A library in transition

I am pleased to announce that the State Library of South Australia has a new brand, the stories that makes us.

The State Library has proudly stood on North Terrace since 1861. As an enduring cultural institution, and the pre-eminent keeper of South Australia’s stories, it was time for a change to reflect who we are today and symbolise where we want to be in the future.

Developing a new brand is a long process and considerable thought has gone into what you see. This special edition newsletter introduces you to all aspects of our new brand, including the:

• The story behind the new brand
• Discovering stories from the collection
• Inspiration for the new logo
• Changes to our service delivery.

All this is the beginning of an important transition from a conventional custodian of physical collections to a ‘digital first’ cultural leader. Things might look a little different but our commitment to collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories of our state will not change, nor will the quality service you receive from us.

Also after many long months we are excited about our new exhibition - Lust for Lifestyle - opening on Friday 3 December. 

We look forward to you joining us, as the State Library of South Australia tells the stories that make us.

Geoff Strempel, Director State Library

The stories that make us.

From its earliest beginnings in 1861, the State Library has gone through many transformations but our primary purpose has remained relatively unchanged – to gather, protect and share publications of value to the South Australian community. It is how we gather, protect and share that evolves with time. With this in mind, it was time to look at how we present ourselves to the South Australian community and the world beyond – it was time for a new brand.

Uncovering collection stories - made easier

Everybody has a story to tell and at the State Library we love sharing the stories from the collections with you. We are very excited to release a new section on our website, simply titled ‘Stories’ but it has so much to tell and showcase digitally from the collections. Stories such as the book that was returned to the Library over 100 years after it had been borrowed or the tiger and the taxidermist in the basement of the Mortlock Wing.

The logo development

We had the wording around the new brand but now we needed a new logo to reflect this. But where did the inspiration come from and what does it all mean? We wanted the logo to proudly reveal our origins and highlight our role as the keepers of the stories behind our collections and community.

We're changing the way we deliver our services to you

Over time you might start to see some positive changes to the Library you know and love. As one of our customers you form part of the reason we are here, together with gathering, protecting and sharing the publications and stories of our great state.

We have a new vision for the State Library, Future Directions – Towards 2030, which revitalises our services and how we interact with you, the customer, and the community.