A new home for the State Library's Newspaper Collection (Added 10 July 1998, From SLV Media Release, 2 July 1998) On 2 July, the Premier and Minister for the Arts, Mr Kennett, opened another major development at the State Library of Victoria: the new, purpose-built Herald and Weekly Times Ltd Newspaper Reading Room. The naming of the newspaper room acknowledges a generous donation the Library has received from the Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, publisher of the Herald Sun, the Sunday Herald Sun and The Weekly Times. The State Library's collection of current and historical newspapers, the major research collection for Victoria, is the largest in Australia and the newspaper reading room has long been one of the most heavily used areas in the Library. The new newspaper room is located on the ground floor in one of the four glazed courtyards around the central domed building - key features of the Library's current redevelopment program. The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd Newspaper Reading Room provides a spacious and comfortable environment for readers and improved access to newspapers. Issues of all hardcopy newspapers for the last three months are available for self-service from open access shelves and microfilmed newspapers are also available on open access. The new facilities also include an increased number of computers which give extended access to Internet and CD ROM newspapers. The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd has a long association with Victorian newspapers, commencing in 1840 with the Port Phillip Herald. Displays in the Newspaper Reading Room of documents and objects from the organisation's archive provide tangible reminders of its history and of developments in printing technology. Editor's Note: I spent many long hours destroying my eyesight reading microfilms in the old Newspaper Reading Room, but I haven't had a chance to check out the new facilities. So, this is a call for Melbourne-based researchers to send in their comments on the new Newspaper Room. Do the facilities meet the needs of researchers? What has improved? What still needs work? Please send your thoughts to us at primary.source@discontents.com.au. Further information: >>Media Release (SLV website) >>More information on Newspaper Room (SLV website)

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