Local collections: a distributed collection of Queensland memory

While State Library collects Queensland memory, there is also a vast array of cultural heritage collections found throughout the State.  These local collections come in all sizes, with many different themes and points of interest and are referred to as Queensland’s distributed collection of memory. 

The distributed collection is found in public libraries, Indigenous Knowledge Centres, historical societies and community museums, regional galleries, schools and universities, community spaces and private collections, homes and businesses.  There are currently more than 600 organisations as well as innumerable private collections.

The goal of the distributed collection is to network all local collections and to provide online access to Queensland heritage materials.

How does SLQ provide support to the distributed collection?

We support distributed collection through training, learnings and sharing of information.

Subscribe to the Queensland Memory enewsletter

Become a contributor

Be a guest contributor to the JOL blog where local history collection stories are told weekly. The JOL blog is primarily about the John Oxley Library collections and contains interesting historical aspects about Queensland’s history and heritage resources.

Digitisation and the Distributed Collection

A survey of organisations with historical collections across Queensland was undertaken in March 2013.  The aim of this survey is to gain a better understanding about how these organisations digitise their content and how they work to make their collections more visible and discoverable online. 

Read the results of the survey. The survey has provided State Library with important data; it gives us more information about the needs of organisations across Queensland with local history collections.  This information assists in the development of training and professional development programs for organisations in the distributed collection of Queensland memory network.

Digitisation toolkit

We provide a Digitisation Toolkit to give local collectors information about how to digitise content for access and discoverability.