National Centre for Australian Children's Literature

The National Centre for Australian Children's Literature, formerly known as the Lu Rees Archives, is a not-for-profit study and research centre housed at the University of Canberra Library.[1] The Centre "strives to enhance the appreciation of Australian children's literature by collecting, preserving and making available wide-ranging resources",[2] including "both the literature and the historical and cultural context in which it was created".[3]

History

In 1974 Lu Rees, then President of the ACT Branch of The Children's Book Council of Australia, proposed to the other branches, that the ACT Branch would begin a collection of biographical files on Australian children's authors and illustrators and a collection of their works. Lu Rees offered her personal collection of several hundred works "as a first step."[4] The collection was maintained in the home of a member of The Children's Book Council of Australia, and developed with donations mainly from Children's Book Council of Australia members. In 1979, in response to the International Year of the Child, Lu Rees initiated a plan to collect overseas translated editions of Australian authors.[5]

In 1980, Belle Alderman first suggested that the collection, which had outgrown the home of Lu Rees, could be housed at the Canberra College of Advanced Education (now the University of Canberra), where it could be accessed by students and researchers.[6] In the same year, the Library of the Canberra College of Advanced Education, under Chief Librarian the late Victor Crittenden O.A.M. (first Chair of the Lu Rees Archives Management Committee),[7] agreed to house the collection, catalogue the resources and provide in kind support. At the time of handing over in July 1980, the collection became known as the Lu Rees Archives, after its founder.[8] The collection then held around 1000 books and 50 research files on authors and illustrators. In 1981 Australian publishers agreed to donate their children's books, a practice which has continued.[9]

Lu Rees, who received both an M.B.E. (in 1964)[10] and was created a member of the Order of Australia (A.M.) (in 1983)[11] for her services to children's literature, died on 23 January 1983. Posthumously, Mrs Rees was awarded the Dromkeen Medal for services to children's literature.[12][13]

Management

Since 1983, the Archives has been managed by the Lu Rees Archives Management Committee, members of which include representatives of the local and national Children's Book Council of Australia, the University of Canberra Library, national and public libraries and tertiary institutions in Canberra, as well as those managing the Archives and its activities. The Children's Book Council of Australia ACT Branch took over management of the Archives in 1990. The following year, the University and The Children's Book Council of Australia ACT Branch signed a formal agreement outlining roles and responsibilities, and the agreement was renewed in 2003.[14] Up until 1989, when the University of Canberra Library was restructured, part-time staffing was available from the Library, and until a part-time position funded by The Children's Book Council of Australia began in 1995, administration of the Archives was undertaken by volunteers.[15] Management of the Archives is guided by the Lu Rees Archives Strategic Plan.

An honorary position of Collections Development Manager has existed since 1990 and Dr Belle Alderman, Emeritus Professor of Children's Literature, has occupied this position since its establishment.

Collections

An outline of the collection development objectives can be found in the current collection development policy, the Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children's Literature Strategic Plan,[16] and on the webpage ‘List of item types held at the archives.’ The Lu Rees Archives has collected material by and about Australian children's book authors and illustrators, including manuscripts, artworks, books (over 20,000 works, including over 2400 translations in more than 53 languages), artifacts, reference material, theses, rare books, periodicals, and over 390 research files featuring thirty different categories of materials. The Archives houses two publishers' archives, the Walter McVitty Books (donated in 2000) and Omnibus Books (donated in 2004), and has extensive photographic and audio material relating to Australian children's literature.[17] An ongoing project to develop 'Artwork Frameworks' to record artwork held by the Archive to aid with cataloguing and research began in 2009.[18] An aim of the Archives is to collect all the individual editions of published works.[19]

Significance
  • Since the year 2000, The Lu Rees Archive has been a contributor to AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource, originally providing 12,000 bibliographic records (including indexed reviews and articles on Australian children's literature).[20][21]
  • To assist researchers, the Archives staff have created unique Author Finding Aids and in 2010, the Archives "assisted 393 clients who visited or contacted the archives".[22]
  • The Archives have presented a number of significant events celebrating Australian children's authors and their works, including:
  • In 2009, a report on behalf of the National Executive of The Children's Book Council of Australia by Marj Kirkland, found the Archives provided an "exceptional repository of knowledge and heritage related to Australian children's literature, whose existence should never be endangered".[29]
  • In a significance report,[30] an external expert, Graeme Powell,[31] identified the significance of the Archives as follows:
    • its book collection post-1960 is comparable to National and State Libraries.
    • its collection of translated works are among Australia's strongest
    • its 400 comprehensive research files on authors and illustrators are "unmatched" in Australia.
    • its manuscripts and artworks feature Australia's most important creators and "is of considerable value to researchers studying the artistic development of particular illustrators."
    • its resources are open access and this is valued by researchers.

Funding
  • The National Executive of The Children's Book Council of Australia funds one part-time administrative officer, and the ACT Branch provides an annual donation.[32]
  • Donations – In 1988, the Archives achieved deductible gift recipient status, with eligibility to receive gifts under the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program including monetary donations (authors, illustrators and publishers can donate published and unpublished material under the program,[33] and by the year 2005, 117 publishers had donated material[34]). Members of the public also support the Archives with donations.[35]
  • In kind support for the archives has been offered by the University of Canberra, and is part of a formal agreement between the University Library and The Children's Book Council of Australia.[36]

To secure the future of The Lu Rees Archives, "the Archives aims to create an endowment fund of $1,000,000 by 2020".[37]

Volunteers

The Archives has a strong volunteer body with various expertise who pursue specific projects (e.g. preservation of works) and progress the strategic plan. The volunteer program is permanent and essential to daily functioning of the Archive. Currently, the positions of Collections Development Manager, and Editor of the 'Lu Rees Archives : Notes, Books and Authors' Journal, are voluntary.[38] In 2010, volunteers contributed over 2013 hours of unpaid work to the archives.[39]

Publications

‘The Lu Rees Archives : Notes, Books and Authors’ (ISSN 0725-7015) journal, begun in 1981,[40] is published once per year and contains articles by authors, illustrators and publishers on children's literature, as well as news from the Archive (an index of the journal is available online). The Archives annual reports and Strategic Plan are available online.

Access

The Archives has an extensive website http://www.canberra.edu.au/lu-rees, and information on how to access the catalogue and author/illustrator files online. The Archives is open two days per week, and allows access at other times by appointment.

See also

References
  1. National Centre for Australian Children's Literature University of Canberra
  2. The Strategic Plan Sub-Committee "Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children's Literature Strategic Plan 2011-2015" Archived 6 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, page 5. Retrieved 12 July 2011. "Mission: We strive to enhance the appreciation of Australian children's literature by collecting, preserving and making available wide-ranging resources."
  3. The Strategic Plan Sub-Committee "Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children's Literature Strategic Plan 2011-2015" Archived 6 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, page 5. Retrieved 12 July 2011. "Aim: We aim to provide resources for the study and research of Australian children's authors and illustrators, including both the literature and the historical and cultural context in which it was created."
  4. Rees, Lu (1981). "In the beginning (Reprinted from issue 1, 1981)." Notes, Books and Authors, 27th issue, 2005, page 3. "As a first step in this I offered to hand over my personal collection of a few hundred books as soon as there was a place to put them – this would be something to build on."
  5. Rees, Lu (1981). "In the beginning (Reprinted from issue 1, 1981)." Notes, Books and Authors, 27th issue, 2005, page 5. "...one of the Librarians from the Canberra Public Library Service (CPLS) rang me and asked, 'What are you doing about the International Year of the Child?’... if I could throw in a personal idea, it would be to emphasise the 'International' and try to get foreign editions of our own authors' work in the children's field."
  6. Rees, Lu (1981). "In the beginning (Reprinted from issue 1, 1981)." Notes, Books and Authors, 27th issue, 2005, pages 3-5. "...we were discussing possibilities and tossing ideas around when Belle Alderman came into the fray with a request that she might be permitted to put the whole question before the authorities at the Canberra College of Advanced Education Library for, speaking personally, she would like to have the whole collection – books and files – available for reference and study by her students in Children's Literature here at the College."
  7. Fletcher, Lynn (27 October 2005). "Lu Rees Archives Award." Notes, Books and Authors, 27th issue, 2005, page 20. "The Lu Rees Archives Committee was formed in 1983 by volunteers from The Children's Book Council Australian Capital Territory Branch, the CCAE library and teaching staff. Victor was its first chair."
  8. "Lu Rees Collection to college". The Canberra Times. 16 July 1980. p. 11. Retrieved 26 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. Lu Rees Archives Website. Timeline of achievements Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  10. It's An Honour website, 2011. Search Australian Honours Advanced Search : REES, Lucy Frances Harvey, The Order of the British Empire - Member (Civil). Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  11. It's An Honour website, 2011. Search Australian Honours Advanced Search : REES, Lucy Frances Harvey, Member of the Order of Australia. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  12. Scholastic - Dromkeen Medal
  13. Stones, Rebecca (5 July 2005). "Medals crown renown book collection" Archived 6 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Monitor (Newspaper of the University of Canberra), 5 July 2005 Retrieved 12 July 2011. "Last month, Lu Rees' sons, John and Lauron Rees, presented three medals to the University's Lu Rees Archives: a 1964 Order of the British Empire; a 1983 Order of Australia; and the 1983 inaugural Dromkeen Award."
  14. University of Canberra ; The Children's Book Council of Australia, ACT Branch (2003). "Agreement between the University of Canberra ('the University') and the Children's Book Council of Australia, ACT Branch Inc. ('the ACT Book Council') regarding the Lu Rees Archive of Children's Literature ('the Archives')."
  15. Lu Rees Archive Website. "Timeline of achievements" Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  16. The Strategic Plan Sub-Committee "Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children's Literature Strategic Plan 2011-2015" Archived 6 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, pages 9-10. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  17. Lu Rees Archive Website. "Timeline of achievements" Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  18. Alderman, Belle ; Gamlen, Belinda (2010). "Lu Rees Archives Annual Report : 2010", page 10. Retrieved 5 September 2011. "The artwork frameworks enable the Archives to gain physical and intellectual control over artwork held by the Archives; achieve a record of holdings; ensure easy storage and retrieval."
  19. The Lu Rees Archive Management Committee "The Lu Rees Archive of Australian Literature Collection Policy", page 4. Retrieved 5 September 2011. "To fulfil its purpose as set out in 1.2 above, the Lu Rees Archives aims: 2.1.1 to build complete collections of significant authors and illustrators works."
  20. Alderman, Belle ; Gamlen, Belinda (2010). "Lu Rees Archives Annual Report : 2010", page 4. Retrieved 12 July 2011. "In 2000, the Archives initially provided 12,000 bibliographic records and thereafter has indexed works by and about children's and young adult literature, thereby adding to the knowledge base of Australian children's literature."
  21. AustLit : The Australian Literature Resource Website. "Lu Rees bibliographical records." Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  22. Alderman, Belle ; Gamlen, Belinda (2010). "Lu Rees Archives Annual Report : 2010", page 8. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  23. Alderman, Belle ; Meyers, Marlene (2001). "Lu Rees Archives Annual Report 2001", page 5. Retrieved 5 September 2011. "The Lu Rees Archives Management Committee established the annual Walter McVitty Lecture to commemorate this individual's significant contribution to Australian children's literature. The National Museum of Australia will sponsor this annual lecture, with the first to be delivered by Mem Fox on 25 October 2002 at the National Museum of Australia."
  24. National Museum of Australia website, 2003. Children's writer Gleitzman visits Museum. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  25. National Museum of Australia Website, 2006. National Museum of Australia : Annual Report - Appendix 6 : Conferences Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  26. Lu Rees Archives Website. "Words... Pictures... Book! Exhibition." Retrieved 12 July 2011. "Our Words... Pictures... Book! exhibition was held at the Civic Library from 7 August until 5 October 2007."
  27. Hardy, Karen (21 March 2011). United for children's delight The Canberra Times. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  28. Lu Rees Archives Website. Emily Rodda Event 2011 : Children's books unite the world Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  29. Alderman, Belle ; Gamlen, Belinda (2010). "Lu Rees Archives Annual Report : 2010", page 12. Retrieved 12 July 2011. "The Kirkland report (August 2009), written on behalf of the CBCA National Executive, concluded that the Archives is an 'exceptional repository of knowledge and heritage related to Australian children's literature, whose existence should never be endangered. Rather, more secure, greater ongoing funding should be sought to sustain it in perpetuity'."
  30. Powell, Graeme (January 2011). "Lu Rees Archives of Australian children's literature : Assessment of significance.", January 2011.
  31. National Library of Australia (October 2001). "Graeme Powell – Distinguished achiever." Gateways, National Library of Australia, No. 53, October 2001. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  32. Alderman, Belle ; Gamlen, Belinda (2010). "Lu Rees Archives Annual Report : 2010", page 4. Retrieved 12 July 2011. "We also acknowledge the annual donation of $1,000 from the ACT Branch of The Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA). The CBCA's National Executive and National Council have funded, since 1993, the part-time position of the Lu Rees Archives Administrative Officer. This position provides 14 hours per week for 46 weeks of the year, thus enabling the Archives to manage, preserve and promote the collection."
  33. Lu Rees Archives Website. "Cultural gifts donations and the Lu Rees Archives." Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  34. Alderman, Belle (2005). "Publishers' support of the Lu Rees Archives." Notes, Books and Authors, 27th issue, 2005, page 12.
  35. Lu Rees Archives Website. "Making donations." Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  36. University of Canberra ; The Children's Book Council of Australia, ACT Branch (2003). "Agreement between the University of Canberra ('the University') and the Children's Book Council of Australia, ACT Branch Inc. ('the ACT Book Council') regarding the Lu Rees Archive of Children's Literature ('the Archives')."
  37. The Strategic Plan Sub-Committee "Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children's Literature Strategic Plan 2011-2015" Archived 6 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, page 7. Retrieved 12 July 2011. "To secure this envisioned future, a stable income source, such as provided by an endowment fund, is a strategic goal of the Lu Rees Archives. Therefore, the Archives aims to create an endowment fund of $1,000,000 by 2020."
  38. The Strategic Plan Sub-Committee "Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children's Literature Strategic Plan 2011-2015" Archived 6 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, pages 4–5. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  39. Alderman, Belle ; Gamlen, Belinda (2010). "Lu Rees Archives Annual Report : 2010", pages 8–9. Retrieved 12 July 2011. "The 2013.28 hours worked by volunteers is equivalent to 287.6 days full time equivalent or over 12.5 months (based on a seven-hour day and an average of 23 working days in a month)."
  40. Lu Rees Archives Website. Timeline of achievements Retrieved 12 July 2011.

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