State Library Victoria

State Library Victoria (SLV) is the state library of Victoria, Australia. Located in Melbourne, it was established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, making it Australia's oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in the world. 

Discover the SLV's tools and guides for searching amazing historical collections of more than five million books, pictures, newspapers, maps and more – or explore our constantly expanding digitised collections

State Library Victoria offers all Victorians free access to extensive collections, resources and expert staff. Joining as a free Access member means you can be part of our community and access the collection anywhere, anytime.