What we collect?
The ACT Heritage Library collects material which documents the social, cultural, economic and political history of Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory. This includes books, journals, newspapers, archives, manuscripts, oral histories, photographs, ephemera, maps, plans and reports. We collect publications and original materials.
ACT based publishers, publishers of ACT based authors and self-publishing local authors are encouraged to lodge a copy of their publications with the ACT Heritage Library for ongoing preservation and access. Hardcopy can be forwarded to the library. Electronic publications can be deposited through the National edeposit (NED) service.
National edeposit (NED) service is a collaborative initiative of Australian national and state and territory libraries for the capture, preservation and discovery of published electronic material across Australia. More information on this including deposit access for publishers can be found at https://ned.gov.au.
The ACT Heritage Library supports the recording of oral histories which tell the story of living and working in the ACT. Library staff discuss initial recording project design; and recording equipment is available for loan.
What we don't collect?
The ACT Heritage Library does not usually collect:
- general works of Australian history
- antique or rare books, unless directly relevant to Canberra or the ACT
- objects and artefacts
- non-fiction by Canberra based authors, unless directly relevant to Canberra or the ACT
- news cuttings
Find out how to
- donate publications
- donate original materials
- borrow the oral history recording equipment
Please contact us if you are unsure whether your proposed donation or your oral history project meets our selection criteria.