National Centre for Australian Children's Literature facts for kids
The National Centre for Australian Children's Literature Inc (NCACL) is a special place at the University of Canberra. It's a non-profit centre where people can study and research books for children. It used to be called the Lu Rees Archives. A kind person named Lu Rees made the first donation to start it. Dr Belle Alderman, a professor who knows a lot about children's books, was the director in 2018.
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What is the Centre's History?
The idea for this amazing collection started in 1974. Lu Rees, who was leading a group called The Children's Book Council of Australia in Canberra, began collecting information about Australian children's authors and illustrators. She also started gathering their books.
By 1980, this collection had grown to 1,000 books and 50 research files! It moved to what is now the University of Canberra. The collection was then named the Lu Rees Archives. In 1981, Australian publishers agreed to donate copies of their new children's books, and they still do this today.
How is the Centre Managed?
From 1983 to 1990, a special committee helped manage the Centre. In July 1990, the University and The Children's Book Council of Australia signed an agreement. This agreement explained how they would work together to manage the Archives.
In 2012, the Archives became its own official group with a Board to guide it. A new agreement was signed, giving the Board responsibility for the Archives.
In October 2015, the Lu Rees Archives changed its name. It became the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature Inc. The University of Canberra and the Centre review their agreement every five years to make sure everything runs smoothly.
In 2018, Dr Belle Alderman, a highly respected professor of children's literature, was the director of the Centre.
What Does the Centre Collect?
The Centre collects many different things by and about Australian children's authors and illustrators. This includes books, original handwritten stories (manuscripts), artworks, and even special items related to books. They also have journals, rare books, and research materials.
The Centre's book collection has over 50,000 books! This includes different versions, reprints, and translations of published works. They also have about 5,000 translated Australian children's books in more than 68 languages.
An important part of the Centre is its collection of Research files. These files contain information on over 550 different authors and illustrators of Australian children's books.
The Centre also has special guides called "Finding Aids." These help people find donated papers from many Australian children's literature creators. Since 1988, the Centre has been able to receive special donations through the Australian Cultural Gifts Programme.
Artworks at the Centre
A big part of the Centre's collection is its original artwork. This includes both finished art and early sketches. These artworks show how a children's book is created. The Centre keeps track of all the artwork using a special system.
In 2016, the John Barrow collection of 130 framed original artworks was given to the Centre.
Since 1984, the Centre has also looked after original artwork for the annual Children’s Book Week. This artwork is created by different artists for the celebration. In 2017, some of this artwork was shown in an exhibition at the University of Canberra.
How to Access the Collection
All the books at the Centre are listed in an online catalogue. You can find this catalogue on the Centre's website.
The Centre has also created two special online databases of books:
- The NCACL Cultural Diversity Database started in 2019. It lists Australian children's and young adult books that show Australia's many different cultures. It helps people understand similarities and differences between cultures.
- The NCACL Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Resource was launched in 2020. This resource has over 500 books by, for, and about First Nations people. It started with books for younger children and has now grown to include books for secondary students.
The Centre's website also lists other resources. These help you find materials on specific topics or certain types of books, like graphic novels.
Sharing Knowledge and Outreach
The Centre does many activities to share its collection and knowledge. They work with university students studying different subjects.
Exhibitions and Seminars
The Centre often holds exhibitions of artworks and other items from its collection. They have worked with other groups like public libraries and the National Library of Australia. In 2018, Dr Belle Alderman organized an exhibition at the University of Canberra. It featured illustrations from famous children's book artists. These included May Gibbs, Kylie Dunstan, Vivienne Goodman, Graeme Base, Bob Graham, Shaun Tan, and Kerry Argent.
The Centre also loans its artwork collections to libraries and galleries across Australia.
Publications
The Centre creates publications to share information about its work.
From 1981 to 2013, the Centre published an annual journal called The Lu Rees Archives: Notes, Books and Authors. This journal stopped in 2013. It was replaced by an online journal called ‘Behind the Imagined: The Journal of the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature’.
In 2014, for its fortieth birthday, the Centre published Showcasing Treasures. This book tells the story of the Centre, its collections, and its activities.
The Centre also publishes its Annual Reports, a quarterly E-Newsletter, and various information brochures on its website.
How the Centre is Funded
The Centre is a 'not-for-profit' organization. This means it doesn't aim to make money. The University of Canberra provides support to the Centre as part of their ongoing agreement.
Since 1988, the Centre has been able to receive special gifts through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program.
Volunteers
Since the Centre started in 1974, many volunteers have helped it grow. In recent years, the hours given by volunteers are equal to having 4.5 full-time staff members!
How to Access the Centre
The National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature’s website has information on how to find their catalogue. It also shows how to use their databases and other resources. These include information about artworks and author/illustrator files.
The Centre is located at the University of Canberra. It is open from 9 AM to 5 PM on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. You can also arrange to visit at other times by making an appointment.
See also
- AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource
- Australian literature
- Category:Australian children's writers
- Children's Book Council of Australia
- Children's literature
- University of Canberra Library
- Aora Children's Literature Research Centre
