning young adult author Sue Gough, The Courier-Mail Arts Editor Nathanael Cooper, author and past Young Writers Award winner Alasdair Duncan, and Queensland Writers Centre Program Manager Aimee Lindorff.

The Young Writers Award winner, runner up (who also receives $500), and highly commended recipients get a 12-month youth membership to Queensland Writers Centre, 12-month membership to Australian Writers Marketplace online, admission to a Queensland Writers Centre workshop or industry seminar, and admission to a Brisbane Writers Festival workshop.

“State Library continues its commitment to fuelling Queenslanders’ passion for reading, writing and sharing ideas,” Ms Wright said.

Visit slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on for Young Writers Award guidelines and to read past winning stories.
Entries close at 5pm, 19 July 2013.

Media enquiries
Alexia Saeck, Communications, State Library of Queensland alexia.saeck@slq.qld.gov.au | 07 3840 7784

State Library hosts business history symposium

State Library will host a symposium for historians, business leaders, educators and researchers, Navigating our business history.

State Librarian Janette Wright said, “The Navigating our business history symposium at State Library of Queensland on 19 June 2013 will explore why Queensland’s business history matters”.

The symposium will be an opportunity to open up discussion around the important role of Queensland business history in the broader historical context of Queensland and Australia.

The symposium will challenge participants to consider and discuss the impact and influence of Queensland’s business history on our cultural, economic and social landscape.     

Designed for historians, business leaders, researchers, students, educators, librarians, and those working with their own business stories and heritage collections, the symposium will feature keynote addresses from Professor Geoffrey Bolton AO, distinguished Australian historian and author, and Dr David Allison, Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.  Each keynote will be followed by a panel discussion facilitated by renowned Australian journalist and broadcaster Geraldine Doogue.

Navigating our business history is an initiative of the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame, founded by State Library of Queensland, Queensland Library Foundation, and QUT Business School and complements the highly successful Game Changers entrepreneur talk series that also kicked off this year.

The day-long symposium will be followed by the final Game Changers series talk, In conversation with Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner, held at State Library of Queensland at 6pm.

The Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame partnership recognises and extends understanding and access to information about the contribution Queensland businesses and business leaders have made to the development of our state. 

An invitation only master-class for specialists working with historical collections will be delivered by Dr David Allison from the Smithsonian at State Library of Queensland the day after the symposium and will focus on the use and interpretation of historical collections.

Executive Manager Queensland Memory Louise Denoon said, “State Library’s commitment to co-create Queensland’s memory for future generations and to foster learning and engagement with State Library collections is manifest in the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame initiative.”

She said tickets for Navigating our business history will be on sale for $120 from 6 May.

“We must embrace Queensland’s business history and this symposium is an important step in ensuring we are recording, interpreting and inspiring use of this information to help us better understand our past and create our future.”

Bookings and enquiries:
$120 ($90 conc) full day (includes lunch) or $60 ($45 conc) half day
www.slq.eventbrite.com  or 07 3840 7979 

Media enquiries: 
Kirri-Lee Huggett, SLQ Communications
Ph: 07 3842 9803, kirri-lee.huggett@slq.qld.gov.au

State Library celebrates Queensland’s deadly brothers of Indigenous music

State Library of Queensland’s Deadly Brothers exhibition will showcase five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians whose voices have changed the soundtrack of our state.

State Librarian Janette Wright said the Deadly Brothers exhibition would provide an Indigenous perspective on the Live! Queensland band culture program taking place at State Library from 11 May to 15 September.

“Music has always been at the heart of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. This exhibition depicts how that music has evolved in Queensland over the years,” said Ms Wright.

The exhibition will profile the sounds and stories of Harold Blair, Mop and the Dropouts, Black Image, Classik Nawu and The Medics, presented through interviews, personal items, lyrics, ephemera and the music itself.

“Deadly Brothers shines the spotlight on Indigenous men whose inspiration is drawn from their culture, and who have made their name in music across a range of genres from the 1940s to today,” said Ms Wright.

“Queensland’s musical story would be incomplete without them.”

Deadly Brothers will provide a musically focused sequel to the female-only Flash Women exhibition which profiled successful Indigenous women through the scope of fashion.

Deadly Brothers will run in kuril dhagun at the State Library from 11 May to 15 September.

A diverse public program of events celebrating Queensland’s rich musical history will also be running alongside the exhibition.

On Sunday’s through July, SLiQ Flicks are looking at Indigenous innovators with free screenings of Wrong Side of the Road, Harold, From Little Things Big Things Grow, and Bran Nue Dae.

Yarnin’ Time will be held in Inala on Tuesday 9 July at the Indigenous Schooling Support Unit, with a focus on locally-grown musical talent.

On Saturday July 13, Golden Days will celebrate the important role dance halls and gatherings have played in Indigenous communities by recreating the days when the music was brassy and the dance halls were alive. Learn the steps at dance classes and dress your best for an evening of celebration with live performances by The Ragtag Band and a cabaret showcase featuring highlights from Steven Oliver’s musical ‘Black Queen, Black King’ in the Red Box.

Other upcoming events include A Night by the Fire with Torres Strait Islander band Classik Nawu on Tuesday 6 August, and A night by the fire with respected storyteller Angus Rabbitt and new generation creator Kyel on Tuesday 3 September.

For one final day of Live! music on Saturday 14 September, State Library will sing to the rhythms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing artists. From lyrical activists to operatic solos, drumming circles to choral interludes, experience the musical diversity of Queensland’s First Nation peoples.

Deadly Brothers
Open daily 10am–5pm, 11 May–15 Sep | Free
kuril dhagun, level 1, State Library of Queensland

SLiQ Flicks: Indigenous innovators
Sundays, 2pm | Free
State Library of Queensland

7 Jul – Wrong Side of the Road (M, 1983, 80 min)
13 Jul – Harold (G, 1994, 60 min)
21 Jul – From Little Things Big Things Grow (G, 1993, 60 min)
28 Jul – Bran Nue Dae (PG, 2009, 82 min)

Yarnin’ time in Inala
Tue 9 Jul, 11am | Free, bookings slq.eventbrite.com 3842 9061
The Learning Place, Indigenous Schooling Support Unit, 47 Kittyhawk Ave, Inala

Live! Second Saturdays: Golden days
Sat 13 Jul, 3pm–9pm | Free, bookings slq.eventbrite.com 3840 7768
Cash bar open from 5pm | State Library of Queensland
View the day’s timetable at slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on

A night by the fire with Classik Nawu
Tue 6 Aug, 6.30pm | Free, bookings slq.eventbrite.com 3842 9061
State Library of Queensland

A night by the fire with Angus and Kyel
Tue 3 Sep, 6.30pm | Free, bookings slq.eventbrite.com 3842 9061
State Library of Queensland

The Gathering
Sat 14 Sep, 1pm–6pm | Free
Knowledge Walk, level 1, State Library of Queensland

Visit slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on for the full Live! program.

Media enquiries:
Cinnamon Watson Publicity  |  0432 219 643  |  cinn@cinnamonwatsopublicity.com.au

State Library gets loud

State Library of Queensland (SLQ) kicks off an exciting program celebrating the soundtrack of our state with a one day mini-festival on Saturday 11 May.

Live! Queensland band culture is a program of exhibitions, live performances, events, and workshops at State Library and will draw on 160 years of collective memory to tell Queensland’s very own musical story.

State Librarian Janette Wright said Live! has something for everyone.

“Music is an incredibly valuable part of our culture and an excellent way to listen more closely to the heartbeat of our society at any point in history. More importantly, everyone has their own personal experiences with live music and their own stories to tell about how these experiences have shaped their lives,” said Ms Wright.

From May to August SLQ will host live performances from an array of local bands, including Steve Towson, Last Chaos, The Mouldy Lovers, The Ragtag Band, and La Trav, as well as music documentary screenings, dance classes, interactive exhibitions, talks, fashion and technology workshops, audiovisual displays, and pop-up performances.

Ms Wright said, “It’s fitting with Queensland being the birthplace of Australian punk, via renowned band The Saints, that SLQ continues to challenge the traditional idea of what a library should be by getting loud and breaking the mould.”

As part of the ongoing FREE program, Live! Second Saturdays will focus on different themes each month - I heart Queensland, Tear it up, Golden days, and All that jazz.

“On 11 May we will hold the first of the Second Saturdays, I heart Queensland, which will explore everything there is to love about our state, with a mix tape of our born-and-bred bands.

Opera singer Luke Captain, The Australian Voices, and DJ Fluent JB will perform, as well as The Gin Club, Velociraptor, and Queensland’s longest running band, the Brisbane Municipal Concert Band. They will be joined by singer, actor, and presenter Michael Tuahine and John Willsteed, former member of legendary Brisbane band The Go-Betweens, who will officially launch Live!,” said Ms Wright.

There will also be exhibitions in each of SLQ’s three gallery spaces, which will show the way Queensland band and fan culture has changed since the 1860s with the evolution of technology, fashion, and venues.

Visit slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on for the full Live! program.

Live! Second Saturdays
3pm–9pm | Free, bookings slq.eventbrite.com 3840 7768
Cash bar open from 5pm | State Library of Queensland

I heart Queensland
Saturday 11 May
Celebrate everything there is to “heart” about Queensland bands.

Media enquiries:
Cinnamon Watson Publicity ~ 0432 219 643 ~ cinn@cinnamonwatsonpublicity.com.au

Judy Horacek, cartoonist-in-residence at SLQ

Beloved cartoonist and picture book creator Judy Horacek is taking up residency at State Library of Queensland.

State Librarian Janette Wright said that Judy Horacek will undertake a residency as part of the partnership between State Library of Queensland and May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust.

“Judy is one of the 2013 May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Creative Time Fellows, a program that enables published children's authors and illustrators to take up one-month residencies to concentrate intensively on their work and advance their creative skills,” Ms Wright said.

“Some of Judy’s successes include the local and international publication of her cartoons, such as her most recent collection If You Can’t Stand The Heat, as well as her work with children’s author Mem Fox on the picture books Where is the Green Sheep? and Good Night Sleep Tight.
Judy has also written and illustrated four picture books of her own: The Story of Growl, Yellow is my favourite colour, These are My Hands and These are My Feet.

On Friday 3 May, Judy will visit The Corner, the popular children’s space at State Library, to read these stories and answer audience questions about her books.

Fans can pick Judy’s brain at a free talk on Thursday 2 May where she’ll be talking about Laughter, the universe and everything. Judy will discuss her work, how she got started and how she continues, alongside plenty of pictures and lots of laughs.

Young students can also join in the fun at free schools workshops running from 29 April – 1 May. Judy will show children from Prep through to Year 4 how she turns ideas into books, and, in keeping with the themes of her own books, how to draw sheep and monsters.

Opportunities created by partnerships such as the one between State Library and May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust are incredibly valuable to Queensland children who are still lagging behind in national literacy levels.

Around 16 percent of Queensland children identify as being developmentally vulnerable on two or more Australian Early Development Index measures in their first year of school.

The Corner and other programs at State Library provide fun, free activities for the whole family to get excited about books and reading.

The visuals in picture books, such as cartoons and illustrations, often help children to understand the text when they are learning to read.”

Visit slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on for more information on the Judy Horacek events at State Library.

Laughter, the universe and everything
Thu 2 May, 6pm–7pm | State Library of Queensland
Free | Bookings slq.eventbrite.com
The Library Shop will selling books on the night and Judy will be happy to sign them.

Judy Horacek visits The Corner
Fri 3 May, 10am–11am | State Library of Queensland
Free

Drawing sheep with Judy Horacek
BOOKED TO CAPACITY
Suitable for Prep, Year 1 & Year 2
Mon 29 Apr – Wed 1 May, 10am–11am | State Library of Queensland

Drawing monsters with Judy Horacek
Suitable for Year 2–4
Mon 29 Apr – Wed 1 May, 11.30am–12.30pm | State Library of Queensland
Free | Bookings slq.eventbrite.com

Media enquiries:
Amanda Edwards, SLQ Communications
Ph 07 3842 9803, amanda.edwards@slq.qld.gov.au

Queensland stories of World War One

State Library of Queensland will be sharing World War One stories this month in the lead-up to Anzac Day.

State Librarian Janette Wright will hold an evening panel discussion, the launch of Susanna de Vries book Australian Heroines of World War One, and a white gloves experience for school students.

“It has been 99 years since the start of World War One, and it is important for us to remember the sacrifice made by the Anzacs,” Ms Wright said.

“A night in the JOL, to be hosted by State Library on Wednesday 24 April, will explore the impact of World War One on Queenslanders and its enduring legacy.  Guest panellists will include Lieutenant-General Mark Evans (retired) AO, DSC, Chair of the Queensland Advisory Committee for the Commemoration of the Anzac Centenary (2014–2018), and Kate Walton, PhD candidate at The University of Queensland specialising in Australian prisoners of war in Turkey, and the discussion will be facilitated by ABC Radio National presenter Dr Kate Evans.  Earlier in the day, school students will get up close to some of State Library’s rarest and most precious original war materials, including letters, photographs, artefacts and ephemera.  Educating our younger generations about the incredible work of the Anzacs ensures that their legacy lives on.  This Thursday 11 April, The Library Shop at SLQ will host the launch of Susanna de Vries’ latest work – Australian Heroines of World War One.  The book tells the stories of eight courageous Australian women who possessed the strength and bravery for which the Anzacs are renowned, and features diary and letter excerpts, original photos, paintings and maps,” Ms Wright said.

Susanna will be signing copies of her book following the launch.

Susanna de Vries on the Australian Heroines of World War One
Thu 11 Apr, 6pm | The Library Shop, level 1, State Library of Queensland
$10 (incl refreshments) | Bookings slq.eventbrite.com

School tour – Anzac week: white gloves experience
Mon 22 – Wed 24 Apr, 10am–12noon | State Library of Queensland
$7 per student | Bookings learning@slq.qld.gov.au

A night in the JOL: Queensland stories of World War One
Wed 24 Apr, 6pm | State Library of Queensland
Free | Bookings slq.eventbrite.com

Media enquiries:
Amanda Edwards, SLQ Communications
Ph 07 3842 9803, amanda.edwards@slq.qld.gov.au

Mapping Darling Downs history online

Darling Downs residents are invited to ‘pin’ their photos to a virtual map that shows the history of the region.

State Library of Queensland has uploaded several historical photographs of the Darling Downs to Historypin and is asking people to add their own photos and memories.

State Librarian Janette Wright said the Historypin collection enables Queenslanders to share their experiences of the Darling Downs and is part of the Grass Dukes and Shepherd Kings exhibition now open at State Library.

“The exhibition looks at 19th century pastoral life on the Darling Downs, particularly focusing on the interesting personalities of the time, such as Sir Arthur Hodgson, a prominent colonial politician whose personal photographs and records were recently brought back to Queensland from a private collection in England,” Ms Wright said.

“Grass Dukes and Shepherd Kings also looks at the various properties in the Darling Downs, including Glengallan House, which is now open to the public as a heritage centre.

We have enjoyed hearing from many Darling Downs residents who have found a personal connection with some part of the exhibition, whether it be a story or photograph of a family member, or an artwork of a particular place.

The exhibition is a wonderful opportunity for people to learn more about the lives of these early ‘squatters’ who were known in the press of the day as ‘grass dukes’ and ‘shepherd kings’.

These European settlers erected fine homesteads, grand stables and woolsheds and transformed the landscape with exotic gardens.”

Upcoming related events at State Library include talks with author Bill Gammage who has explored the ways Aboriginal people lived with the landscape prior to European settlement, historian James McCourt who will discuss squatters on the Downs, and author Helen Coughlan, academic Dr Ross Johnston and journalist Dr Kate Evans who will highlight the history of horse racing as a popular pastime in early colonial Queensland.

Visit slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on for more information on the exhibition and upcoming events or go to Historypin to pin photographs of the Darling Downs.

Grass Dukes and Shepherd Kings
Open daily 10am–5pm, until 21 Apr
State Library of Queensland | Free

Deepen the conversation: A burning landscape
Wed 27 Feb, 6pm | State Library of Queensland
Free, bookings slq.eventbrite.com 3840 7768

A night in the JOL: The thoroughbred heritage of the Darling Downs
Wed 6 Mar, 6pm (special curator’s tour at 5.30pm) | State Library of Queensland
Free, bookings slq.eventbrite.com 3840 7768

A history of squatters with James McCourt
Wed 13 Mar, 12.30pm | State Library of Queensland
Free, bookings slq.eventbrite.com 3840 7768

Curator’s tour
Sun 24 Mar, 1pm | State Library of Queensland
Free, bookings slq.eventbrite.com 3840 7768

Media enquiries:
Amanda Edwards, SLQ Communications
07 3842 9803 | amanda.edwards@slq.qld.gov.au

Saving flood-damaged mementos

Precious documents and mementos damaged by floodwaters or high humidity can sometimes be saved by simply popping them into the freezer.

State Library of Queensland is urging the state’s flood affected residents and business owners to take some simple steps instead of throwing out damaged photographs and paperwork.

State Librarian Janette Wright said it was important to take care of personal memorabilia because it was all part of the many stories of Queensland.

She said, “State Library is a keeping place for many of those stories but we know there are many other important photographs, letters, diaries, business records, and other documents in the community.”

“Some is in the care of historical societies with much more still kept in family homes and businesses.”

“Recovering from flooding can be an emotional time, and some people may throw out cherished and irreplaceable possessions damaged by water,” Janette Wright said.

“However, in some cases they can be saved, particularly photographs.”

State Library’s conservation expert Grant Collins said there was a link on SLQ’s homepage to simple, home based solutions for preserving books, documents, photographs, films, tapes, and digital media.

He said “In many cases people will be able to dry materials using a domestic fan, some absorbent paper, or a clothesline.”

“Paper documents can be held over for recovery just by popping them into a freezer, within 48 hours if possible. The low temperature means mould is less likely to grow – making the freezer the best way to buy time.”

“The key to recovering most of these documents is to get them dry – pegging film and paper up carefully on a clothesline with fans and dehumidifiers running is a good way to dry things out.”

“Even without electricity you can still dry loose papers by placing them flat, on a table lined with paper towels if possible, and by keeping the pages of books and magazines apart – especially if the pages are glossy.”

Badly damaged precious items may require professional conservation treatment.

The Collection Preservation staff offer advice to organisations and community members, they can be contacted by email conservation@slq.qld.gov.au. 

Queenslanders can also gain free consultation on how to recover their family treasures with the following State Library services:

Conservation clinic
Thursday, 7 Feb, 1–4pm | State Library of Queensland
Bookings conservation@slq.qld.gov.au
If you have a rare book, work on paper, family heirloom, treasured object, film or photograph that has been damaged, professional conservation staff from State Library and Queensland Museum will provide one-on-one consultations to look at your personal treasures and offer advice on salvage.

To expand the reach of this service, Skype sessions will be provided from 9am–12pm on Thursday, 7 February. If you cannot access Skype, email conservation@slq.qld.gov.au.

Media enquiries: 
Cathy Stacey, 3842 9346, 0434 074 372, cathy.stacey@slq.qld.gov.au
 

View presentation by World Wide Web inventor at State Library of Queensland on 2 February

The talk by Tim Berners-Lee at Griffith University Gold Coast on Saturday 2 February will be simultaneously presented at State Library of Queensland in Brisbane.

As part of his iiNet Down Under Tour of Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne, Sir Tim Berners-Lee will now also present live on the Gold Coast in response to a substantial campaign by many sponsors working closely with Gold Coast City Council.

Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web – an internet-based hypermedia tool for global information sharing – while working at CERN (the European Particle Physics Laboratory).

In Australia for the first time in over a decade as keynote speaker at the 2013 Australian Linux conference in Canberra at the end of January, Berners-Lee supports the World Wide Web as a free, democratic tool that should be deployed to benefit humanity.

The talk on the Gold Coast on Saturday 2 February will be presented at State Library of Queensland in Brisbane at 5pm-7pm.

State Library CEO Janette Wright said State Library was thrilled to make the talk available to Queenslanders more widely by presenting it live. 

She said, “We know this talk will be of interest to many more than will be able to travel to the Gold Coast.”

“At South Bank we will present his talk in our auditorium. All are welcome to come and hear from this remarkable individual whose invention has had such an extraordinary impact on every facet of our lives.”

The Tim Berners-Lee Down Under tour is presented by iiNet with support from the Australian Computer Society, CSIRO, linux.conf.au, Partner and Prosper, NICTA, the University of Technology Sydney, the University of New South Wales, and The University of Melbourne.

The Gold Coast presentation is sponsored by Gold Coast City Council, Regional Development Australia (Gold Coast), Griffith University, Business Solutions for IT, IT Forum Gold Coast, OntheNet, SAGE-AU, and Silicon Lakes.

Bookings for the State Library simulcast are essential, please register at slq.eventbrite.com.

Media enquiries:

Cathy Stacey, 3842 9346, cathy.stacey@slq.qld.gov.au

SLQ celebrates Australia Day at South Bank

Dads from all over Queensland will take to the stage and read our favourite tales at the Australia Day Festival on Saturday 26 January at the Parklands, South Bank.

“State Library of Queensland is very proud to partner with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet on this event that simultaneously celebrates Australia Day and reading,” State Librarian Janette Wright said.

“This is the first time that SLQ has partnered with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet on its Australia Day Festival, which includes live music, a vibrant stage program, creative Australian-themed activities, and fireworks.

“Dads will come together to celebrate the joy and importance of reading to children."

“It is a wonderful opportunity to encourage parents to be their child’s reading role model, and show local families an example of the quality programs that are always available to them for free at SLQ,” Ms Wright said.

As well as storytelling, children can play in a Torres Strait Islands-themed space, including a lighthouse, tinnies and books. Children can create their own watercolour fish, as inspired by the renowned Margaret Lawrie Collection of Torres Strait Islands Materials held at SLQ.

“SLQ is also currently abuzz with our holiday fun program, which is open daily until 25 January,” Ms Wright said.

“Kids can take part in the Top Secret Storytellers Clubhouse on SLQ’s open-air Queensland Terrace, they can stay and play in The Reading Garden, explore the world of fairytales in a family film festival and create their own masks and badges.

Visit slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on for more information about the holiday fun program at State Library or go to australiaday.org.au/qld to find out more about the Australia Day Festival.

Australia Day activities in Queensland are proudly supported by the Queensland Government in partnership with the Australian Government through the National Australia Day Council.

SLQ’s children and families Corner at Australia Day Festival
26 Jan 2013, 10am – 6pm
Griffith Conservatorium Green, the Parklands, South Bank

Holiday fun at SLQ
Daily, 10am–3pm, until 25 Jan 2013
State Library of Queensland, Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank

Media enquiries: 
Amanda Edwards, 3842 9803, amanda.edwards@slq.qld.gov.au