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Open data

Open Data

To achieve our vision, Inspiring possibilities through knowledge, stories and creativity, State Library champions open access to information and ideas as a key enabler for a strong, well-informed and innovative society. In October 2012, the Queensland Government announced an “open data revolution” aiming to release as much public sector information as possible to encourage the development of innovative services and solutions for Queenslanders.
What is Open Data?
Brisbane 1888

Open Data Action Plan

Open data is a key component in State Library's Digital Technology Strategy and identifies our commitment to open data through activities to build digital collections for use and re-use, and position State Library as a lead in open data. We aim to:

  • Stimulate economic activity and innovation by making government data available for reuse
  • Improve public services by using and sharing government data to support evidence-based policy and program design
  • Increase transparency, accountability and public trust in the Queensland Government.

State Library uses the Open Data Maturity Model from the Open Data Institute to review the activities of our open data program. The Open Data Maturity Model is a self-assessment tool developed by the Open Data Institute (ODI) in the UK. State Library identifies areas for improvement and sets specific actions to meet our open data goals for the year in our Open Data Action Plan. 

Open Data Action Plan 2024-25

State Library's commitment to activities in 2024-25 that will enable the delivery of the Open Data Strategy.

PDF · 483 KB

Open Data Strategy 2022-24

State Library's strategy to uncover data in our collections, make it more usable, provide learning and skill development opportunities, create rich digital experiences, empower experimentation, and ensure open access to cultural heritage.

PDF · 202 KB

Reusable, machine readable data
Open Data sets
State Library has released a number of datasets as part of our open data strategy. They are in easy to use formats and licensed under Creative Commons, which means anyone can use them for apps, mashups, and other services, so long as State Library is attributed as the source of the data.
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Tunley 3D braille globe
Open Data case studies
State Library's data has been used in innovative ways by developers, creative artists and researchers. State Library is also using open data to improve our services.
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Arthur, Joseph and William Perfect
Open Data hack events
Open data hack events invite small teams of competitors to produce any kind of "hack" using nominated open data sets in an event with a set time period. Common "hack" formats are web or mobile applications, or visualisations. Usually the events require all source code to be deposited in an open source repository and open-licensed.
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