PR-33-2022
20 September 2022
PH Consulate donates books to Victoria State Library
The Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne, led by Consul General Maria Lourdes M. Salcedo, donated three books to the Victoria State Library on 20 September 2020 with the following titles: Women of Laguna, Today’s Filipino Australian Women, and Women in Diplomacy.
Consul General Salcedo was joined at the turnover of the books by her family, Cultural Officer Maria Cristina Malvas, and student-dependents of Consulate personnel, who were also given a guided tour of the Library.
The Women of Laguna: Continuing Old Traditions is a celebration of the role of women as pillars of intangible cultural heritage; Today’s Filipino Australian Women book from the Philippine Embassy in Canberra was part of the commemoration of 75 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Australia; and Women in Diplomacy is a compilation of narratives from several remarkable women ambassadors in the Philippine Foreign Service.
Ms. Judy Buchan, the library’s philanthropy manager and a specialist in fundraising, philanthropy and building sustainability, received the three books. She said that the books were a great contribution to the state library’s collection, particularly on the topics of Southeast Asia and women.
The State Library of Victoria, established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, is Australia's oldest public library and among its oldest cultural institutions. “It was established at around the same time as the University of Melbourne and is, therefore, called the People’s University,” according to Ms. Buchan. At the instigation of then Governor Charles La Trobe and philanthropist Redmond Barry, the beautiful colonial building was first operated as a combined museum, gallery and library.
Today, the State Library is the major reference and research library in Victoria, responsible for collecting and preserving Victoria's documentary heritage and making it available through a range of modern services and programs. It is known as Australia’s busiest library and the fourth most-visited library in the world.
The guests from the Consulate were utterly impressed with how the State Library has evolved to cater to modern-day needs of students and researchers.
Ms. Buchan led the guided tour around their impressive facilities and amenities available to the public such as the La Trobe Reading Room, Dome Gallery, Ian Potter Queen’s Hall, Redmond Barry Reading Room, Heritage Collections and Arts Reading Rooms, Newspaper and Family History Reading Rooms, The Quad (including Conversation, Create, Ideas and Children’s Quarters), Cowen Gallery and Isabella Fraser Room, among others. “Awesome,” was how the children described the experience. END
