Queensland State Library

The Queensland State Library is operated by the Queensland Government. It is located at Southbank in South Brisbane and opens almost every day of the year apart from some public holidays. There is a large family history section containing books, and other records typically found in family history libraries. However, they have some specially valuable items not found in other family history libraries: a huge microfilm collection of Queensland newspapers and the current electoral roll.

The Queensland State Library is a reference library, which means you cannot borrow materials from it but must consult the information in the library. However, they have an "Ask a Librarian" online service to assist those who are unable to visit the library in person. It is sometimes said that this service is only available to residents of Queensland, but in practice this restriction is randomly enforced.

The library's catalogue is available online but is not the easiest one to use. Nonetheless once you have mastered it, you can see easily if a particular resource is available before visiting the library.

Queensland Newspapers

The best collection of old and contemporary Queensland newspapers is held by the Queensland State Library. The closest rival would be the University of Queensland.

Using the online catalogue you can find what newspapers may have been published in your area of interest and what date ranges are held by the library.

The microform and family history collection are located on Level 3 of the Queensland State Library, tucked away in the back corner. There are about a dozen microfilm readers; you need to ask at the desk in the microform area to use them. Be warned; the microfilm readers are very popular, so come early or be prepared to be put on the waiting list. Generally you cannot pre-book the microfilm readers, but I am told if you are coming from out of town for a short visit, they may allow you to pre-book (probably worth a phone call to try to pre-book if that's your situation).

The staff of the family history unit are generally very experienced with the records held by the library and their advice can be invaluable. If you are in any way unsure what to do, ask them. Generally the library seem to try to ensure that at least one member of the family history staff is on duty at all times, augmented by some casual staff (particularly on weekends). The casual staff are generally well-meaning and helpful but not the most well-informed, so you may need to seek out the regular staff member for a complex family history question. As a general rule, the regular staff tend to be older and the casual staff younger, but it's not an infallible principle.

Apart from the online catalogue, there is a book that usually sits on the desk of the unit which lists the newspapers for the different areas. Most of the microfilms are stored on the shelves so you can access them yourself, but there may be some that have to accessed from storage -- the catalogue normally indicates when you need to ask the staff or whether you can access the microfilm direct from the shelf.

The microfilm readers themselves are very "state of the art", but like most microfilm readers there are fiddly things that have to be done to load the film. The librarians will happily show you how to use the machines (indeed, they are very patient and helpful) as I think they prefer you to ask than have you damage the machine or the film through your ignorance.

Most of the microfilm readers are also "printers", but not in the traditional sense of having an attached printer. Once you have found the item of interest, you can "print" in three different ways:

• send it to a printer "holding area" in the library - later you then go and print them (a fee per page applies)

• save your image to an attached PC and then email it to yourself (note you need to have access to a WWW-based email tool to do this -- if you don't have one, sign up with hotmail or gmail just to send the file to your normal email address)

• save your image to the attached PC and then copy it onto a USB drive (remember to bring one with you)

There is no charge for saving the image to the PC and then emailing it or copying it onto a USB. You can then view the images at home at your leisure and/or print them at home. Personally I find the USB drive very convenient. USB drives (aka "thumb drives", "memory sticks") can be bought from most "computer stores" from around $10+.

External Links

• Queensland State Library - main page