Introducing ‘Treasured: The National Library of Australia Strategic Vision 2025–2033’ | National Library of Australia (NLA)

Introducing ‘Treasured: The National Library of Australia Strategic Vision 2025–2033’

Published on 20 Jan 2025

We are introducing a new strategic vision to guide how the National Library of Australia will make it possible for all Australians to connect with their rich national heritage. 

Access to knowledge gives us the freedom to explore, question and form opinions, regardless of who we are or where we come from. Libraries play a key role in this information commons: by collecting and enabling access to knowledge, helping to contextualise knowledge, and supporting the creation of new knowledge.

Dr Marie-Louise Ayres FAHA, Director-General of the National Library of Australia

Shelves with bundles of newspapers

The National Library of Australia’s offsite collections

The National Library of Australia’s offsite collections

While physically located in Canberra, the Library exists to serve everybody, and we are more focused than ever on serving the full diversity of Australia’s community. To achieve this, three core action areas are laid out in the Strategic Vision.

Collect

As Australia’s National Library, we collect materials of national significance, documenting the lives and activities of Australians.  

Our priorities for supporting this purpose are to strengthen First Nations representation in the collection, increase representation of culturally and linguistically diverse voices, raise awareness of legal deposit, and manage our collecting and preservation activity to minimise our environmental footprint.

Engage

The National Library’s vast collections are owned by all Australians – and we are committed to making them accessible to all Australians.  

To achieve this, we will expand digital outreach to First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse, rural and remote communities, showcase our collections through exhibitions, continue our strong publications record, and enhance our services through our learning programs for all ages.

Enable

Our goal is for all Australians to engage with cultural collections without barriers, fostering a strong connection to Australia’s cultural history.  

Actions we will take to reach this goal include implementing the Library’s Trove Strategy through collaboration with galleries, libraries, archives and museums, safeguarding and making accessible Australia’s stories, and utilising emerging technologies. 

Photo of women from the dance group Bollydance Dipti in pink costumes taking a selfie in a crowd

Aishah Kenton, Bollydance Dipti dancers taking a selfie at the Indian Film Festival in Federation Square, Melbourne, Victoria, 17 August, 2024, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3428627828

Aishah Kenton, Bollydance Dipti dancers taking a selfie at the Indian Film Festival in Federation Square, Melbourne, Victoria, 17 August, 2024, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3428627828

The Strategic Vision aligns with the National Library’s role in supporting the Australian Government’s national cultural policy Revive: A Place for Every Story. A Story for Every Place, which seeks to reposition Australia’s arts, culture and heritage sectors as central to the country’s future.

Find the full Treasured: The National Library of Australia Strategic Vision 2025–2033 document.

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