Australian and New Zealand Literature in the University of London Research Library Services

Australian and New Zealand Literature in the ULRLS
(notes for a presentation given at the 2010 ANZLAG workshop)



Introduction

The collections of Australian and New Zealand literature in Senate House Library(SHL) form part of the English Language & Literature Collection. The English collection at SHL is the central resource for English Studies in the University of London, supporting teaching and research at all levels. The collection covers the traditional English Literary canon from the earliest period to the present day. Particular strengths of the collection are old and middle English, Shakespeare and the Renaissance and the Victorian and Edwardian novel.

Scope of collections

The primary geographic focus of the English collection is literature written in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The literature of the United States and the Caribbean is covered by the US and Latin American area studies collections respectively. English-language writers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Anglophone Africa and Anglophone South-East Asia are represented, although not comprehensively.

Australian and New Zealand literature is located within the English Collection within a classmark for ‘International literatures in English’ (YS), Australian – YSR, New Zealand - YSS.

Types of material held

The majority of the collection comprises primary works of literature and research monographs of literary criticism. The collecting policy for English literature is to purchase everything by the selected authors, although this has not always have been consistently maintained.

Examples of Australian authors held:

The Australian High Commission Library holds 20th C editions of some early 19th C works by Henry Savery, James Tucker and Charles Harpur.

19th C: Henry Kendall, Adam Lindsay Gordon, Marcus Clarke

19th-20th: Henry Lawson, A. B. Paterson

Early 20th: Henry Handel Richardson (real name Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson), Miles Franklin (female), Vance and Nettie Palmer, John Shaw Neilson

Mid 20th C onwards: A. D. Hope, Shirley Hazzard, Judith Wright, Patrick White, Barbara Hanrahan, Elizabeth Jolly, Thomas Keneally, Les Murray, Helen Garner, David Malouf, Kate Grenville, Peter Carey.

Australian High Commission Library

The Australia House Library existed from 1918 to 1994 (when the collection was transferred (largely) to the University of London’s Senate House Library). It is particularly strong in coverage of post 1945 works of poetry and fiction and periodical runs, as the library underwent a period of reorganisation and growth, as prior to 1972 material was supplied by the National Library of Australia in Canberra – with some additional donations. The book collection is particularly strong in Australian fiction, poetry and literary criticism particularly from the 1950s and 1960s. The library then catered for Australians overseas and intending migrants and formed a strong general collection of Australiana. In 1972 responsibility for the library transferred to the Dept of Foreign Affairs – and the direct link with the NLA was severed. The library focused from then onwards on Dept of Foreign Affairs priorities and perspectives.
The Institute of Commonwealth Studies collection generally does not hold literature but includes a notable special collection of the works of Frank Clune – popular travel, adventure and history writer. The Commonwealth Studies library is however a useful source for understanding the social and historic conetxt of Australian (and New Zealand) writing.

New Zealand Literature

The New Zealand literature collection is smaller and is almost entirely 20th C:

Authors include Fleur Adcock, Barbara Anderson, James K Baxter, Charles Brasch, Allen Curnow, Walter D’Arcy Cresswell, Ruth Dallas, Dan Davin, Marilyn Duckworth, Janet Frame, Maurice Gee, Denis Glover, Robin Hyde, Frank Sargeson, Maurice Shadbolt, Kendrick Smithyman, C.K. Stead, Denys Trussell, and Noel Virtue. (Katherine Mansfield is also covered in the main English collection).

An evaluation of holdings of NZ authors against the bibliography chapter of The Oxford History of New Zealand Literature in English (1998) found that although rarely were holdings comprehensive for any author it was pleasing to see that (if one excluded writers of works for children and romantic novels) there was only an occasional author missing in the collections and a representative coverage of most. A recent donation from Professor John Pocock increased coverage for the 1950s to 1970s and included many small press works.

General

The collection also includes a number of general histories and histories of literary genres such as The Cambridge History of Australian Literature edited by Peter Pierce (Cambridge University Press, 2009) and The Oxford History of New Zealand Literature in English edited by Terry Sturm (Oxford University Press, 1998). There are a number of anthologies for both Australian and New Zealand literatures.

In order to aid research the library holds printed reference works, including bibliographies, these include specific titles such The Oxford Literary Guide to Australia edited by Peter Pierce (Oxford University Press, 1993) and The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature edited by Roger Robinson (Oxford University Press, 1998).
The print collections are complemented by electronic resources that cover literature more generally, including Australia & New Zealand, such as Literature Online (LION) and the MLA Bibliography.

The ULRLS also holds critical and reference material on postcolonial and comparative literature in general which will also be relevant. Examples include the Encyclopedia of post-colonial literatures in English edited by Eugene Benson and L.W. Conolly. (Routledge, 2005), Postcolonial literatures in English by Richard Lever et al (Prentice Hall, 1996).

Periodicals

ULRLS has a fairly comprehensive collection of scholarly periodicals covering English Language and literature and Literary Studies in general. Specific titles of relevance include Australian Literary Studies, Journal of Commonwealth Literature, Journal of New Zealand Literature (online only), Kunapipi, Meanjin Quarterly and Southerly.

In addition to these specific titles many of the English and Comparative Literature periodicals will include literature of New Zealand and Australia in their coverage eg Comparative Literature, Review of English Studies, Wasafiri.

Scots Abroad

The National Library of Scotland also presented details of their collections at the recent ANZLAG workshop. One useful and interesting resource are the Scots Abroad databases.

The Scots Abroad databases give details of material relating to the lives of Scots and their experiences overseas. Scots went abroad for a variety of reasons: exploration, missionary work, study, travel, emigration, tourism. The National Library of Scotland's collections contain much material relating to the life of Scots both at home and abroad. You can search these databases by keyword and browse by date. In some of them you can also browse by author or by title.

Scots in North America


This database contains published accounts of visits to North America by Scots, ranging from the late 17th to the late 20th centuries. It does not include second-person accounts or texts which do not contain personal observations, e.g. general guidebooks, statistical accounts, histories and descriptions. You can search the database by keyword and browse by date of the period covered by the work (in decades) and by author.

Emigrants' Guides to North America

This database mostly contains works directed at those intending to settle in what is now Canada and the United States, ranging from the early 17th to the late 20th centuries. It includes some travel accounts and descriptive works on countries, states and provinces, but only where these are considered for emigration; it does not include pamphlets or other more general works about the need for emigration schemes. You can search the database by keyword and browse by date of publication (in decades) and by title.

Scots in Australasia

This database contains published accounts of visits to Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea or Oceania) by Scots, ranging from the 18th to the 20th century. It does not include personal accounts or texts which do not contain personal observations, e.g. general guidebooks, statistical accounts, histories and descriptions. The database is searchable by keyword and browsable by date of the period covered by the work (in decades) and by author.

Emigrants' Guides to Australia and New Zealand

This database mostly contains works directed at those intending to settle in what is now Australia and New Zealand, ranging from the early 19th to the late 20th centuries. It includes some travel accounts and descriptive works on countries, states and provinces, but only where these are considered for emigration; it does not include pamphlets or other more general works about the need for emigration schemes. You can search the database by keyword and browse by date of publication (in decades) and by title.

Emigration from Scotland: Emigrants' Correspondence

This database is based on letters and papers from our manuscripts collections, dating from 1685 but mostly of the 19th and 20th centuries. Much of the database consists of summary listings and brief details of content of individual letters of emigrants from Scotland in their host countries written to friends or relatives at 'home'. If existing, letters from friends or relations in Scotland are also noted, as are some manuscripts, correspondence or papers relating more generally to the subject of emigration. You can search the database by keyword (including personal and place names) and browse in chronological order

With a reader's ticket you can consult the material in the NLS reading rooms. For more information about these databases, e-mail Dr Kevin Halliwell at k.halliwell@nls.uk

The Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Susan Snell, the Archivist and Records Manager at the Library and Museum of Freemasonry recently presented details of their collections to the Australian and New Zealand Library and Archives Group. While the presentation focused on Freemasons and Freemasonry in Australia and New Zealand the Library and Museum contain material of interest to researchers of any part of the Empire, as settlers and colonists established local lodges and maintained contact with the United Grand Lodge of England. The spread of Freemasonry has been associated with the expansion of the British empire. One recent book discussing this is Jessica Harland-Jacobs' Builders of empire : Freemasons and British imperialism, 1717-1927, published in 2007. The records of Lodges provide evidence for social networks of individuals both within England and the Empire. Useful online sources include Lane's Masonic Records of England and Wales, and Draffen's Scottish Masonic Records. The London Freemasonry magazine is currently being digitised and included a regular "colonial" column.

Freemasons came from mixed social backgrounds in all parts of the Empire. Lodge members were involved as individuals and collectively in a range of charitable activities, including supporting hospitals and medical research, and theatres.

The Library and Museum is the repository for the archives of the United Grand Lodge of England and contains one of the finest collections of Masonic material in the world. It is open to the public, Monday to Friday, free of charge. Resources at the Library and Museum of Freemasonry include an online catalogue, lodge histories and files, membership registers, annual returns, photographs, historical correspondence and letter books. Staff at the Library and Museum can also help identify objects and regalia (some of which may belong to other organisations such as allied Masonic lodges, friendly societies and related women's organisations)

ANZLAG (Australian and New Zealand Library and Archives Group) 2010 London Workshop

ANZLAG (Australian and New Zealand Library and Archives Group) 2010 London Workshop

Monday 10th May 2010

Room G35, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU

Provisional Programme

10.00 Registration and Welcome

10.30 Literature collections in the UK

•  David Clover – Senate House Library, University of London Research Library Services
•  Nicholas Martland – British Library
•  Dr Kevin Halliwell – National Library of Scotland
•  Dr Ian Henderson – Menzies Centre for Australian Studies (a researchers perspective)

12.00 Lunch

  1.00 Notable archive and manuscript collections

•  Susan Snell – Archivist and Records Manager, Library and Museum of Freemasonry
• Mr James Daniel – Researcher

 An overview of resources at the Library and Museum of Freemasonry concerning Australia and New Zealand and a case study of academic research on the visit of Lord Carnarvon to Australia

•  Dr Maria Castrillo – Manuscripts Curator, National Library of Scotland

“Manuscript emigrants’ diaries and journals relating to Australia and New Zealand in the National Library of Scotland”

2.00 Coffee/tea

2.30 Panel discussion on publishing and distribution of NZ and Australian books

4.00 Closing drinks reception

Please let us know in advance of any dietary or access requirements.

Registration £10 payable on the day to assist with catering costs

Please register in advance to david.clover@sas.ac.uk

Australian and New Zealand Library and Archives Group (ANZLAG) Workshop

The annual ANZLAG (Australia and New Zealand Library and Archives Group) workshop will be held on Monday 10th May 2010, and hosted by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library, in Senate House, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU.


This is both an advance notice and a call for presentations and papers.

We are interested in presentation on the following themes:

* Australian and New Zealand (and Pacific) literature collections in the UK
* UK publishing of works by Australian and New Zealand authors, and researching publishers archives
* Notable library and archive collections in the UK and Europe

We also plan a round table on issues relating to current publishing including legal deposit and parallel importing.

Researchers, librarians and archivists are all encouraged to contact me with suggested topics - and we would encourage anyone interested to get in touch. Please forward this to anyone you think may be interested.

Further details of programme and cost will be sent out once available

ANZLAG workshop 2009

Australia and New Zealand Library and Archives Group
London Workshop Friday 8th May

Venue: Basement Seminar Room at the Australia Centre, Corner Strand and Melbourne Place, London WC2B 4LG. Click here for directions

Provisional Programme:
10.30-11.00 Registration and welcome (Coffee and tea)

Session 1: 11.00 - 12.00 – Exploration and Travel
Chair:
Dr Frank Bongiorno, Senior Lecturer, Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, King's College London
Speakers:
Amanda Engineer, Archivist, Archives and Manuscripts, The Wellcome Library, London
Journeys Down Under: Stories of two 19th Century Naval Surgeons
Dr Rob Allan, ACRE Project Manager, Climate Monitoring and Attribution Group, Met Office Hadley Centre
The international Atmospheric Circulation Reconstruction over the Earth(ACRE) initiative: the need for historical Southern Hemisphere weather observations.

Lunch 12.00 – 1.00
A sandwich lunch will be provided

Session 2: 1.00 – 2.30 – Labour and trade unions
A panel discussion exploring resources for and the experience of studying labour history and politics in the UK
Chair:
Ian Henderson, Lecturer, Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, Kings College London
Panel:
David Clover, Information Resources Manager & Librarian, The Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London Research Library Services,
Chris Coates, Librarian, Trades Union Congress (TUC) Collections, Holloway Road Learning Centre, London Metropolitan University
Dr Frank Bongiorno, Senior Lecturer, Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, King's College London

Session 3: 2.30- 3.30 European collections of note
Speakers:
Dr John Cardwell, Archivist, Royal Commonwealth Society Collections, University of Cambridge
Arlette Apkarian, Librarian, CREDO (the Centre of Research and Documentation on Oceania : Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia) Maison Asie Pacifique, Provence University.

Registration £10 (£5 students and unwaged) payable on the day to assist with catering costs

Please register in advance to david.clover@sas.ac.uk

ANZLAG workshop

The annual ANZLAG (Australia and New Zealand Library and Archives Group) workshop will be held on Friday 8th May 2009, and hosted by the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies at Kings College London. This is both advance notice and a call for presentations and papers.

We are interested in presentation on the following themes:
· Labour history
· Exploration and maps
· Notable library and archive collections in the UK and Europe

With relevance to Australia, New Zealand and/or the Pacific

Researchers, librarians and archivists are all encouraged to contact David Clover at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (david.clover@sas.ac.uk) with suggested topics – and we would encourage anyone interested to get in touch.

Further details of programme and cost will be sent out once available

Australia and New Zealand Library and Archives Group - London Workshop

ANZLAG London Workshop

Date: Friday, 9th May 2008
Venue: NG15 Senate House, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU

We are very pleased to hold the second annual ANZLAG workshop, featuring speakers from The National Archives, the British Museum, Kings College London, the Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library, the Imperial War Museum, and the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies. A tour of the Centre for New Zealand Studies, also located in Senate House, is included in the programme of events. See the full programme here.

Please register in advance, registration £10 (£5 students and unwaged) payable on the day. Contact David Clover for further details or to register.

The ANZLAG London workshop has been organised by:
Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London
http://commonwealth.sas.ac.uk/

The Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, Kings College London
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/menzies

The British Library
http://www.bl.uk/