Who we are

Since its establishment in 1902, the State Library of Queensland has provided library services to the people of Queensland. The State Library is Australia’s leading library of Queensland’s documentary heritage, major reference and research collections, and an advocate of and partner with public libraries across Queensland.

Queenslanders make an estimated twelve million visits to the State Library annually either in person or via the Internet.  Each year, State Library answers almost 50,000 information enquiries and lends approximately 500,000 books and information resources to the State's public libraries and other institutions.

The State Library provides access to more than 25,000 online photographic images and manuscripts and more than 5,500 online magazine and journal titles.

The State Library operates as a hub to a network of more than 330 library service points (including a growing number of Indigenous Knowledge Centres), in partnership with Local Government and Community Councils for the delivery of library services.  Queenslanders make some 18 million visits to public libraries each year, with approximately 1.8 million registered as members.

Key roles of the State Library include:

• building collections and ensuring they are appropriately cared for and stored;
• providing reference and research services to all Queenslanders through the development of collections and delivery of services;
• collecting, arranging, preserving and providing access to Queensland's documentary heritage;
• developing and promoting services and programs to a diverse range of audiences, including children and young people;
• providing funding and support services to public libraries and facilitating the provision of public library services for all Queenslanders;
• developing and supporting the provision of library services to Indigenous peoples;
• meeting the needs of regional, rural and remote Queenslanders through statewide services and programs; and
• positioning the State Library as the key player in facilitating relationships and cooperation between the publicly funded libraries in Queensland via the Smart Library network.

The State Library provides:

• access to reference and general collections and services, including books, journals and magazines, newspapers, audiovisual, family history, maps, music, ephemera and electronic resources;
• access to research collections and services, including the John Oxley Library of Queensland history and the Australian Library of Art, which includes the James Hardie Library of Australian Fine Arts;
• books and other resource material to public libraries throughout Queensland and specialist services to public libraries in a number of areas, including services to young people and multicultural communities;
• public programs and exhibitions, including exhibition loans to schools, museums and other community organisations;
• outreach programs in reference, research, information literacy, Internet training and digitisation throughout Queensland for library staff and the general community; and
• Indigenous library services including the establishment of Indigenous Knowledge Centres primarily in Cape York and Torres Strait regions and increasing the employment and training opportunities for Indigenous peoples in the library industry.

The Library Board of Queensland is the governing body of the State Library of Queensland and draws its powers from the Libraries Act 1988. The object of this Act is to contribute to the cultural, social and intellectual development of all Queenslanders.  The services and collections of the State Library are delivered through a number of key organisational programs under the direction of a team of senior management staff.