17-23 May 1999
A special project of the Australian Library and Information Association

A message from the Hon. Peter McGauran,
Minister for the Arts and the Centenary of Federation

It is impossible to imagine Australia without libraries as they are an integral part of the social and cultural fabric of the country. Whether you live in Kalgoorlie or Melbourne, chances are you have taken advantage of the local library at some time.

'Libraries: explore and discover' is a theme that captures the dynamism with which libraries across the country are preparing for the future, and therefore it seems ideal for Australian Libraries Week 1999.

Libraries have never been as important as they are today in the 'information age'. New technology is making the library more accessible than ever, and the vast resources of library collections are now available to people across the country and around the world.

The Government is committed to giving all Australians, regardless of where they live, access to the very best cultural and educational resources, and the Australian Libraries Gateway is an exciting Government initiative uniting libraries across the nation and making their collections easier than ever to use.

It enables people to locate all libraries in Australia by type or region, search the catalogues of libraries throughout the country, and access Australia's cultural heritage through online exhibitions, events and image collections.

Additionally, users can discover which Australian libraries have good collections in particular subject areas, and be directed to some of the most useful resources available on the Internet through Australian Subject Gateways. Close to 5,000 libraries are listed on the Australian Library Gateway site at http://www.nla.gov.au/libraries/

The Gateway is a webbased directory developed on behalf of the Australian library community by the National Library of Australia. The Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts funded the project as part of Australia's Cultural Network (http://www.acn.net.au/) a site that coordinates and connects Australia's online cultural services and activities.

Our libraries deserve to be celebrated and Australian Library Week gives us the opportunity to do just that and at the same time learn more through activities, events, contests, product launches and presentations at national, state and local levels.