Celebrate William Shakespeare's birthday with Shakespearean gems from the National Library's rare books collections.

How is a rare book about swimming connected to an important early European map of Australia and American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin? Find out in this blog.

Celebrate WorldPride with this diverse range of books about the LGBTQIA+ experience and culture.

Explore these book recommendations from the National Library staff to help library lovers of all ages get in the Library Lovers’ Day spirit!

Every year, on 1 January, creative works come out of copyright and into the public domain.

Michael Richards

Extensive personal and family papers of Henry Handel Richardson. The collection also includes original manuscripts of the music composed by Richardson for many songs.

Papers of Christina Stead including diaries, manuscripts of her works, correspondence, personal documents, cuttings and photographs as well as papers of her biographers.

Manuscripts of poems and stories and letters from over 70 writers that Stephens assembled in the years in which he was editing the ‘Red Page’ of the Bulletin and later the Bookfellow.

Collections of papers from several significant Australian authors collected by Harry Chaplin.

Papers including letters, newspaper cuttings, published caricatures, original cartoons, letters and literary manuscripts, mostly related to Australian and New Zealander writers, journalists, composers and artists.

Personal papers including correspondence, manuscripts of books, newspaper articles, lectures and material concerning writers, artists and literary organisations as well as about 2500 books published 1900–60, many inscribed by the authors.