Brisbane Writers Festival

Posted by David on 3 September, 2019

Celebrate the written word at this year’s Brisbane Writers Festival, 5-8 September.

Hosted by the State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), and various public libraries around Brisbane, the BWF features an impressive program of panel discussions, workshops, performances, and meet-the-writer sessions.

It’s a great opportunity for readers of all persuasions–not to mention students in Creative Writing and related disciplines–to hear local and international writers read and discuss their work. The diverse program comprises novelists, poets, children’s authors, journalists, historians, philosophers, and at least one former Prime Minister.

This year’s line-up includes Brisbane-born Melissa Lucashenko, whose novel Too Much Lip won the 2019 Miles Franklin Award; British author Jasper Fforde, perhaps best known for his highly original novel The Eyre Affair; multiple Walkley Award-winning journalist Kerry O’Brien; and over 150 other writers.

For devotees of Young Adult literature and getting into things for free, the BWF is hosting Love YA, a full day of (free) events at Brisbane Square Library, Saturday 7th September. Meet notable Australian YA authors such as James Moloney, Randa Abdel-Fattah, and Will Kostakis. If you’re not familiar with their books, there’s a good selection in QUT Library’s Curriculum Collection.

The work of many other featured BWF writers can be found in the Library’s General Collection.

Children’s Book Week

Posted on 21 August, 2019

CONGRATULATIONS to the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) 2019 Book of the Year Award winners and honour books! Gritty, contemporary themes are tackled by many books, challenging their readers to contemplate a range of important social issues.

You can access the CBCA website for the Winners, CBCA Short list and Notables list.

The Library has a lovely display of the CBCA books. All titles are available for loan and can be found in the Curriculum area on level 4 of R Block, Kelvin Grove Library.

We also have a Children’s Literature Library Subject Guide where you can read the shortlisted and winning books and follow the links to QUT Library’s online and print copies.

Enjoy Children’s Book Week and happy reading !

Children’s Book Week is coming!

Posted on 15 August, 2019

Reading is my secret power

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) presents annual awards to books of literary merit, for outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature. The winners are announced Friday 16 August with CBCA Book Week following from 17-23 August.

The QUT Kelvin Grove Library supports this event with a wonderful display of 2019 Shortlist and Notables titles in the Curriculum area on level 4 of R Block. These titles are available for loan. You can access the CBCA website for the announcement of the Winners, CBCA Short list and Notables list. The categories for book of the year are:

Book of the year: Older readers (ages 13-18 years)
Book of the year: Younger readers (ages 7-12 years)
Book of the year: Early childhood (ages 0-6 years)
Picture book of the year
Eve Pownall Award (factual material, ages 0-18 years)
New illustrator (ages 0-18 years)

Enjoy your secret power and we hope to see you in the Library soon!

Remixing Brisbane’s Past

Posted by Debbie on 2 August, 2019

If you stop in at the Kelvin Grove library, you might see our new display of items from the L’Estrange Collection showcasing life and photography at the turn of the century: kerosene darkroom lamps, photo negatives on glass and a wooden camera as big as a basketball. But if you pull out your smart device, you’ll discover a more contemporary dimension to the display.

The Library has added augmented reality layers to some photos in the exhibition, which you can access by downloading the Zappar app. The AR layers add movement, sound and contemporary context to the historical images, and new augmentations will be added over time so keep your eyes peeled.

Not that this is the first time the L’Estrange images have been remixed — QUT Librarian Greg Steele has adapted some of L’Estrange’s photos for the annual GIF IT UP competition, which you can find in QUT ePrints.

GIF IT Up is a great example of the creative reuse of digitised cultural heritage material. Some gifs bring life to static images, and others add depth and context to their image. Some are pure silly fun, others provide modern perspective or critique their subject.

Moustache by Nicholas Kreutzer from Philadelphia, United States Source: Mikas Petrauskas, George C. Stukas | Kauno miesto muziejus via Europeana

1991 by Zsolt Sarkozi from Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Source material: Oversize Coat for Christmas | John Heywood | V & A via Europeana

Solar System by Monash University Library from Melbourne, Australia

Source material: Transparent Solar System, displaying the planets with their orbits as known at the present day, by James Reynolds, 1844 | Monash University Library via Trove

All the L’Estrange collection images are in the public domain, so they’re free to be remixed, reused and transformed. We encourage you to use them creatively – and @ us when you post your creations online!

Artistry & Chemistry: The Robert Augustus Henry L’Estrange collection

Posted on 22 July, 2019

While most of QUT’s library collection consists of the expected textbooks, online databases and other learning materials, we also have our special collections – unique collections of historically and culturally significant materials. Currently on display in the Kelvin Grove Library are items from the Robert Augustus Henry L’Estrange collection, generously donated by his family.

Image: L’Estrange Family, circa 1910

Robert L’Estrange (b.1858- d.1941) had a varied and wide-ranging life but he eventually settled with his family in Victoria Street, Red Hill – less than 500m from the KG campus. He was a keen and prolific amateur photographer and his photographic materials from the turn of the century form the basis of the collection.

Image: Unknown lady with rifle and a saltwater crocodile

Hundreds of his photos, taken between 1880 and 1919, have been digitised from the glass plate negatives by QUT Library. They depict life in Brisbane, North Queensland, and other parts of the world at the turn of the century, just when photography was becoming accessible to the at-home enthusiast. His subjects include early Brisbane cityscapes, local shopkeepers at their work, portraits of his family, and even a young girl’s backyard birthday party.

Image: Children’s party in the grounds of the Herston residence, Coralyn, ca. 1907

Image: Petrie Bight showing National Hotel and Customs House, Brisbane, 1900

Artefacts on display include glass-plate negatives, L’Estrange’s wooden Harrington & Co camera, lab equipment for preparing photographic chemicals, and lantern slides that would have been used with a gas-lit early form of projector.

Come in to Kelvin Grove library and check out the displays on Level 2 (underneath the central staircase) and Level 4 (between the fire stairs and the printers).

“Grounded in truth, walk together with courage” Reconciliation Week: 27 May – 3 June

Posted by Catherine on 22 May, 2019

Resilience - Rachael Sarra 2018

QUT will be celebrating Reconciliation Week with a number of events for students and staff. There are film screenings, badge making and art projects to get involved in at Kelvin Grove and Gardens Point during that week. Find out about the events here.

In fact, the festivities kick off on Friday 24 May with a Quiz Night. All proceeds are going to Indigiso, QUT’s Indigenous Student Club, to help send a team to the Indigenous Nationals in Perth, a multi-sport competition. Go with a team or as an individual and meet some new people. Bookings can be made here.

For those of you wanting to know more about reconciliation with our indigenous Australians, QUT Library has a variety of resources available to borrow or use online. This is one of the best ways to be grounded in truth so that you can walk together with courage.

Do you love the library? Or maybe you’ve never even used it before?

Posted by David on 29 April, 2019

QUT Library is keen to hear what you think about our services and spaces. All staff and students are invited to provide feedback via the Library Client Survey.

We really value your feedback: it helps us understand what’s working and what could be improved.

And as a big thank you for taking 10 minutes out to answer the survey, you go into the running to win one of three $150 gift cards! See here for terms & conditions.

To take the survey, click here.

ANZAC Day 2019

Posted by Catherine on 23 April, 2019

“As the sun rose on 25 April 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers rowed towards the shores of Gallipoli and into history itself. Every year since, as the sun rises, Australians gather across the nation to remember their legacy, and the legacy of all those who have followed in their footsteps.” https://rslqld.org/Whats-On/ANZAC-Day

ANZAC Day in Australia is a day of great significance to many Australians. Many of us have had family members who have fought in wars and some who have died in those same wars. My great grandfather was one of those who fought and his photo (along with his brothers-in-arms) is on the wall at the museum in Gallipoli, Turkey. I think it was at that moment of seeing his face there in black and white, that it struck me what an awesome sacrifice our soldiers made and continue to make, for our freedom and peace. It still makes me quite emotional to think of these brave men and women, laying down their lives for me, for us.

ANZAC Day is also a day to remember all those who supported and cared for our troops, both in the warzones and at home. The medical staff, the administrative staff, supply and logistics departments, plus many more. While they may not have seen combat, they certainly felt the effects of it.

If you’re interested to find out more about ANZAC Day and the history behind it, QUT Library has a range of different resources from videos, to articles, to puzzles and a whole lot more.

Even though ANZAC Day is a public holiday, QUT Library will be open to cater for your study needs.

This ANZAC Day, there will be services around the country and around the world, gathering to commemorate the soldiers who have served this country. Find out where there’s one near you.

Shrine of Remembrance, Ann Street facade

A Celebration of Books… and Copyright!

Quote

Posted by David on 18 April, 2019

For those who love books (and who doesn’t?), 23 April is World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, an annual UNESCO event promoting books, reading, publishing, and the protection of intellectual property through copyright.

World Book Day is a great time to rediscover the thrill of reading for pleasure, and QUT Library has plenty to choose from when it comes to recreational reading, including free access to collections of ebooks and audiobooks that can be downloaded to your smartphone or tablet.

When it comes to the slightly less fun but equally important issue of copyright, the Library’s Copyright Guide contains a lot of useful information. See, in particular, the section on copyright as it applies to study and research.

Finally, some World Book Day trivia: UNESCO chose 23 April because it’s a significant date in world literature. William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes (author of Don Quixote), and historian Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died on that date in the year 1616.

World Poetry Day 2019

Posted by David on 21 March, 2019

“Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar.” So said eighteenth-century English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. If Shelley were alive today, he would no doubt be gearing up for World Poetry Day, an annual global celebration of poetry in all its forms.

Declared by UNESCO in 1999, WPD aims to promote the reading, writing, and teaching of poetry; to support linguistic diversity through poetry; and above all to remind us that poetry is a living and vibrant mode of expression—as is evident from contemporary spoken-word forms such as rap and hip-hop, not to mention the popularity of poetry slams.

If you are looking to explore the world of poetry, QUT Library is an excellent resource. Our extensive selection of print and e-books has something for all tastes, from the ancient Homeric epic The Iliad to the works of contemporary poets including Queenslanders David Malouf, Ellen Van Neerven, and QUT Creative Writing lecturer Sarah Holland-Batt.

And check out the Library’s video streaming service, Kanopy, to see poets and poetry come to life on the screen: there are documentaries, filmed performances, and more!