National Centre for Australian Children's Literature facts for kids
The National Centre for Australian Children's Literature Inc (NCACL) is a special place where you can learn all about Australian books for kids and teens. It used to be called the Lu Rees Archives. This centre is a not-for-profit organisation, meaning it doesn't aim to make money. It's located at the University of Canberra. The first collection of books and materials was given by Lu Rees. In 2018, Dr Belle Alderman, an expert in children's literature, was the director.
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History of the Centre
In 1974, Lu Rees had a great idea. She was the President of the ACT Branch of The Children's Book Council of Australia. She started collecting information about Australian children's authors and illustrators. She also gathered their books.
By 1980, this collection had grown to 1,000 books and 50 research files. It was moved to the Canberra College of Advanced Education, which is now the University of Canberra. The collection was then named the Lu Rees Archives. In 1981, Australian publishers agreed to send copies of their new children's books to the Archives. They still do this today!
How the Centre is Managed
From 1983 to 1990, a special committee managed the Centre, then known as the Lu Rees Archives. In July 1990, the University of Canberra and the ACT Branch of The Children's Book Council of Australia signed an agreement. This agreement explained how they would both help manage the Archives.
In 2012, the Archives became its own official organisation in the ACT. A new Board was created to look after it. A special document was signed, giving the new Board the job of running the Archives.
In October 2015, the Lu Rees Archives changed its name. It became the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature Inc. (NCACL).
The University of Canberra and the NCACL have an agreement about their roles. This agreement is checked and renewed every five years. In 2018, Dr Belle Alderman, a respected professor of children's literature, was the director of the NCACL.
What the Centre Collects
The Centre has a plan for what it collects. This plan explains what types of items they gather, how they keep them safe, and how people can use them.
The Centre collects many things by and about Australian children’s authors and illustrators. This includes books, original handwritten stories (manuscripts), artworks, and even special objects. They also have journals, rare books, and other materials related to children's books.
The book collection has over 50,000 books! This includes different versions, reprints, and translations of published works. The Centre also holds about 5,000 translations of Australian children’s books. These are in more than 68 different languages.
An important part of the Centre is its collection of Research files. These files have information on over 550 different authors and illustrators. Each file can have up to 30 different types of materials.
The Centre has also created special guides. These guides help people find donated papers from many Australian children’s literature creators. Since 1988, the Centre has been able to receive donations through a special program. This means people can donate valuable items to them.
Original Artworks
A big part of the Centre’s collections is its original artwork. This includes finished art and early sketches. These artworks show how a children’s book is created. Each piece of artwork is carefully numbered and described.
In 2016, the John Barrow collection was given to the Centre. This collection has 130 framed original artworks.
Since 1984, the Centre has looked after original artwork for The Children’s Book Council of Australia. This art is created by different artists for the yearly Children’s Book Week celebration. In 2017, some of this artwork was shown in an exhibition at the University of Canberra.
Finding and Sharing the Collection
All the books at the Centre are listed in their online catalogue. You can find this catalogue on the Centre’s website.
The Centre has also made two special online databases of books.
The NCACL Cultural Diversity Database started in 2019. It lists Australian children’s and young adult books. These books show Australia’s many different cultures. They help readers 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. The first part of this resource focused on books for young children. It was funded by the Australian Government. Now, it includes books for secondary students too.
The Centre’s website also lists other resources. These help you find materials on specific topics. You can also find books in certain styles, like graphic novels and verse novels.
From 2000 to 2014, the Centre helped with The Australian Literature Resource (AustLit). When AustLit started, the Centre provided 12,000 records. These included reviews and articles on Australian children’s literature. This formed the basis for AustLit’s children’s literature records.
Sharing Knowledge (Outreach)
The Centre does many activities to share its collection and knowledge. They want to show how creative children's books are made.
The Centre works with the University of Canberra’s study programs. This includes students studying different subjects.
Exhibitions and Talks
The Centre holds exhibitions of artworks and other items from its collection. Many of these have been with other groups. These include public libraries, IBBY Australia, and the National Library of Australia. In 2018, Dr Belle Alderman organised an exhibition. It showed illustrations from children's books at the University of Canberra. Famous artists like May Gibbs and Shaun Tan had their work displayed.
The Centre also lends its artwork collections to libraries and galleries. These are located all over Australia.
Publications
The Centre creates publications that share information about its work.
From 1981 to 2013, the Centre published a yearly journal. It was called The Lu Rees Archives: Notes, Books and Authors. This journal stopped in 2013. It was replaced by an online journal. This new journal is called ‘Behind the Imagined: The Journal of the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature’.
In 2014, the Centre celebrated its fortieth birthday. For this, they published a book called Showcasing Treasures. This book tells the history of the Centre. It also describes its collections and activities.
The Centre publishes its Annual Reports on its website. They also have a quarterly E-Newsletter and various information brochures.
How the Centre is Funded
The Centre is a 'not-for-profit' organisation. This means it uses any money it gets to run the Centre, not to make a profit. The University of Canberra helps the Centre by providing support. This is part of their ongoing agreement.
Since 1988, the Centre has been able to receive gifts through a special government program. This is called the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program.
Volunteers at the Centre
Since the Centre started in 1974, volunteers have helped it grow. In recent years, the hours given by volunteers are like having 4.5 full-time staff members. Their help is very important!
How to Access the Centre
The National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature’s website has lots of information. It tells you how to find their catalogue and databases. It also shows you how to access other resources. These include artwork and files on authors and illustrators.
The Centre is located at the University of Canberra. It is open from 9 AM to 5 PM on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. If you want to visit at other times, you can arrange 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
