Collection Strategy

The Collection Strategy outlines the intentions, priorities and key principles guiding the development of the State Library’s physical and digital collections.

The State Library collects, preserves and provides access to the rich and diverse stories of Western Australia – past, present and future – to engage, inspire and inform the community, and offers a collection of general reference material that is responsive to educational, vocational and recreational needs.

Collections are developed to be inclusive, without censorship or bias, to represent the diversity of our community and create a sense of belonging and connection.

The State Library’s collections are comprised of many formats, including physical and digital books, manuscripts, letters, photographs, oral histories, films, music and more, which are made available at the State Library Building in the Perth Cultural Centre, online via the State Library catalogue, and at public libraries throughout the State.

The objectives of the State Library's collecting focus is to:

  • build our collections to be responsive to the needs and expectations of the Western Australian community, anticipating the needs of future generations, and reflecting the rich and diverse history of the State
  • preserve, manage and make accessible our unique West Australian collections and safeguard them for future generations
  • partner with Aboriginal people and communities to ensure that their distinctive voices and perspectives are respected and celebrated in our collections and inform our collecting practices
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