How to research the history, development, architecture, collections and management of the State Library of Victoria.
In 1934 the Carnegie Corporation funded a a study into public libraries in Australia and New Zealand. Eminent American librarian Ralph Munn travelled to Australia and conducted the survey with Ernest Pitt, SLV Chief Librarian.
The resulting Munn-Pitt report (Munn, R., Pitt, E. R., (1935). Australian libraries : a survey of conditions and suggestions for their improvement, Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research) was very influential in the development of free municipal libraries and in the concept of professional specific training for librarians.
In 1940 a Library Service Board, chaired by Ernest Pitt, was appointed. Their report to the state government in 1944 made various recommendations including:
To provide for the training of librarians and library assistants in co-operation with the Public Library of Victoria [now State Library Victoria] p.24
It cannot be too strongly emphasised that Victoria will not develop a satisfactory library system, and that everything advocated in this report will fall to the ground, unless the problem of securing adequate facilities for training librarians is treated as a matter of importance and urgency. p41
As a result of the Library Board recommendations the Free Library Service Board Act was passed by Victoria's parliament in 1946 and included provision to create a Library Training School at the the Public Library of Victoria [State Library Victoria].
Section 10 Establishment of schools for for the training of librarians and assistant librarians
1 0 . The trustees of the Public Library of Victoria
(a) after consultation with the Board establish a school
for the training of librarians and assistant
librarians ;
(b) conduct examinations of students attending such
school; and
(c) issue certificates of qualification to students of such
school on successful completion of the course of study and examination
The school first welcomed students in 1948 and ceased to take further students in 1969.
The examination results were published in the Australian Library Journal
See this list of photographs and other content from the Library Training School
Amey, L. (2001). When Libraries Made Headlines. The Australian Library Journal, 50 (3), 229–234.
Hagger, Jean (1982) 'The Library Training School of the State Library of Victoria 1948-1962', Australian academic and research libraries, Vol 13 pp 242-248
Keane, M. V. (1982) 'Chronology of Education for Librarianship in Australia, 1896–1976', The Australian Library Journal, 31(3), 16–24.
Keane, M. V. (1982) The Development of Education for Librarianship in Australia Between 1896 and 1976, with Special Emphasis Upon the Role of the Library Association of Australia, The Australian Library Journal, 31(2), 12–23.
Library Service Board (1944). Libraries in Victoria. Melbourne: Government Printer. (Available online through Victorian Parliamentary Papers)
Matthews, Sarah (2016) So, you want to be a librarian? [SLV blog] accessed 17 June 2024
McCallum, C. A. (1956) The Public Library of Victoria, 1856-1956, Melbourne, Vic., [The Library], pp. 29-30
Class of 1957 H36747 We hold a number of the Library School class photographs
Class of 1956 H36746. We hold a number of the Library School class photographs
Class of 1953 H36743. We hold a number of the Library School class photographs.
Strizic, M. (1950). Library school of the Public Library of Victoria. H2008.11/272
