The much-loved Alice Springs Collection has settled into a temporary new home at Charles Darwin University (CDU), ensuring locals can continue exploring the rich history, stories and characters of Central Australia while work continues towards the new Alice Springs Library.
Now located at the CDU Alice Springs campus Library in Sadadeen, the collection remains open to the public and offers access to a wealth of local history resources, from historical records and photographs to community stories that capture the unique heritage of the region.
Alice Springs Town Council Director Community Development Nicole Battle said keeping the collection available to the community during the transition was a priority.
“We know how much this collection means to people who love the history and stories of Alice Springs, so it was really important to us that it remained accessible while we work towards our new library,” Ms Battle said.
“We’re really grateful to CDU for giving the collection a temporary home and helping us keep this fantastic local resource available to the community. There’s so much to discover in the collection. Whether you’re doing some serious research, chasing a piece of family history or you’ve just fallen down a local-history rabbit hole, it’s absolutely worth a look.”
The partnership with CDU has made it possible for the collection to remain accessible while plans for the new library progress. CDU Associate Vice-Chancellor Central Australia and Barkly Jodie Summers said the university was pleased to support the community by providing a temporary home for the collection.
“The team is really excited to be able to offer this important collection a temporary home. We believed it was an important partnership that helps support our local community by ensuring this collection remained accessible,” Ms Summers said.
“The CDU Alice Springs Library staff are excited to be able to offer this additional service and are grateful for the time and training they have received from the Alice Springs Town Council team and are looking forward to welcoming you onto our campus.”
Community members can access the Alice Springs Collection at the CDU Alice Springs campus Library, located at 10 Grevillea Drive, Sadadeen, from 8.30am to 7pm, Monday to Friday.
While much of the collection has moved to CDU, some Special Collection resources remain available at the Alice Springs Public Library with staff assistance. These include the Centralian Advocate archive, Yirara Yearbooks, the Central Australian Historical Images collection, the Sensitive Items cabinet and the library's DVD collection.
For more information, contact the Alice Springs Public Library on 8950 0555.