Building Highlight - Libraries
The University Library was established on 1 May 1948, although the first library was not located in Canberra. With the Acton Campus yet to be developed, the ANU’s first library was housed at the University of Melbourne, in borrowed accommodation in Wyselaskie Hall in Ormond College. It wasn’t until December 1950 that the library was moved to Canberra. The 40,000-volume collection was housed in the former Canberra Community Hospital buildings. However, there was soon a pressing need to move the collection from this location, which was too small and presented a fire hazard.
After much debate, the University decided upon building two new libraries. One library would be dedicated to postgraduates and research (RG Menzies Library) and the other would be for undergraduates, housing a limited collection of books, but with plenty of space for readers (General Studies Library, later JB Chifley Library).
The first purpose-built library building on the campus was the RG Menzies Library, which was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1963 at a grand ceremony attended by many dignitaries including HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, ANU Chancellor Sir John Cockcroft, ANU Vice Chancellor Sir Leonard Huxley and Prime Minister Robert Menzies, after whom the building was named. Today the Menzies Library is home to the ANU Library Asia Pacific collections as well as the ANU Library theses and rare book collections. It is also home to the ANU Archives Reading Room, ANU Press, the ANU Library e-Scholarship Team and the ANU Library Technical Services Team.
The General Studies Library, designed for the use of undergraduates, was also opened in 1963. In 1970 it became known as the JB Chifley Library, named after Labor Prime Minister Joseph Benedict (Ben) Chifley.
During the early years of the ANU, many of the University’s schools also established their own libraries to cater to the specific needs of their staff and students.
Between 1973 and 1975 design and construction work was completed on a new Life Sciences Library, to be known as the WK Hancock Library. The design was completed by O’Mahony, Neville & Morgan, who had completed the design for the JB Chifley Library. The building name was a tribute to historian Sir William Keith Hancock. Hancock held the positions of Director of the Research School of Social Sciences (1957-61) and Professor of History (1957-65) at the ANU. He was also very active in the formation of the Australian Dictionary of Biography, based at the ANU, and served as Chairman (1959-65).
By the 1990s the main library collections were organised into four key libraries - Asia-Pacific collections in the RG Menzies Library, social sciences and humanities in the JB Chifley Library, science and technology in the WK Hancock Library and a dedicated Law Library. When the Canberra Institute of the Arts amalgamated with the ANU in 1992, two more branch libraries dedicated to art and music were established. The Music Library merged with the Art Library in 2012, to become the Art & Music Library.
From the early 2000s, the collections from the smaller research school libraries were shifted into the main libraries. A large off-site repository was also established, which made space for information commons, workstations and group study rooms in the libraries. The ANU Archives Reading Room also moved to the R.G. Menzies Library.
Today the ANU Library consists of five unique and specialised libraries plus the ANU Print Repository.
References
Godden Mackay Logan Heritage Consultants 2012, ANU Heritage Study: Acton Campus. Volume 1: Heritage Study, https://services.anu.edu.au/files/document-collection/Volume_1_of_the_ANU_Acton_Campus_Heritage_Study.compressed.pdf
Dexter, D 1991, The ANU Campus, Australian National University Press, Canberra.
Banks, J & Gaardboe, M 1996, Building and Landscapes: the Australian National University, Canberra, ANU Divisions of Facilities and Services and Public Affairs, Canberra.
