Media releases

State Library of Queensland has invited nominations for its 2012 John Oxley Library Fellowship, valued at $20 000.

“The John Oxley Library Fellowship offers a cash component of $20 000 along with the opportunity for the recipient to have their own personal work space within the State Library of Queensland’s John Oxley Library,” Louise Denoon, Executive Manager, Queensland Memory said.

“With this fellowship, the winner will have the information-rich collections and resources of the John Oxley Library at their fingertips.

“The fellowship is aimed at those with a particular Queensland story to tell, and who would welcome the chance to work in their own space within the John Oxley Library.”

Nominations for the 2012 John Oxley Library Fellowship close at 5pm, Tuesday 10 April 2012.

The recipient will be announced at the Queensland Memory Awards ceremony on 2 June.

Visit www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on for more information.

The State Library of Queensland offers advice to those affected by this season's floods on how to salvage their family's keepsakes.

The State Library has developed online preservation guides for those Queenslanders affected by flood for quick and simple intervention to potentially save their treasured photographs, books, papers, artworks and videos.

The State Library has made the following preservation guides available online:
- Caring for your collections: Recovery of water damaged collections
- Salvaging water damaged collections
- Caring for your collections: Mould – how to salvage and prevent it
- Caring for your collections: Freezing water damaged and insect infested collections

Visit www.slq.qld.gov.au/services/pres/advice for more information or contact the State Library’s Conservation team at conservation@slq.qld.gov.au.

One of Australia’s best-known language experts and Library Board of Queensland Chair, Emeritus Professor Roly Sussex, has been named in the Australia Day 2012 Honours List.

Professor Sussex has received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to the development and understanding of languages in Australia.

Arts Minister Rachel Nolan congratulated Professor Sussex on receiving the prestigious honour.

“Roly has dedicated his life’s work to the development and understanding of languages in Australia and it is wonderful to see recognition of this,” Ms Nolan said.

“He is a master of the English language, an enthusiastic student of many languages and a warm and generous man. We are fortunate to have his passion and expertise on Library Board of Queensland.”

Professor Sussex has served as Chair of the Library Board of Queensland, the governing body of the State Library, since 2009.

Art and library lovers have a last chance to get up close with State Library's internationally-acclaimed Light from Light installation this month.

State Library Acting CEO Helen Brodie said Light from Light has surprised unsuspecting visitors since October 2010, with its artworks embedded amongst library collections and public areas.

The installation of 22 contemporary artworks that has been mirrored simultaneously across China, closes on 31 January 2012.

The Light from Light Curator and Artists Tour is on Saturday 21 January at 2pm at State Library.

Assistant conservator Sidney Furber has celebrated his 50th anniversary working at State Library of Queensland.

‘Sid’ Furber commenced working at State Library in 1961 and was the first apprentice hand bookbinder/finisher ever recruited by the library.

He is now the longest serving staff member of State Library.

State Library of Queensland is celebrating Indigenous writers from Australia and around the globe in a new monthly performance series.

BL.INK: black ink, hosted by Brisbane artist Steven Oliver, takes audiences on an exploration of black words – introducing well known, emerging and sometimes anonymous Indigenous writers using the power of the pen to influence and inspire.

From 9-20 January 2012, children and young people aged 9-16 with a love for cartoons, animated movies or Manga can find out how to make their own stories come alive with hands-on tips and tricks from professional artists, such as the creator of famous cartoon strip Swamp, Gary Clark.

Children and young people can develop their skills in cartooning, writing and drawing in their own style, caricature, animation using computer animation program Adobe Flash, stop motion animation using clay sculpting, and drawing in the style of Japanese comic book art form Manga.

Professional artists leading the workshops include Gary Clark, Phil Judd, Joanne Brooker, Brian Doyle, Visual Monkies Studio, Bazil Grumble and PixelFrame.

Workshops are priced from $28-$48 with a discounted rate available for a full day of workshops. Cartoon and Manga workshop participants take home a sketch pad, pencils and pencil case, and young animators will receive a copy of their own creation.

Visit www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on for more information. Bookings can be made through qtix.com.au or by calling 136 246.

Children and families are invited to dive into their imagination at the State Library of Queensland these school holidays.

State Library Acting CEO, Helen Brodie, said the pictures are jumping off the page at free exhibitions, craft stations, storytelling sessions, performances, workshops and much more holiday fun.

“Children and adults alike will be delighted and inspired by Look! the art of Australian picture books today, a free exhibition celebrating the breathtaking artistry behind some of the nation’s most treasured picture books,” Ms Brodie said.

“Children will recognise artworks from their favourite books by illustrators like Lucia Masciullo, Gregory Rogers, Shaun Tan, Graeme Base, Bob Graham, Leigh Hobbs and Terry Denton,” she said.

“In January, children and families inspired by Look! are in for a treat with three jam-packed weeks of picture book-inspired holiday fun.

The State Library of Queensland will benefit from $60,000 in State Government funding to create and make available high quality design education resources for Queensland teachers.

Funded through the State Government’s $3 million Designing Queensland program 2008–12, Design Minds will provide a central, online location for design education tools that all Queensland teachers can tap into.

Manager of State Library’s Asia Pacific Design Library Christian Duell said the resource, to be hosted on the APDL’s website, would be launched with content from the Queensland-Smithsonian (Cooper-Hewitt) Design Museum Fellowships.

“The aim of Design Minds is to increase the capacity of Queensland teachers to teach creativity in the context of the Australian Curriculum, as well as increase the opportunity for students to take part in world-class design education projects and activities,” he said.

Arts Minister Rachel Nolan today announced an Australian publishing first for the State Library of Queensland’s black&write! Indigenous Writing and Editing project leading to publishing deals for the winning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors.

“The State Library and respected Indigenous publishing house, Magabala Books, have agreed to publish the winning manuscripts by the kuril dhagun Writing Fellows,” Ms Nolan said.

“2010 kuril dhagun Writing Fellow Sue McPherson, from the Sunshine Coast, will have her young adult fiction novel Grace Beside Me published just four years after taking up writing, alongside a book of verse poetry, Ruby Moonlight, by South Australian Fellow Ali Cobby Eckermann."