Students: How Can the State Library of Victoria Help You?

Editorial

The State Library of Victoria has many great resources perfect for the use of a student. There are the heaps of places set up just for students; the Information Centre and Redmond Barry Reading Room are both filled with private and group study desks, computer labs and shelves of books. These rooms are designed for the use of researchers and studiers, whether you need a quiet place for private study or a more relaxed environment for group projects, the State Library can supply you with the tools to achieve your best.

"Books May Well be the Only True Magic"
It was said best by Alice Hoffman and the State Library may very well be trying to prove this point. Though the Library is filled with galleries and games it is the books that draw people in; shelf upon shelf of wonder. Each room has their own selection amounting to a gigantic collection of reference, general, visual art and music books, magazines and performing arts material, Australiana (history, literature, biography, travel and Aboriginal studies), old and new newspapers, genealogy resources, rare books and manuscripts.

Computers, Laptops and Printers: Oh My!
In the State Library there are two rooms with internet PCs (the Information Centre and the Redmond Barry Reading Room) and one room with Apple iMacs (Experimedia). Library computers can also be used to access electronic indexes and full-text databases (used to search for journal articles). In these rooms internet access is free to use; there is no need to book, pay or register. The Library also provides free wireless broadband for all laptop users. Laptop users cannot directly print files; to do this, transfer the file(s) onto a disk or memory stick and print from one of the Library's computers. If you want (or need) to print you will need a copy card (library card) which you can either buy for $1.65 in the Copy Centre or can get for free when you register as a Library user at the Book Desk.

Look Over There: It's an XBOX!
Although the Library is fundamentally a sanctum for books, it also houses architectural drawings, music (musical scores and sheet music), videos, statistics, chess boards, maps and galleries. The Cowan Gallery contain works ranging from early scenes in Melbourne to more contemporary portraits and is a permanent exhibition but also regularly features temporary exhibitions. Specially targeted to younger people is the Experimedia room. Experimedia contains free wireless access, Macs, an interactive whiteboard, a family and children corner and game consoles including PS2, XBOX, XBOX 360 and Wii, all of which are free of charge.

Sarah Vinaev