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history [edit ]
The Baillieu Library was Australia ‘s first base purpose-built university library. It is named after the Baillieu family, who made a significant contribution towards the build up of the library through the William Lawrence Baillieu Trust. [ 3 ] John Francis Deighton Scarborough, a lecturer in computer architecture at the University, was commissioned in 1945 to design the Baillieu Library in 1945. Scarborough besides designed the propagation to the Old Quadrangle library in 1948. Drawings for the newly Library were prepared by Ian Watkins and Barry Axtens. Ken Atkins worked with Axel Lodewycks, the University Librarian at the time, [ 4 ] on developing and expanding the library. [ 5 ]
Reading: Baillieu Library – Wikipedia
In 1952, a site on Professor ‘s Road was chosen for the modern library. Prentice Builders began work on the structure in March 1957. The foremost stage of the build up was completed by December 1958 and over the keep up weeks, 150,000 books were relocated from the Old Quadrangle into their new home. [ 6 ] A key sport of this modernist construction is the glass curtain wall with ‘opaque spandrel ‘ panels that forms the façade overlooking South Lawn on the east side. [ 7 ] The Baillieu Library ‘s furnishings included master Grant Featherston designs, including the iconic Mitzi chairs. much of the original furniture still remains in use. The Baillieu Library was formally opened by Prime Minister Robert Menzies on 21 March 1959. [ 8 ] The memorial inscription for the library anteroom was unveiled by Lord Baillieu. A swerve wall behind the iconic circular stairway now features the text of the speeches made at the unfold ceremony .
Developments and refurbishments [edit ]
The foundations of the build up were designed to allow for far expansion of the construction, including the hypothesis of a column of up to 19 storeys. While the tugboat never eventuated, significant extensions were made to the southwest, northwest and northeast corners of the build between 1969 and 1974, adding over 7,432 feather metres ( 80,000 sq foot ) to the library ‘s floorplan. besides added was an aerial link connecting the Baillieu to the new Brownless Biomedical Library. considerable alterations to the library have been completed over the years, including :
- 2000: The south section of the first floor was refurbished to create the Percy Baxter Collaborative Learning Centre including multimedia workstations and two e-Learning Studios.
- 2003: The Information Resources Access Department was moved off-site and replaced with the University Bookshop.
- 2011-2012: A major renovation of the ground floor was undertaken by Lyons Architects, with a remodelled service desk and self-service loan facilities.
- 2013: The Noel Shaw Gallery[9] and Graduate Study Room were created by Lyons Architects on the first floor.[10]
- 2016-2017: Renovations to the ground floor added a further 290 study spaces; the Co-op bookstore was relocated to a new home in another part of the Parkville campus.
- 2017-2018: The second floor was redeveloped, providing new bookshelves, upgraded student study spaces and assistive technology facilities for students with disabilities.[11]
anniversary celebrations [edit ]
- 2009:The 50th anniversary celebration was held on 20 March 2009, with an exhibition – A storehouse of wisdom’: Celebrating 50 years of the Baillieu Library
- 2019: To mark the 60th anniversary of the Baillieu Library, the five-part podcast series A Third Place was produced. In the series, Professor Peter McPhee speaks with prominent Australians including Gillian Triggs, Peter Singer and Alice Garner.[12]
Facilities and collections [edit ]
Inside the Baillieu Library in January 2014
Facilities [edit ]
The Baillieu Library consists of six levels, five of which are open to the public. Its general collections are shelved on the lower grate, second and third floors .
| Collections | Facilities | |
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| Lower ground floor |
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| Ground floor |
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| First floor |
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| Second floor |
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| Third floor |
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Collections [edit ]
The limited Collections form separate of the University ‘s Cultural Collections and include : [ 13 ]
- Rare Books Collection – around 250,000 volumes of books, journals and ephemera from Australia and overseas
- Rare Music Collection – over 12,000 manuscripts, scores, books, archival collections dating from the 11th to the 21st century
- Print Collection – around 9,000 largely European prints and related materials dating from the 15th to the 21st century
By reason of their old age, value or singularity, items in these collections are housed in special closed-access conditions in order to ensure their caution and preservation for future generations. These materials can be requested for research use in the Reading Room, located on the third base shock. [ 14 ] The University of Melbourne Archives was established in July 1960. It collects, preserves and provides access to the historic records of the university, angstrom well as those of victorian businesses, trade unions, political organisations and community and cultural groups, arsenic well as personal papers of many outstanding individuals, including Malcolm Fraser and Germaine Greer. [ 15 ] Archives materials are held in off-site memory and can be requested for research practice in the Reading Room, located on the third shock.
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The Robert Menzies Collection was donated to the library in 1980. It is a closed-access solicitation which comprises around 3800 books ( a good as photograph albums, notebooks, periodicals, maps and ephemeron ) from the personal library of the former Prime Minister. Items from this solicitation can be requested for research use in the Reading Room, located on the third floor. [ 16 ] For many years, the Baillieu Library housed both the Louise Hanson-Dyer Music Library ; [ 17 ] now integrated with the Lenton Parr Library at the University ‘s Southbank Library ; and the East asian Collection, now housed in the Eastern Resource Centre. [ 18 ]
art and artefacts [edit ]
Since 1959, a sculpt entitled Areopagitica has hung in the building ‘s anteroom. The work, by Norma Redpath, was the winning introduction in the Baillieu Library mural contest of 1958. It was inspired by John Milton ‘s Areopagitica: A speech for the liberty of unlicensed printing of 1644 . [ 19 ] The Alexandra Printing Press, located on the ground floor, was built in 1888 and donated to the Library by the Friends of the Baillieu in 1976. It is a rare, Australian-made version of the Albion press. The Noel Shaw Gallery and other exhibition spaces around the Baillieu feature programmes of exhibitions which highlight significant items from the Library ‘s collections, and from the University ‘s cultural Collections. [ 9 ]
Friends of the Baillieu Library [edit ]
The University of Melbourne Library received its first major bequest over a hundred ago as George McArthur contributed his outstanding collection to the University. [ 20 ] [ 21 ] Since then, the Library has attracted potent support and gifts by other library members and friends, including personal work from collectors ‘ own libraries and inheritances or fiscal support, allowing it to acquire many noteworthy publications. [ 22 ] One of the most significant contributions came from Dr John Orde Poynton, who donated over 15,000 volumes, including many relating to the history of very well printing and the artwork of the reserve. [ 23 ] [ 24 ] The Friends of the Baillieu Library was established in 1966 with the purpose of funding the skill of new resources ; members meet regularly for a course of study of cultural and educational events. [ 25 ] support from the Friends is indispensable to the development, preservation, and enhancement of the Library ‘s Rare Book collections. [ 26 ] [ 27 ]
In popular culture [edit ]
Over the years, the Baillieu Library has featured in numerous films, books and television receiver series, including the keep up :
television receiver and film [edit ]
Novels [edit ]
- Alice Garner, The student chronicles, Carlton: Melbourne University Publishing, 2006, pp. 46, 50.
References [edit ]
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