The Library's special collections support particular areas of teaching, learning and research and contain rare, fragile, archival or culturally sensitive material. The collections have limited access conditions which vary according to the purpose and nature of each collection. The following guidelines will help you access these collections.
For further information about any of these collections contact Ask the Library or the Service Desk at the relevant Campus.This collection was created in consultation with local Aboriginal people. It contains racist, sexist, derogatory, abusive or offensively wrong materials as well as secret and sacred, dated, or other culturally-sensitive material. It has been separated from the main collection in order to prevent causing offence to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. This has been in accordance with ATSILIRN Protocols (opens in new window). The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Special Collection includes relevant material from the Margaret Carnegie collection. It comprises some 1600 books, periodicals, art exhibition catalogues, correspondence and papers on Aboriginal and related issues, from Margaret Carnegie's personal collection.
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Some of the material is very fragile. For this reason, access is at the discretion of the Manager, Academic Library Services
This collection covers a large range of art books. The collection contains rare and fragile titles, valuable limited editions, and books that may be considered offensive. Some of the titles are past student works.
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Some of the material is very fragile. For this reason, access is at the discretion of the Manager, Academic Library Services
The Colin Thiele Research Collection was added to the Library in 2000 incorporating donations from Colin Thiele as well as items from the Library's collections. The collection incorporates most of his written works as well as non-book material, including several pelicans. More information about Colin Thiele
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The David Murray Collection contains published material produced by individuals and bodies associated with the University. The collection also includes works published by the University and about its activities. University higher degree theses are collected. The collection is named for Mr David Murray, an Adelaide philanthropist and politician who in 1903 donated funds to support the establishment of a library for the School of Mines, one of the predecessors of the University of South Australia.
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Items are retrieved daily - expected turnaround time is 48 hours from placement of the request (weekends excepted)
The Louis Laybourne Smith School of Architecture was established in 1906. Louis brought with him a small collection of his personal books which formed the beginnings of the departmental library, which later became the Built Environment Library of the University of South Australia. These books formed the core of the Gavin Walkley Collection which was established in 1976 upon Gavin's retirement as Head of School after twenty five years. To this collection of material were added various notebooks and personally signed books belonging to Louis Laybourne Smith and Gavin Walkley. A special fund was established to purchase and house this historical collection of old, rare and facsimile reprints of classic works in architecture, building and planning. The money was collected by donations from several individuals, private firms and institutions, including the South Australian Institute of Technology and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. The accumulating interest on this money is presently being used to purchase items of historical significance. More about Gavin Walkley (PDF, opens in new wndow).
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HOPE is a research collection of textbooks and curriculum regardless of the place of publication, used in South Australian Primary Schools from the 19th Century. The Collection was initiated in 1972 at the former Wattle Park Teachers' College by academic and library staff. The HOPE Collection provides a focus for research in South Australian educational history. The HOPE Collection includes over 5,000 items. These are mainly textbooks and curriculum documents, but there is also some audiovisual and kit material. In addition the Collection contains a small selection of teachers' lesson plans, school roll books and students' copy books.
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