Temporary changes to collection access
We're currently making major improvements to our heritage building.
These improvements will take place on a rolling basis and different collection storage areas will be impacted at different times. This means that access to parts of our collection will be temporarily impacted between now and June 2025.
Some requests for deliveries of Library material to the Reading Rooms may not be fulfilled during this time period. Orders for copies through Copies Direct will also be affected.
Our Special Collections Reading Room and Petherick Reading Room have temporarily relocated to Lower Ground 1.
If you are planning to visit the Library for research and you would like to check availability of specific collection items, please contact our Ask a Librarian service.
The building works will only impact physical collections. You can still explore the catalogue, eResources and Trove to browse online and digitised material.
Keep reading for more information and answers to some commonly asked questions.
A collection storage area at the National Library of Australia
A collection storage area at the National Library of Australia
Questions and answers
No. The building works will only impact physical collections. Explore the catalogue, eResources and Trove to browse online and digitised material.
Building works are taking place throughout the building, including in dedicated collection storage areas.
We're implementing protections to make sure that our material is safe. These protections also mean that Library staff are unable to access some items.
Protected and closed collection storage area at the Library.
You should always check collection availability before you visit. We will advise if the requested material can be retrieved or digitised.
To help you plan your requests, the following three tables outline which collections are currently unavailable, which collections are closing soon, and what is currently available:
Collections currently unavailable
| Collections impacted | Access status |
|---|---|
| Rare Books and Fragile Collections stored on Level 2 Please contact our Ask A Librarian service for information about availability | Unavailable through to October 2024 |
| Asian Collections stored on Level 3 Please contact our Ask A Librarian service for information about availability | Unavailable 1 July 2024 through to 30 June 2025 |
Collections currently available
| Collections | Access status |
|---|---|
| All offsite collections | Available |
| Australian Collections (Quarto size) & some serials | Available |
| Australian Formed Collections | Available |
| Ephemera Collections | Available |
| Manuscript Collections | Available |
| Maps Collection | Available |
| Music Collection | Available |
| Newspapers and Microform | Available |
| Oral History Collection | Available |
| Overseas Monographs and Serials | Available |
| Rare Books | Available |
| Rare & some Asian Language Collections | Available |
| Pictures Collections | Available |
The status of items is listed in the catalogue under the 'Request this item' heading.
The 'Collect From' and 'Delivery Conditions' lines may contain information about whether an item is available. For serial publications like magazines and journals, and manuscripts and pictures, the 'Select' button will still be active. If there is an option to 'Select' the item, you can log in and send a request. If the volume you have requested is available, it will be retrieved.
This is what the catalogue record looks like for an item that may be unavailable.
If no 'Select' button appears under the 'Request this item' heading, it is not currently available.
This is what the catalogue record looks like for an item with no 'Select' button.
If your requested item is unavailable, you will be notified via your catalogue account. Please login to your account to check the status of your requests. You will also be notified via an automated email.
Getting started with the Catalogue
A collection storage area at the National Library of Australia
Building works will occur in different areas of the Library until June 2025. Some collections are spread across more than one storage area.
Contact our Ask a Librarian service for more detailed information on specific items.
We can't provide copies if the material is unavailable. If we can't fulfil your request, your Copies Direct order will be closed. You can place a new order once the material becomes available.
You can request an extension by contacting our Ask a Librarian service well ahead of your visit. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis depending on the timing of your visit.
The reserve period for manuscripts can't be extended.
If you are visiting for a short period of time to undertake extensive research, an increase to the number of other items you can request may be possible. Contact our Ask a Librarian service well ahead of your visit for more information.
The limit on manuscripts can't be raised.
The catalogue provides information on materials in different formats, locations and editions. Check the catalogue listing for your item to find out if we have another copy. You can also check whether the item is available online via eResources. Click on the 'Help' tab for more information on how to search eResources.