Extra ordinary day at State Library

Don't miss this rare opportunity to see how State Library's conservation lab and hear from expert conservators about how they care for our collection. Learn about the science of art and how conservators use specialist equipment and tools to understand and preserve heritage material. See live demonstrations on specialist equipment and learn some conservation tips to care for your collections at home. Spots are limited. Put your name on the list at the Welcome Desk when you arrive.

Join an artist tour of First Nations art throughout State Library. Learn about the stories and significance of artworks in the building by artists such as Megan Cope, the late Laurie Nilsen, Fiona Foley and many more. Meet at the Extra Ordinary Welcome Desk to put your name down for the tour on the day.

Step into a wild world of wonder, wackiness and whimsy. Explore large cardboard sculptures scaling more than 4.5 meters high and watch as they are brought to life by interactive digital projections. Join the curator of The Great & Grand Rumpus for a tour of this sculptural, digital, and immersive installation.

Discover State Library's fantastic digital collections with a specially curated selection of our Q150 digital stories featuring ordinary and extraordinary Queenslanders talking about their lives and experiences. Enjoy a cinematic-style experience in State Library's auditorium 1.

Houses hold memories that last beyond a lifetime. If your walls could talk, ever wondered what tales they’d tell? Set the foundations for house history research success by watching State Library’s House Histories helpful digital guides. Uncover the helpful resources you’ll need to open doors to your home’s hidden past. Interested in learning more about your house's history? Why not take the House history - Solve the mystery treasure hunt or attend the House stories are your stories presentation at 11am or 2.30pm?

This is your chance to be part of an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour to discover the collections at State Library, and how they are specially stored and accessed. Don white gloves to get hands-on with some of the rarely seen treasures of State Library's remarkable collections. Spots are limited. Put your name on the list at the Welcome Desk when you arrive.

Houses hold memories that last beyond a lifetime. If your walls could talk, have you ever wondered what tales they’d tell? Join Research Librarian, Christina Ealing-Godbold as she presents the foundations for house history research, introducing you to the tools and resources you need to unlock your own house’s hidden history. Following the presentation Research Librarian, Christina Ealing-Godbold will be available to assist you with any questions you may have about your house history.

Deciding what artwork to keep and dispose of can be a tough decision to make, especially if it holds sentimental value. Become familiar with what to look for when children’s artwork starts to deteriorate and what you can do to prevent it from getting worse. Learn the steps to store and handle your collection safely from one of our expert conservators, so you can share with friends and family into the future. 

Caring for collections is easy when you know how. Learn how to be a custodian of your own history, hear from one of our expert conservators about how to preserve your collections for future generations to enjoy. 

Take a little piece of State Library home with you. Be part of the community fun and print a memento from State Library's 120th year that you can carry for years to come.

Join Nancy Nona and learn to weave an object using banana leaves in a friendly and casual setting in Kuril dhagun. Nancy is an Argan and Arganilayg woman from Badu Island who is excited to share her passion for weaving and sharing culture with State Library visitors. 

It's not a party until you have a party hat! Crinkly, sparkly, spongy celebration headpieces of whatever your imagination might create on the day. It's a party after all!

Follow the clues and solve a house history mystery in this treasure hunt-style experience, exploring the details of houses whose histories we’ve helped uncover through our Ask Us Enquiry Service. Start with an address, solve questions using State Library resources, and touch base with our knowledgeable staff at workstations set up throughout the library when you need a clue. Solve the mystery and collect a prize! Pick up a special mystery activity for the littler detectives in your life so the whole family can play along. Meet at the Extra Ordinary Desk to start your mystery adventure.

Come and meet the team at Queensland Writers Centre (QWC) and find about all the amazing work we do supporting writers within the heart of the State Library. Whether you’re a current member of QWC or you simply want to meet fellow writers and the Queensland Writers team to find out what we can do to support you and your writing, this event is for everyone. During this 90-minute session, visitors will learn about Queensland Writers Centre's Able suite of industry development competitions and programs: Adaptable, Publishable, Printable & Scriptable. Guests will also get to participate in a 15-minute Pomodoro Writing exercise. Visitors will also learn about: * Our year-round program of workshops and courses on writing, editing & publishing  Visitors will be introduced to Reading Queensland, our book club for writers , GenreCon, (Australia's biggest genre fiction convention ) Membership benefits, including our quarterly WQ magazine, Writer's services including manuscript assessments, editing services, Writer's Mentorships and our Writer's Surgery program, Writing residencies at Queensland Writers Centre including the year-round Fishbowl residency and the annual Flinthart, Our Fellowships & Access Fund and the opportunities we provide to all writers-  Plus much more! At the end of the event 15 minute one-on-one consults with Queensland Writers Centre staff will also be available following the session (limited places available).

Meet the Queensland Writers Centre team to find out more about how Queensland Writers Centre can support you and your writing. 

Imagine a world where one-eyed creatures can shoot laser beams and cows are taller than giraffes - in the land of imagined things at The Great & Grand Rumpus, anything is possible. Step into a wild world of wonder, wackiness and whimsy. Explore large cardboard sculptures scaling more than 4.5 meters high and watch as they are brought to life by interactive digital projections. Get hands on and craft your own mythical creation at The Great & Grand Rumpus. The land of the rumpus is a haven for makers, creators and artists alike.  Allow your inner child to experience the limitless imagination of make-believe places and see how over 1000 innovative storytellers just like you have crafted and sculpted mythical worlds and creatures based on ideas workshopped by kids over the last 18 months. The Great & Grand Rumpus brings the nonsensical to life, the unreal to reality and LOUDNESS to the Library!   Run wild The Great & Grand Rumpus

Storytelling is at the heart of being human and sparks important connections between audiences and storytellers.   Australia has the oldest continuous storytelling tradition on this planet. But for centuries, the humanity of First Nations peoples has been hidden behind stereotypes, myths and prejudices.  Sovereign Stories: 10 years of black&write! brings together a decade of storytelling from some of Australia’s brightest First Nations voices and explores how writers and editors are driving social change within the publishing industry for future generations.     Delve into the process writers go through, writing inspiration, and what the “mysterious” editing process can involve.   Celebrate a decade of creative collaborations between authors and editors who have been part of the black&write! Project – the first program of its kind – and discover some truly special First Nations stories. 

Join Lauren Appo from Books and Yarns, for a yarn about First Nations literature and poetry. The group will be joined by guest author contributors from the Sovereign Stories showcase that is open throughout the day in kuril dhagun on level 1. Thursday 9 June 2022 - Rift Breakers with Tristan Savage Saturday, 18 June 2022 - Extra ordinary day at State Library featuring Vika Mana  Thursday, 30 June 2022 - Another Day in the Colony with Dr Chelsea Watego Tuesday, 5 July 2022 - Kids Gathering and Activity – Kicking Goals with Scotty Prince Saturday 16 July 2022 - Am I black enough for you?... Ten years on with Anita Heiss Saturday, 30 July 2022 - Kids Gathering and Activity with Sue McPherson

It's time to get your wires crossed: Ready, set, go! Live action on the Extra ordinary day stage. Digital learning is an important part of State Library's community engagement and to highlight our terrific Siganto Digital Learning Program we've invited former participants to take part in showcasing a computer dismantle and build session. Watch as participants race each other to take apart a PC and put it back together correctly with all cables and parts in place! Find out more about the Siganto Digital Learning Program here.

Make a special visit to The Corner - a creative space for children under 8 and their families. Step outside of your routine and the distractions of home into a space just for you and your family, or invite your friends for a special play date. 

Nadia Sunde has stories to be told! Bring your crunchy, munchy, snicks and snacks for a story picnic on the Queensland Terrace. Featuring multi-award winning Nadia Sunde presenting her original music as well as her songs for Little Queenslanders commissioned by State Library as part of the Stories for Little Queenslanders series.

It's not a party until you have a party hat! Crinkly, sparkly, spongy celebration headpieces of whatever your imagination might create on the day. It's a party after all!

Join Nancy Nona and learn to weave an object using banana leaves in a friendly and casual setting in Kuril dhagun. Nancy is an Argan and Arganilayg woman from Badu Island who is excited to share her passion for weaving and sharing culture with State Library visitors. 

Follow the clues and solve a house history mystery in this treasure hunt-style experience, exploring the details of houses whose histories we’ve helped uncover through our Ask Us Enquiry Service. Start with an address, solve questions using State Library resources, and touch base with our knowledgeable staff at workstations set up throughout the library when you need a clue. Solve the mystery and collect a prize! Pick up a special mystery activity for the littler detectives in your life so the whole family can play along. Meet at the Extra Ordinary Desk to start your mystery adventure.

It's time to get your wires crossed: Ready, set, go! Live action on the Extra ordinary day stage. Digital learning is an important part of State Library's community engagement and to highlight our terrific Siganto Digital Learning Program we've invited former participants to take part in showcasing a computer dismantle and build session. Watch as participants race each other to take apart a PC and put it back together correctly with all cables and parts in place! Find out more about the Siganto Digital Learning Program here.

Brisbane’s premiere First Nations contemporary youth performers take over level 1 of State Library in a celebration of place, story and culture through dance and music.

Brimming with all-day birthday party action, the Extra-ordinary day stage features pop-up performers, guest interviews, mini-competitions and more. There's never a dull moment- pop in anytime of the day to celebrate! 

No pomp and formality here. Matt Hsu's Obscure Ochestra are a 22 + ensemble that are all about community-minded inclusivity. This special, free concert for the whole family features Grammy-nominated Tibetan-Australian artist, Tenzin Cheogyal.

Meet Mrs Leontine Cooper, a Brisbane-based activist, writer and lover of libraries. She attends with her friend and chaperone, Miss Prudence Gates. These roving characters may implore you to help them convince the Governor to open a free public library in Brisbane and may perform from their impressive selection of Queensland songs from State Library’s archives.

Join the Fanciful Fiction Auxiliary (FFA) for an irreverent midday literary salon of proudly purple prose that’s so flagrantly bad…it’s good. Starring oddball characters with certain ‘ideas’ (read: incorrect ones) about their place in the literary world, this special FFA show is hosted by its triumphantly egotistical founding member, Valkyrie Cul-de-Sac (played by the real-world award-winning author, Jackie Ryan), and her right-hand woman, Tuesday Thatch (played by editor and writer Carody Culver). The other Auxiliary members are devised and performed by a revolving group of established and emerging writers who have been invited to visit the dark side of their penmanship: to go rogue. To overwrite. To underwrite. To ‘do it wrong’. Join them! 

Grammy-nominated Tenzin Cheogyal is a Tibetan/Australian artist, composer, activist, musical director and cultural ambassador. He is one of the world’s finest musicians with Tibetan lineages and has released 9 independent albums to date. Tenzin founded the Festival of Tibet in 2008 and in 2021 took his musical activism to the Royal Theatre of Glasgow to share the stage with cultural icons such as Patti Smith and Bill McKibben for the third Pathway to Paris concert.  To celebrate State Library Queensland's 120th birthday, Tenzin joins the Obscure Orchestra for a feature performance on the Queensland Terrace.