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September-October 2000 No. 249 Official Newsletter of The Library and Information Service of Western Spotlight on....

- Y o u r G u i d e t o K n o w l e d g e state reference library state2 Welcome to the referenceWelcome library state reference second special edition to the State Reference Library of knowit. This issue library state reference library state focuses on the State Reference Library referenceCultural monuments library such as services as well as museums, art galleries and state statelibraries are allreference too often seen as

LYNN including the second issue of the libraryan obligation rather than state a means Professional Journal. to a cultural end. I’m happy to report the reference library State Records Bill This issue of knowit celebrates the stateState Reference reference Library of Lynn Allen (CEO and State Librarian) (1999) is passing FROM . through Parliament having had its second reading library state Claire Forte in the Upper House. We are all looking forward to (Director: State Reference Library) The State Reference Library this world leading legislation being proclaimed. reference library covers the full range of classifiable written knowledge in much the same way as a public library. As you I hope many of you will be able to visit the Centre state reference library state might expect in a large, non-circulating library, the line line

line for the Book on the Ground Floor of the Alexander line line referencebreadth of material library on the shelves state is extensive. reference Library Building to view the current exhibition Quokkas to Quasars - A Science Story which library state reference library state A We also have specialist areas such as business, film highlights the special achievements of 20 Western and video, music, newspapers, maps, family history Australian scientists. You will also see on display reference library state reference and Australian children’s literature. This issue places the rare Gould’s Mammals of Australia volume 2. librarya spotlight state on some reference of these specialist library areas. state In addition to the exhibition we have organised 2 reference library state reference This important institution has long been a part of the exciting free lunchtime lectures. The talk on 20 history of learning in this state since the Victoria October will discuss the ethical responsibilities of library state reference library state Public Library opened in 1889. As the library is more scientists, particularly in relation to genetic referencethan just our collections, library we’ve state assembled reference a melange research. On 3 November we look at the fascinating of diverse articles to tell our story. There are tales of art of forensic science. What exactly does a forensic library state reference library state our past; reflections on the strange and bizarre entomologist do, and what would you want with a questions inhabiting the minds of Western Australians; forensic dentist? Find out these answers and more. reference library state reference and minor nuggets of wisdom from the pens of sage librarywriters intended state to reference stimulate your thoughts library on us. state I look forward to seeing you in the library. reference library state reference And having read this, and read it well, remember to librarymake some state time in reference the future to visit library us – to join state the referencelong lineage of learning.library state reference library state reference libraryClaire Forte state referenceDirector library : State state Reference reference Library

Official Newsletter of The Library and Information Service of Western Australia September - October 2000 No.249

Editorial enquiries: Dana Tonello (Public Programs) ph:(08) 9427 3449 fax: (08) 9427 3152 email: [email protected] Public Libraries editorial: Tom Knapp (Public Library Services) ph:(08) 9427 3126 fax: (08) 9427 3169 email: [email protected]

Editorial published may only be reproduced with the permission of Public Programs. Join The Western Australian Library Society and you automatically receive knowit every two months. Membership enquiries (08) 9427 3150.

Deadline for issue no. 250 (November - December ‘00) - 13 October 2000

The Library and Information Service of Western Australia Alexander Library Building, Cultural Centre, Perth WA 6000 Tel: (08) 9427 3111 Fax: (08) 9427 3256 Website: www.liswa.wa.gov.au

knowit reserves the right to edit all articles. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of knowit or The Library and Information Service of Western Australia. All articles must be supplied ISSN 1328-7176 with a name and contact details for verification. 3 FOCUS ON...The State Reference Library Curiosity and wonder

Visitors to the State Reference Library often remark on the impressive scale of the building and its powerful presence in the cultural centre precinct.

In the eyes of some, this is appropriate testimony to the glory of the book and the wisdom of our collected writers. To others, this is a symbol of elitism, alienating parts of the community and dissuading them from making the journey of learning. In the face of such widely differing views, what are the “Francis Bacon said long ago that everyday life, an experience we badly custodians of the State Reference “wonder is a seed out of which need if we are to grow into the fullness Library to make of the value of their knowledge grows”. It is a statement that of our humanity. Curiosity is not the institution to the community? does not permit reversal: rational source of seeking learning and knowledge does not spawn wonder, knowledge; in fact, much of curiosity Pioneer child-psychologist Bruno which is an emotion. All too many of is very easily satisfied. It is wonder, I Bettelheim (author of the classic work today’s museums try to convey believe, which presses one toward an on fairy stories, The Uses of knowledge to children, out of which no ever deeper penetration of the Enchantment) reminds us of the wonder will grow. I believe that the best mysteries of the world, and to a true wonder which is so central to we can do is instil in children the awe, appreciation of the achievements of knowledge and learning, and how the wonder out of which alone man”. magnificent buildings and their meaningful knowledge grows. Such Children and museums / Bruno Bettelheim, knowledge truly enriches our lives by in Recollections and reflections, pp. 142- collections can inspire such important 143 (, Penguin Books, 1992) feelings: permitting us to transcend the limits of State Libraries in Curios & Oddities Australia / by Peter from the scrapbook

Biskup A two volume work, The Cockroach by P.B.Cornwell. (an excerpt from an article published in Brought before a reader interested in the reason Alexandra, vol. 6, no. 2, 1994, p 116) cockroaches were so prolific. The original enquiry – “Got anything on the sex life of the cockroach?” “The founding fathers of State Libraries had one thing in common: the provision of books for the information and cultural enrichment of the citizenry of colonial capitals. Tours of the State Reference Library Most state libraries, as Richardson Staff of the State Reference Library are proud to offer general tours to small demonstrated in his 1961 article, groups of visitors. These tours offer a wealth of information that includes an were modelled on the British overview and history of the Alexander Library Building; the many artworks Museum Library, and saw scattered liberally throughout the building; key State Library personalities themselves as ‘national’ institutions as well as a brief but informative look into specialist sections – Arts and with a mandate to collect ‘books of Literature, Business and Management, Industry and Technology, Music all languages and descriptions’; and Performing Arts Library, Social Sciences, the Genealogy Centre and even in those colonies that could not the State Film and Video Library. afford to subscribe to this lofty ideal, they were still regarded as These tours are conducted on the last Thursday of the month starting at 10.30am. Bookings can be made two weeks in advance by completing a requirements of civilized society and tour request form – phone 9427 3240 or download a form from the Visiting funded accordingly, at least in Us section of our website (http://www.liswa.wa.gov.au/visiting.html ) prosperous times” 4 FOCUS ON...The State Reference Library The way we A string quartet, perched on the mezzanine were.... balcony, played waltzes There is something eerie about a library by Strauss. A spotlight without books; shelves without a picked out a vocalist purpose. Such a building can look whose voice wrapped itself denuded, stripped bare of its public around the beguiling lyrics covering and its meaning. of “Memory”. A troupe of staff joked their way th On the 24 April 1985, the ghosts of through the wit of the Monty remembrance joined staff as they said Python Bookshop Skit. farewell to the old Hackett Hall, the Women, finding themselves former home of the State Reference dressed in the same outfit, Library. glared at each other and The photographs here, unpublished swore vengeance on unscrupulous 15 years since we moved to the new since the event 15 years ago, show costume hirers.Bodies and legs building. staff in period costume as they mingled angled together on the dance floor as together in the shell of a special people charlestoned and jived. Men We now handle a total of 115,324 building – a place where readers and appeared dressed as women, but no- enquiries from clients, either directly writers had merged in their quest for one noticed. The empty jarrah shelves or through public libraries (compared deeper learning for nearly one hundred looked on, not yet missing their friends to 41,139 in 1983/84); and 397,201 years. who had moved permanently to a new items are handled by clients home. The wrought-iron spiral (compared to 143,557 in 1983/84). staircases twisted themselves in Still and all, many of us recall other smiles that recalled happier, busier days when tender, green shoots on the times. The silent hall rang out with old plain tree that grew skyward more noise and laughter that one night outside the windows of Hackett Hall than it had known in its lifetime. were a sure sign of the coming of spring – the passage of the seasons was Today the State Reference Library never clearer than at this time. enjoys the comforts that come with all Windows and nature were part of living modern buildings – books, clients and in days when air-conditioning was not staff more easily find a happy accord yet available. We do well to live by all in the modern world. In 1983/84, a total that we have today, and this includes of 88,079 people visited the State the memory of all that has come before Reference Library / Battye Library of us – the wisdom in learning. West Australian History in the old premises. In 1999/2000 that figure stands at 711,755 – an increase of 808% in the number of visitors in the

Former State Librarian Ali Sharr addresses the costumed crowd The final bow - to a specially written song marking the end of an era. 5 FOCUS ON...The State Reference Library The Many Uses of Maps

Planning to trek in the Himalayas or down the Bibbulmun track ? Dreaming of sailing around Australia or cruising along the canals of ? You’ll find all the maps you need in the State Reference Library.

Travellers use our huge collection of maps in conjunction with our comprehensive collection of travel guides to discover the most interesting things to see and to plan the best way to get there.

Family history sleuths use our historical maps and gazetteers to pinpoint just where great-great- grandma was born – and what parish that was in !

And business people with goods to send or receive use our maps and atlases to locate the most convenient airports and transport routes.

Then there is the chance to bring history alive by following written accounts of battles and other events with our detailed maps.

Maps can present a lot of information Map of Terra Australis by Pieter Goossens (1572) - a rare map in the collection and provide an entirely different held in the State Reference Library. perspective from text. The State Reference Library’s cornucopia of cartography has maps dating from 1567 to the latest CD-ROM Curios & Oddities productions. from the scrapbook

Visit the Map section in the “I’m writing a poem and I need a word to rhyme with Social Sciences library, ‘maggot’?”. The poet was creating a new work to be 1st floor, Alexander Library dedicated to his best friend, a chap who had apparently slept with the ‘poet’s’ soon to be ex-wife. Building.

Law and the Librarian (http:// www.liswa.wa.gov.au/law.html) has links to a Wondering where to go to find an answer to all wide range of sources as well as contact details of those knotty legal questions? organizations that can help with further information and advice.

Begin with a selection of web sites and books Already listed is information on family law, consumer recommended by State Reference Library staff. protection law, employment law, wills and probate and The Law topic within the Information gateway at immigration law. More legal “hot topics” are “under LISWA’s homepage: construction and will be added shortly. 6 FOCUS ON...The State Reference Library Award for Excellence in Reference Librarianship 2000 To commemorate the outstanding existing reference services, notably the achievements of our much respected Telephone Enquiry Service, the colleague, Megan Sassi (1933-1991), assessment and implementation of an annual award is made to LISWA EBSCOHost online, and Advance (the librarians for excellence in reference State Reference Library’s training unit). librarianship. Her work on these projects has been marked by her capacity to find Jane Jones from the Music and opportunities, to focus on client Performing Arts Library has received this requirements as the end result of year’s Megan Sassi Award for her processes, and her determination and diligence in delivering reference services mental agility as she works through to a wide range of clients, as well as State Librarian Lynn Allen with Jane Jones, complexity in search of more effective developing existing services for the winner of the Megan Sassi Award for outcomes. Excellence in Reference Librarianship 2000. benefit of clients and colleagues. Jane’s time at LISWA has seen her move She is a vibrant communicator with an Jane has relished the opportunities through a number of departments. She engaging presence. She plans training which have emerged due to the is flexible and adaptable, and she is sessions with clients in meticulous detail proliferation of digital reference sources. enthusiastic in her desire to bring new and with a sense of invention, which sees She has produced excellent results opportunities to people - qualities which participants leave these sessions with through her endeavours to upgrade made Megan Sassi so significant to new skills and broad smiles. LISWA.

Research Collection of Children’s Literature Daring tales of peril and adventure in The Research Collection of Children’s early Australia were among rare items Literature is a special collection of the from the Research Collection of State Reference Library, focusing on Children’s Literature showcased in the Australian children’s literature, both foyer of the Alexander Library Building historical and modern. It includes many during Children’s Book Week, from 19- gems including first editions of classics 25 August 2000. They reflected this such as May Gibbs’s Snugglepot and year’s theme, The Edge of Tomorrow, Cuddlepie (1918) and Norman Lindsay’s from a historical perspective. Young Magic Pudding (1917). There are also people’s books from over one hundred less well-known but fascinating items years ago contrasted greatly, both in such as E.W.Hornung’s Fathers of Men themes and covers, with this year’s (1912) which Arthur Conan Doyle, winners of the Children’s Book of the creator of Sherlock Holmes, regarded Year Awards presented by the as one of the best school tales in the Children’s Book Council of Australia. English language. There are many Lesley Rees 1905 - 2000 other treasures in the Collection, an There was also a special display from important resource for researchers the Collection dedicated to the prolific across many disciplines, since and much-loved WA-born author, Leslie children’s literature reflects the history, Rees, who died recently in . He society and environment of the day. was the inaugural winner of the first Children’s Book of the Year award in If you have a special interest in 1946 for his book, The Story of Australian children’s literature and wish Karrawingi the Emu. He delighted to know more about the Research children for over half a century with his Collection of Children’s books depicting his loving concern for Literature, please the Australian bush and its flora and enquire at the Arts and fauna. His last children’s book, The Literature enquiry desk Seagull who liked Cricket (1997) was on the ground floor of published when he was ninety years the Alexander Library old. He was awarded the Order of Building. Australia in 1981 for his service to literature. The Professional Journal 7 of The Library and Information Service of Western Australia

Volume 1, Issue 2, September 2000 IAMLIAML 2000 2000 Document Delivery: the perspective of a public music library

Biennial Conference of the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (Australian Branch): Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 6-7 July 2000

brian dawson

Introvert or Extrovert? The Music and Performing Arts Library in Perth, Western Australia is Australia’s A fundamental ideal from the world of oldest public music library. Here are some classical philosophy, and introduced by of its characteristics: Plato thousands of years ago. • established in 1965 as the Central Unlike common perceptions today of Music Library, renamed the State introverts being shy and recalcitrant Music Library, and now known as wallflowers while extroverts are the Music and Performing Arts ostentatious and showy theatrical types, Library Plato’s original intention referred to the • regular membership of 8,000 (2,000 manner in which a person drew their new members per year with an perceptions and judgement of the world - attrition rate of the same resulting introverts looked inward for answers, in a stable membership figure while extroverts looked externally. Ask an • 40,000 loan transactions per year introvert how they know something is so • strong focus on fostering and they will reply “I just know”. Ask an performance in the community - extrovert the same question and they will includes popular music (30% of immediately ask someone else for their score loans are for pop/rock). opinion. As a player in the arena of document Libraries and their staff are introverts. Yet delivery, we are moderately active,

The Library & Informatinon document delivery is a form of offering interlibrary loans of monographs Service of Western Australia extroversion, which we take for granted and provision of photocopies of articles. Alexander Library Building and seldom look toward to develop. Our most frequently used service is in the Perth Cultural Centre PERTH WA 6000 Photos: Entrance to the State Library of Queensland lending of scores - in 1999 we lent 378 TEL: (08) 9427 3111 Attending the conference:Elspeth Wilson, Queensland items to special/interstate libraries such FAX: (08) 9427 3256 Conservatorium Library, Griffith University, as the University of Western Australia and Website: Brian Dawson, LISWA and Christine Vincent from http://www.liswa.wa.gov.au Melbourne. the Parramatta Public Library in . 1 8 Document request • the sharing of those listings and improved! I dare say we via ‘union’ catalogues are all doing our best to bring To boost the range of stock • a contract of agreement about such improvements available to our clients, we will between participants to within our own local request titles not held in our enable inter-library lending of environments. But what of collection, but only for scores items the whole - who is (never monographs or journal • resources to confirm the managing this? Anyone? Or articles as the Western Australian existence of an appropriate is this what conferences like public library system does this for item to match a clients this can achieve - bringing clients). request individual points-of-view • resources to request, together and creating a Some statistics on our usage of retrieve,despatch and larger vision, changing this: receipt the physical item direction. • a lending system to regulate • Here, from my point of view, • 1999, requested 108 client use of the item. is what I’d like to see tackled scores, 58 of which in order to improve the were supplied - a 55% So many of our good and familiar whole system. success rate, the friends are in that list - advantage of directing COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT, Catalogues requests more CATALOGUING, KINETICA, ALIA effectively by using the VOUCHERS,REFERENCE • Natural language searching national database, Kinetica, STAFF,ILLSSTAFF, - uniform titles, yes, but to confirm holdings CIRCULATION. constructed for text retrieval • 1989, placed 38 requests, To talk about document delivery, purposes, not filing 11 of which were satisfied then, is to talk about everything purposes (eg. Sonatas, (28%) we do ... how long do I have today? piano (4 hands) indexed • 1980, 8 requests, 4 ... even Anna Russell would be so that someone typing satisfied. hard pressed to do an adequate “sonatas for piano duet” can abridgement of such a topic. retrieve a set of useful I could choose to deconstruct the entries) intricate and detailed introverted As a result I would like to speculate processes, which go into making on a few points which interest me, • a form, with data fields to a document delivery service, or I the most - from the perspective of guide searchers. For could regale you with the daily a public music library. example (see below). tribulations that surface as a result of these processes, but I wonder In general, what can we say about if there is enough common the current document delivery There’s a whole year’s worth of experience amongst us to warrant system? conference discussion in these such a choice. What would you, two points alone! as listeners, take away from such • It’s a good system. It has a litany of processes? served us well • All the components within it, Instead I have ruminated over the of course, could be refined purpose and the possibilities of document delivery. How can we look outside ourselves to the Instrument Title future to design a better service? It seems to me that Opus or document delivery is the Thematic cat no culmination of all those processes we so carefully manage in keeping In English with our dedication to high quality Unique title service. Those processes include: In original language • the developing of collections • the listing of those Scored for collections in a catalogue

2 9 Union Calalogues I understand why, but this Most of us try other well-known manages to keep control out websites within our established • a ‘complete’ union of the hands of the client. network, and others have catalogue of music. developed their own informal email Kinetica, we know, is Request Systems lists for requesting help with incomplete - none of our locating items. holdings pre-1985 are listed At present, any item not found on (i.e. first twenty years of our Kinetica is submitted to the Enter, LIDDAS (Local Interlending collection-building is not National Library for a and Document Delivery present on Kinetica - the NUCOMUSIC search. It may take Administration System) major repertoire is absent, 8-12 weeks to receive the item, or LISWA has spent nearly 3 years and anyone searching 4-6 weeks to hear back that there looking at this system in terms of Kinetica would be are “No locations in Australia”. I how it can serve the complex well reminded of this). have no proof, but my recollection public library system we have in is that there has been no WA. We have encountered hurdles • web-based, and free for all improvement in delivery times - but I think it’s manna from clients. LISWA doesn’t since I started working in 1980 - heaven! charge clients to search its nothing has improved in 20 years. database. We foster client Web catalogues/Kinetica have It operates by using a rota. It tries growth by promoting self- meant we can bypass National specified web catalogues in a help but this can’t be taken Library and go direct to a library sequence dictated by the to a national level because for a loan, so there has been some administrator. If it finds a matching Kinetica is password improvement. entry, it sends a message to the controlled and chargeable. owning library requesting a loan; based on the response received,

3 10 it is either satisfied or it tries other options to worry about getting the right number of according to its rota until a conclusion is parts for your orchestra or scheduling reached. This suggests that it might be conflicts or collection of parts. more effective than a Kinetica search in the sense that it will be trying home Document delivery, in such a world, would catalogues of music libraries whose be the electronic exchange of files, and it holdings on Kinetica are largely would probably be controlled by whichever incomplete. While this is a very exciting body creates the files. What will become prospect, one of the chief challenges it of our glorious print collections and all will face is navigating the search process those processes we have built up so eg. Bluebeard’s Castle or Herzog carefully across the years? What are we Blaubarts Burg (the German title of the doing to prepare for this possibility? much loved opera by Bartok). Now is a good time for us to develop some Collection Development/ of the better characteristics of the Devolvment extroverted ideal of Plato - to ask questions outside of our own safe worlds, and to look to others to develop new ways forward. If request systems/catalogues + delivery times are all radically improved, we could confidently attempt collection development along ‘decentralized’ lines. We could move towards the notion of a national collection eg. Edith Cowan IAML 2000 conference University might specialize in musicals; The 2000 conference of IAML (Australia) University of Queensland in Opera; concentrated on issues relating to music Victorian College for the Arts in orchestral publishing and supply. Music publishers, sets. suppliers, composers and librarians from around Australia gathered for two days at This has advantages in that it develops the State Library of Queensland to listen to collections in more depth for the benefit developments in the music publishing of the ‘national client’ and helps avoid industry and discuss ways in which unnecessary duplication. It must build a librarians could work together to deliver national richness. quality services to clients.

Some of the disadvantages include the potential delay in delivery times, competing demand for popular items, and the need for a high level of cooperation.

Future Formats - Biographical details - Future Formats - brian dawson a speculation Brian is currently Team Leader for the Electronic scores Music and Performing Arts Library in Perth, where he has worked since 1980. He has It is not hard to imagine a day when been active in the Perth arts community for scores are digital and networked. many years as a director, choreographer Musicians might play from digital music and performer. He spent seven years as a director on the Board of stands where the scores will be graphical Management for Western Australia’s premier youth theatre electronic files, and musicians will be able company Barking Gecko, and four years as a committee member to annotate their stand with digital pens - for Ausdance (WA). In his spare time he collaborates with a bowings, dynamics, and corrections. In composer and has written a song cycle and an opera. an orchestral setting, if the files were networked, the bowings could be marked by the orchestral leader and automatically copied to others. There would be no need 4 11 FOCUS ON...The State Reference Library The Genealogy Centre

The Genealogy Centre on the 1st Floor of the Alexander Library Building was launched in December 1999. Since then the enthusiastic use of this collection by genealogical researchers has continued unabated!

The Genealogy Centre houses a wide range of genealogical resources in print, microfilm, microfiche and CD-ROM formats. Internet addresses and guides are also available.

The collection is particularly strong in Volunteers from the Western Australia of those who embarked from Ipswich and resources relating to Australia including Genealogical Society Inc. provide Weymouth for New England, 1634 to birth, death and marriage indexes for additional assistance to researchers on 1637; and Lists of convicted rebels sent each state; cemetery lists; post office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to Barbados and other plantations in directories; and records of convicts, mornings from 9.30 – 1pm. America; and Tickets granted to courts, immigration, probate and the emigrants from Barbados to New military. A newspaper is held for each England, Carolina, Virginia, New York, state. Treasures of the Collection The Genealogy Centre houses many , Jamaica, , and other places, 1678-9. The Genealogy Centre holds useful New special items. One of these is a Zealand resources including birth, death fascinating item: Another item that illustrates the richness and marriage indexes from the 1840s 973.2ORI of the collection available through the through to 1980. The Original Lists of persons of quality; emigrants; religious exiles; political Genealogy Centre is : Q326.8GRE A useful guide to the Australian and New rebels; serving men sold for a term of Accounts of slave compensation claims Zealand records held in the Genealogy years; apprentices; children stolen; for the colonies of Jamaica, Antigua, Centre is The Genealogy Centre maidens pressed; and others who went Honduras, St. Christopher’s, Grenada, resource list: Australasia. This is from Great Britain to the American Dominica, , Virgin Islands, St. available for purchase from the Discard Plantations 1600 – 1700. With their ages, Lucia, , , Bookshop on the Ground Floor of the the localities where they formerly lived in , Bahamas, Tobago, St. Alexander Library Building at a cost the Mother Country, the names of the Vincent’s, Trinidad, Barbados, , $19.80. ships in which they embarked, and other interesting particulars. From manuscripts Cape of Good Hope. London, 1838. This volume lists the sums of money awarded The Genealogy Centre is also strong in preserved in the State Paper Department for slavery compensation. The tables British resources. The General Register of Her Majesty’s Public Record Office, provide details of date of award, name of Office indexes to births, deaths and England. Edited by John Camden Hotten. party to whom the payment is awarded, marriages for England and Wales, often 1874. number of slaves and the sum awarded. referred to as the St Catherine’s House This is a great source of information for This information is arranged by the records, are held for the period 1837 – those with interests in the early European country in which the claimant lives. This 1960. Records of the Society of Friends settlement of North America. The is a wonderful source of information for also known as the Quakers are held from Contents page at the beginning of the anyone with ancestry from the countries c.1650 – 1837. Guides to the peerage volume guides the reader to the lists of listed though, of course, only the names and landed gentry are available. Lists of individuals within the volume. Included of the slave owners (not those of the British government, military and Anglican is the Register of the names of all slaves) are listed! church officials are also held. The passengers from London during a whole newspaper The Times is held from 1785 year, ending Christmas 1635; Returns and a comprehensive collection of British maps is located on the 1st Floor near the Genealogy Centre. Curios & Oddities from the scrapbook For those countries and regions where we do not hold extensive collections we Rural diners were privy to a substitute for that usual can provide useful addresses and celebration “Christmas in July” when a country contacts to help researchers pursue their search for genealogical records. restaurateur decided to create a medieval feast menu using To the king’s taste, an adaptation by Lorna Sass The resources of the Genealogy Centre of Richard II’s book of feasts and recipes. are available for use whenever the Alexander Library Building is open. 12 FOCUS ON...The State Reference Library On a very hot day in January 1961: the origins of the Music and Performing Arts Library

“It (the Central Music Library) can policy “to serve the music lover and from the library or on inter-library loan never be justified on pure economic the executant at any level”. Instead of through public libraries. The collection grounds, nor should it have to, except an official opening ceremony funds ranged from “that elevated level to the to a state bent entirely on material gain were sensibly redirected to the popular music of the 1960s”. Even at and a State indifferent to the true publication of a printed catalogue of the that early stage it was decided that welfare and personal development of music library’s scores. The library was Australian music would be well its citizens”. The Music Librarian established in the gallery of Hackett represented. stated in a report in November 1974. Hall that is now part of the WA Preliminary In the United planning for a record Kingdom, music is collection assumed to be part commenced in of standard public 1964/65. In 1969 library services. the record listening Three of the original service was started staff of the Library with two turntables Board of Western and five listening Australia came from stations at the Manchester, home of windows in the the Henry Watson gallery of Hackett Music Library (“one Hall. The number of of the great music records was 1,914. libraries of the world which forms part of In 1967 Mrs the Manchester Stephanie Public Libraries” - The State Music Library in Hackett Hall, c.1969 - (now part of the WA Museum) McNamara retired. Library Board Annual She had worked Report, 1965, p 20). Back in Western Museum. If you take the lift in the tirelessly for the development and Australia in 1954 there were tentative Museum (to the left of reception) to the organisation of the library since that first beginnings with limited music second floor it is possible to see the very hot day in January 1961. collections placed in two public Central Music Library’s first location. libraries, metropolitan and country. The library’s premises were “cramped They generated little interest locally. The first Music Librarian was Stephanie and unsuitable quarters” and in 1970 It confirmed the need for a “central, McNamara, a Diplomate of the Sydney the Central Music Library relocated to strong library rather than dispersed Conservatorium of Music who selected more commodious space on the smaller collections”. and organised the library. She qualified ground floor of the State Reference as a librarian and received library Library. Due to the extra space the In 1960 the State Librarian, Mr Sharr, training whilst working in the State library increased its listening facilities visited Scandinavia and was greatly Library. The library collection included from two turntables to four and from impressed by the significant use made 6,000 scores, 2,500 reference books five listening posts to six. By 1973/74 of music in local public libraries. Later and 73 journal titles. Within a year the record collection had 2,900 titles that year the WA Music Council made the collection had increased to 9,000 and was well patronised. A year later a formal request to the Library Board scores and 3,500 reference books and patrons would have to wait their turn for the establishment of a music library. journals. to listen to a record during busy times. “A special meeting of the Board was During the pile- driving operations for called on a very hot day in January In July of 1965 regulations for “the the Alexander Library Building site the 1961 (or 1962) and approval in principle conduct of the Central Music Library” listening service was temporarily was given to the establishment of a were gazetted. The policy for the ceased as the vibrations prevented music library”. Generous donations of library was to provide a specialist record playing. books and scores were received from service of reference and lending. organisations, music lovers and Books were available for reference and By 1977/78 the Central Music Library publishers in Australia and overseas. study and were able to be borrowed enjoyed the distinction of being the through public libraries but not directly largest public music lending library in On the 2 March 1965 the Central Music through the Central Music Library. Library was officially opened with a Scores were available for loan directly cont...p.13 13 FOCUS ON...The State Reference Library

On a very hot day in January 1961 cont.

Australia. Planning commenced in 1978/79 towards the design of the new ‘State Library Services Building’ (the Alexander Library Building). Cassettes were selected and ordered in preparation for a lending service in the new building. Planning had also started for the input of 20,000 catalogue records of the score collection into a computerised database.

The Central Music Library moved into its spacious accommodation in the Music & Performing Arts Library Loans Desk new Alexander Library Building, April 1985. Julie Ham, Executive Librarian Plaudits from clients at the time, wrote “After years of Local jazz singer returning to Perth, and The currently titled Music and Performing cramped conditions with books on the the Music and Performing Arts Library, Arts Library first opened in 1966 as the floor and on top of presses, no desks after six years vocal development in Central Music Library – a reference to its for readers and inadequate space for London: key position in terms of provision of staff, the new library appeared music services throughout the state as luxurious”. Of course climate controls This library is fantastic. It’s amazing. well as an homage to its illustrious now apply to working conditions, and London’s great if you want something and counterpart in Westminster, London life is much more affable since that it’s old or it’s British. But for music from (where the manager carries the title of other cultures, this is fantastic. very hot day in January 1961. Master of Musick): In 1999, a visitor from London was very impressed by the breadth of the score collection. She is a regular visitor to the Central Music Library in Westminster, and she observed that while the London library collected strongly in British composers it was not as far reaching in its range. ASKEW musical enquiries asked in all innocence Strange composers •Joanne Bach •Rimsky-Sarcophagus •Gregorian Chant •Titz Kreisler Music & Performing Arts Library Reference Desk Dormant culture Twisted tiii tles •You’ll never walk again The print music in the collections of the Music and Performing Arts Library is •Score to that Barbara fascinating because it is culture lying dormant. Add a little bit of musical talent Streisand film, Lentil and it comes to life, recreating the exact sound and ambience of the era in •Ravioli, by Bolero which it was created. Even many of the standard popular tunes that we can all •Songs sung by the great hum take on a new perspective when we hear them as they were originally Dane Kiri Te Kanawa arranged and see the artwork on the original covers . 14 FOCUS ON...The State Reference Library Good Business “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else” Laurence J. Peter The Peter Principle (1969)

Or more likely if it’s a business enquiry you’ll head for the Business and Management Library in the State Reference Library. State Film & Video It may be that you’re in search Library of a business quotation like the one above, or on a quest for the The bounties of Australia’s film heritage addresses of celebrities like Mel are made available to Western Gibson, Daryl Hannah or Bengt Australians through a special partnership Broms. Bengt Broms??!? between the State Film & Video Library and Screensound (formerly the National Ever wanted to know how to start Film and Sound Archive). up an online Christian Bookshop, or a business for Relationship The Screensound collection serves as Marketing, or the ISBN of a French a rich source of film programming, and publishing company? What about the businesses starting up. After all how local audiences have been treated to price of Almond Oil for the last year – do you find the market size of baby screenings of such early Australian the answer, as you’d expect, was found cards in WA, how many butchers are classics as Jedda, Tall Timbers, The in the Chemical Marketing Reporter. there in Northbridge selling exotic Overlanders, and King of the Coral Sea The search for the Law Hospital in meats such as Kangaroo and Emu, (these last two featuring Chips Rafferty). Lanarkshire was successfully and which countries are likely to import Negotiations are underway for the executed for a client as we were able Raphanus sativus extract, more screening of Let George Do It as part to track down the exact address. Then commonly known as Radish extract? of Seniors’ Week 2000 celebrations in there was the former prisoner in Or the case of the woman who wanted the Alexander Library Building. This Germany during World War II trying to to find video suppliers that sold sex comedy film was directed by Ken G. find out which company now owns the videos in Perth… so her husband could Hall in 1938 and features George company he was forced to work for? start up a new business. Business and Stevenson Wallace as key protagonist. Management is a rich mine of The film was an instant commercial Entrepreneurs looking to start up a new information on all aspects of success in its day, and features a wild business are usually keen for commercial endeavour. speedboat chase across Sydney information on potential market size. Harbour. While our Start Up Business Guides, ***By the way, Professor Judge Bengt ABS statistics and databases are of Broms is President of the International As part of its own stock, the State Film immense value, sometimes even they Law Association based in Copenhagen & Video Library has recently acquired are stretched by the types of new Denmark. But you knew that, of course. an impressive ‘series of series,’ Australian Biography, including which Major newspapers in the English features prominent Australians from all Newspapers language are collected for Exploring Indigenous walks of life; Newspapers provide a link to time and neighbouring countries. The Times Australia , a 5-part series featuring to place. While the Internet is an (UK), The New York Times, The archival material focusing on the amazing source for the most recent Australian Financial Review and The relationship between indigenous and news, the newspaper collection on the Financial Times (London) receive non-indigenous people over the past 212 ground floor of the State Reference heavy use in the library. In addition, a The Petticoat Expeditions years; and , Library remains in high demand. range of newspapers published in three videos from the National Film Australia in languages reflecting Board of Canada narrating the travels To give coverage to Australia-wide major multicultural groups are held for th of 19 century British women, authors news, a daily paper is collected at a a few months. and artists. New releases from the BBC national level plus one paper for each have also been added to stock, state. Holdings for the Sydney Morning Next time you need to know the news – The Planets including the popular titles , Herald stretch back as far as 1831. even old news – remember to pay a visit. and I Caesar. 15 OBITUARY Lyn battyebattye ABOUT BOOKS Watkins (nee Erickson) Frogs of Western Australia M.J. Tyler, L.A. Smith, R.E. Johnstone

1942 - 2000 Western Australia is home to more than one-third of the known frog species in Australia, and new ones Lyn Watkins, are still being discovered. In this third edition, the former cataloguer and authors have revised the text to include these latest Team Leader: Reference Services discoveries. Identification is made simple with colour (Bibliographical Services), died on 17 photographs, distribution maps and detailed August after a long battle with cancer. Lyn information on each species. started work at the Library Board in WA Museum, Northbridge WA, 2000 September 1960 as a Student Librarian, and spent time working in the Bibliographical Centre (now known as Document Delivery), the Arts and Literature Library, Serials, the Science and Technology Deep their Grave Library, and Battye Library. Many of Lyn’s Tony Gyles student librarian colleagues from those days remained longstanding friends. The diary of a merchant ship and her crew during the Battle of the Atlantic, 1942. This is In September 1965, Lyn married, resigned the story of war - in particular, war at sea. The and returned to Bolgart with her farmer sadness and futility of war are clearly brought husband Laurie Watson. After raising two home through the eyes of the master of the boys and earning a Bachelor of Arts degree Patriarch and her humble saloon-boy as their at UWA, Lyn commenced work in the WA emotions alternate between hope and fear. Department of Education. Lyn returned to “There is a surprise twist in the end of this moving LISWA in April 1980, this time as a narrative” - Capt. C.F. Swanson (former master cataloguer. Three years later, she was of the research vessel that found the Titanic). promoted to the position of Executive P.O.D. Publishing, Dorset, UK, large print ed. 2000 Librarian: Cataloguing and, in 1992, she was appointed Manager: Cataloguing. In March 1996, Lyn became Team Leader: Just Dragon Reference Services in the Bibliographical Services team. Written by Liliana Stafford, illustrations by Margaret Power Lyn’s cheerful and friendly approach to life and work earned her the respect and Emma and her grandpa live near the sea, and friendship of colleagues at LISWA and in the harbour is their favourite place. They go the cataloguing fraternity in the major fishing together, and fly a big paper kite in the libraries in Western Australia. She held park. And when Grandpa is too tired to go out, various positions on the Committee of the he tells Emma stories of the sea...... When WA Cataloguers’ Section of ALIA, and Grandpa is taken to hospital, Emma feels lost. developed the professional programme of But then a long wooden boar with a great carved the successful 10th National Cataloguing dragon comes sailing out of the night sky. Conference, held in in 1993. Cygnet Books /UWA Press, Nedlands WA, 2000

After Lyn’s retirement in 1996, she filled her life with travelling, sewing, helping her To Hell-Fire, Purgatory and Back second husband John with his small business interests, and enjoying her Ian Saggers grandchildren. However, it was not long after she left LISWA that Lyn began her long battle Subtitled An account of the battle exploits and with cancer. Even during the years of painful prisoner-of-war experiences of Major A.E. surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Saggers, Commanding Officer ‘A’ Company, 2/ Lyn could still be seen as her usual 4th Machine Gun Battalion and Special Reserve cheerful, gracious, positive and sympathetic Battalion A.I.F, based on his secret diaries, this self, when she visited her friends at LISWA. is a story of courage, endurance and unimaginable horror, of devotion, compassion Lyn’s courage and friendliness will always and mateship. be remembered by her friends and former Ian Saggers (self-published), WA, 2000 colleagues at LISWA. Beth Frayne Longtime colleague and friend All of these books can be found in the J S Battye Library THE Jeffrey Archer visits LISWA 16 Author Jeffrey Archer recently toured Australia promoting his current best-seller To Cut a Long Story Short, and the publishing of his Collected Short Stories in paperback.

He enthralled an eager crowd of devotees in the Alexander Library Building Theatre, elaborating how he creates his novels, short stories and plays. “Short stories demand a very different technique from writing a novel,” says Archer, “because you can’t afford to waste a sentence; you can’t back even waste a word sometimes - you’ve got to hold them in there, grip them, not let them go”. L-R Christine Farmer (HarperCollins Publishers), Lord Jeffrey Archer and State Librarian Lynn Allen. After a lively and often hilarious question session, book-lovers joined Lord Archer in the theatre foyer to purchase his latest creation and get them personally signed. LISWA thanks HarperCollins Publishers for co-ordinating the visit, which was well received by all those attending. Poet’s Day in the Readers’ Centre Visiting Melbourne poet Peter Bakowski entertained and capitvated a small but enthusiastic gathering of poetry buffs on August 18. His poems are pithy and pungent slices of modern life, with whimsical humour and lots of good sense. Peter Bakowski prefers to write about universal personal subjects rather than the political or topical. He uses everyday language to ‘paint with words’ what it is to be a human being in the late twentieth/early twenty-first century, and his talented pieces have made their way into a plethora of literary journals. In addition, there are a number of published collections of his PAGE work. Poetry buffs line up to get their books signed Peter loves an opportunity to read his work and interact with by Melbourne poet Peter Bakowski. his audience in public venues, especially libraries. Private Archives — Recent Acquisitions

A recent addition to the Private Archives Collection of the Battye Library came from Helen Wallace who donated a notebook containing sermons written in the early days of settlement in Western Australia. It belonged to her antecedent, the Reverend John Ramsden Wollaston.

This notebook is a valuable addition to the Battye Library collection, complementing the papers and diaries of John Wollaston already held in the Private Archives. These include letters and handwritten registers of baptisms and burials. The various diaries in the collection commence in 1840 when Wollaston was still in England, describe the voyage to the Swan River Colony, follow his service in Bunbury, Albany and five tours as Archdeacon. Other items in the Battye Library collections that support these rare items include Wollaston’s published diaries and journals, publications based on these diaries, journal articles and other original letters within other Private Archive collections.

A Western Australian story of science that celebrates our world- class scientific ‘firsts’

Centre for the Book Ground Floor, Alexander Library Building Perth Cultural Centre

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2000 Admission Free

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