Media releases

Flash Women will be celebrated at State Library of Queensland with a new exhibition showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander style.

State Library Acting CEO Helen Brodie said from 1 November, visitors could view an eclectic, vibrant and stylish collection of favourite fashions worn by inspirational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

“Flash Women profiles a diverse range of women, from respected community elders such as author, activist and educator Aunty Ruth Hegarty, to talented young Torres Strait Islander fashion designer Grace Lee and founder of the Little Black Dress Empire, entrepreneur Juliette Knox. Through their stories, common themes emerge: a demonstration of cultural pride through fashion, and strong deliberate links to country and culture,” Ms Brodie said.

Arts Minister Rachel Nolan today announced the State Library of Queensland’s book collection has been boosted by almost 20 per cent with about 100,000 non-fiction eBooks now available online for free.

Ms Nolan said reading eBooks instead of traditional print books is a growing trend and the State Library is committed to staying abreast of advancements in the industry.

Find out to access the State Library of Queensland's e-books.

Daniel Foskey has been presented with the prestigious State Library of Queensland Young Writers Award 2011 and $2,000 for his short story Freedom Mangoes.

Daniel, a 25 year-old Brisbane resident, accepted the award at the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards ceremony, held last night at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

The Award, now in its sixteenth year, is a great boost for emerging writers, providing invaluable industry exposure and professional opportunities.

This year the competition received a record number of entries from young Queenslanders across the state. Judges Sue Gough, Jane O’Hara, Rosanne Fitzgibbon, Alasdair Duncan and Nathanael Cooper were impressed with the high standard of entries, and Daniel’s story stood out with its winning combination of heart and ironic wit.

The 2011 Young Writers Award recipient of the Maureen Donahoe Encouragement Award of $500 was Deanna Antoniolli from Graceville, for her story Rips which captures a pivotal moment in the life of a family.

The authors of the highly-commended entries, each of whom receives membership and workshops with the Queensland Writers Centre and Brisbane Writers Festival, were:

The winning stories can be read at www.slq.qld.gov.au/youngwriters

Two new contemporary artworks will enlighten visitors to State Library of Queensland, while those visiting China’s Hangzhou Public Library experience their mirror image.

State Library Acting CEO Helen Brodie said Light from Light has surprised unsuspecting visitors since October 2010, with 20 artworks embedded amongst library collections and public areas.

“The works, by Australian and Chinese artists, explore the properties and metaphors of light, and the notion of ‘the library’ as a site of enlightenment,” Ms Brodie said.

“There are now 22 light-inspired and light-generating artworks, including neon art objects, light-sculptures, sounds generated by the sun and illuminated texts and an outdoor
photovoltaic geodesic dome.”

Ms Brodie said what makes Light from Light extraordinary is the fact it has been also touring major libraries throughout China since 2010, where visitors can see copycat versions of these works over 7000km away.

“Light from Light was first mirrored simultaneously in State Library and Shanghai Library, before it toured to Beijing’s National Library of China and National Art Museum of China.

“It is now connecting Hangzhou Public Library and State Library of Queensland, enabling Australian and Chinese audiences to experience the same artworks at the same time.”

New works include Turtle Twilight II, by Grant Stevens, wavering between the authenticity of the written word and the uncertainty of fact and fiction.

Screens of moving text in English and Chinese created from anonymous diary entries found on the internet of tropical holiday experiences sit alongside a screen showing an hypnotic beach sunset - a cliché paradise.

Distance 2011, by Wang Peng, is a video work following the movements of the light spots as a logical connection between two synchronised pictorial planes, questioning the distance between reality and illusion, the ideal and the truth.

“All of the artists have thoughtfully placed their work in library collections, in reading and public spaces and other spaces not usually used for exhibitions,” Ms Brodie said.

Light from Light runs until 31 January 2012

From a local experimental publication, to an international, mainstream design bible, Artichoke is an Australian design icon.

Published by Architecture media and officially endorsed by Design Institute of Australia, Artichoke began 12 years ago as an experimental publication and is now one of the leading design magazines in Australia.

Newly appointed Manager of the Asia Pacific Design Library, Christian Duell, said the Design Library, located on level 2 of the South Bank building, was the perfect home for this exhibition.

“The Asia Pacific Design Library was opened in October 2010, to help nourish design thinking and conversations in the region, something Artichoke has been doing for the past 12 years,” Mr Duell said.

“The Design Library is part of a wider network, locally, nationally and globally, for banking design knowledge and fuelling creative processes. It is a place to access great design resources, and engage in design activity.

“Exhibitions such as Artichoke: the making of a design magazine is a perfect example of how we hope the community will engage with, and help further develop the space,” he said.

Christian comes from an architectural background, bringing to the Design Library a strong connection to the Queensland design community and a passion for promoting design thinking through community engagement.

As an architect he has led and contributed to a number of significant and award-winning projects including the Buchanan Park Cultural Pavilion in Mount Isa, the Clem 7 Tunnel urban design in Brisbane, and the Masdar City public realm architecture in the UAE.

Leaders from 16 of Queensland’s most remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities are visiting State Library of Queensland for a week of knowledge sharing.

State Library Cairns Regional Director, Terena Hopkins, welcomed the Coordinators from Indigenous Knowledge Centres (IKCs) all over Queensland, including Cape York and the Torres Strait, to Brisbane.

“Each year the IKC Coordinators spend a week together to learn from each other and State Library experts in collecting, caring for and sharing Queensland heritage,” Ms Hopkins said. “This year is particularly special as they will have the opportunity to meet the Patron of the Indigenous Knowledge Centre Network, the Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce AC.”

State Library partners with Aboriginal councils and the Torres Strait Island Regional Council to support 20 IKCs throughout Queensland, all located in remote communities previously without library services. State Library’s kuril dhagun Indigenous Knowledge Centre at South Bank is the flagship.

Focussing on the theme old yarns, new yarns, participants will spend six days learning everything from how to access State Library online resources to developing their own community collections, engaging with local history, and reclaiming and celebrating Indigenous Knowledge.

The IKC Coordinators will also be taken on in-depth tours of Strait Home at State Library, and Queensland Museum and Gallery of Modern Art exhibitions, all part of The Torres Strait Islands: A Celebration at the Cultural Centre.

A highlight will be a visit to North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum to view the Oodgeroo Noonuccal Collection and how it is cared for.
The IKC Coordinators will also get to experience Riverfire at the closing dinner on Saturday night.

Budding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors are invited to enter the 2012 kuril dhagun Indigenous Writing Fellowship competition which awards two $10,000
literary fellowships.

Part of the black&write! Indigenous Writing and Editing Project, the State Library of Queensland invites published or unpublished Indigenous authors to submit
manuscripts in a range of genres from across the country.

State Library’s Executive Manager Indigenous Research & Projects, Tom Mosby, encourages Indigenous authors to submit entries before the closing date of 31
January 2012.

The black&write! Project, which also comprises the kuril dhagun Indigenous Editing Mentorships, was launched at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in 2010, as part of State
Library’s commitment to keeping culture strong and reading, writing and ideas.

The Fellowships are named after the kuril dhagun Indigenous Knowledge Centre at State Library in Brisbane, one of 21 throughout Queensland.

Project Director Sue Abbey described black&write! as “a bold, inspiring project designed to nurture talent, flex the participants’ creative imagination and change the
landscape of Indigenous writing in Australia”.

“Our goal is for black&write! to revitalise and expand contemporary Indigenous writing.”

Ms Abbey said the black&write! project was designed to train, mentor and promote outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers and editors.

In 2011, Queenslanders Linda McBride-Yuke and Ellen van Neerven-Currie were appointed to the role of trainee editors under the Editing Mentorships.

“We also hope to encourage lifelong Indigenous learning and literacy and foster a love of reading, writing and ideas in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
communities.”

For more information visit http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/awards

black&write! is proudly supported by Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) through its
Cultural Fund. 

Chair of the Library Board of Queensland Emeritus Professor Roly Sussex said State Library was seen as a pace-setter nationally and internationally.

He said, “State Library has achieved great things in the last 10 years under the direction of Lea Giles-Peters.

We have opened 21 Indigenous Knowledge Centres across the state to provide library and literacy services to remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and work in partnership with them to keep their cultures strong.

The creation of The Edge, State Library’s digital culture centre, has brought new audiences into the Cultural Centre as well as creating a base for outreach activities to young people.

And the Asia-Pacific Design Library is becoming a developing hub for design thinking and an influential player in the design community.

We are looking for a new State Librarian and CEO to realise the possibilities of the digital future and to guide ongoing organisational change.

Executive search company Boston Kennedy has been engaged to find the right person to build on the library’s great achievements.”

Boston Kennedy has launched a global search including advertising locally and nationally. For more information about the role, contact Russell Fairbanks or Sarah
Kennedy on 07 3226 7800.

Students from Milpera State High School will share traditional stories from their homelands at the State Library of Queensland as part of Children’s Book Week.

The Milpera students, all of whom were born overseas, have been working together to develop their traditional stories into a session for young children.

Milpera State High provides English language and settlement services to prepare newly-arrived immigrant and refugee students for participation in Brisbane schools.

State Library’s Director of Public and Indigenous Library Services, Jane Cowell, said this is a wonderful opportunity for children to interact and engage with stories and storytellers from different corners of the globe.

“The Milpera students, aged from 15 to 18 years, bring with them a rich diversity of languages and cultures,” Ms Cowell said.

“The world over, communities use stories to share knowledge, experiences, history and culture.“

“By sharing some of their background and experiences, the Milpera students are providing a bridge into their world, showing us where they came from and who they are.“

“Introducing young children to different cultures and experiences helps foster acceptance, understanding, tolerance and respect throughout their life,” Ms Cowell said.

As part of Children’s Book Week - One World, Many Stories, Milpera students will share their stories on Thursday 25 August from 12 noon, in The Corner, the State Library’s popular play space for children under 8 years.

More than 2,000 people have logged on to State Library of Queensland’s free online learning program to learn tips to navigating Web 2.0. 

The course is designed to help people navigate the world of online technologies, keep up with the online activities of their children, stay safe online and utilise some of the many positive aspects Web 2.0 has to offer.  With some great prizes up for grabs to Queensland residents, including iPads, a digital camera, and an iPod touch, people are invited to go online and learn a bit about Web 2.0. 

State Library Executive Manager of Learning and Participation, Linda Pitt, said the huge success of the program shows that many people are looking for the kind of support offered by Looking @2.0. 

“With so many services and businesses now online, many people are struggling to keep up with these ever-changing technologies. De-mystifying the web can go a long way to giving people the confidence and the skills to enter the online world” Ms Pitt said. 

Looking @2.0 is a self paced, flexible free course. It provides an overview of online resources available and guides you through the process of deciding which ones work for you.