What's New

News

woman reads Baby Days book to child
News
Better Beginnings baby packs feature a brand-new wordless book, Baby Days, by award-winning Western Australian author Renae Hayward and illustrator Rebecca Mills.
Shortlisted authors on stage
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards winners
The winners of the 2025 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards were announced on Friday 29 September at the State Library of Western Australia, sharing a prize pool of $120,000.
Child and parent looking at Kids Kanopy on laptop screen
Better Beginnings Family Literacy Community Grants are for community groups and libraries that help promote literacy in 0-5 years old and empower families to read, talk, sing, write and play with their child every day. Round 5 applications closed on 26 September 2025.

Stories

Pioneer Womens Memorial Kings Park 31 December 1968
How the Botanic Park came to be
Stories
This story is based on the oral history of forester, ecologist and one of the first Directors of Kings Park, John Stanley Beard (1916–2011), and features a collection of historical photos of Kings Park.
three women in their work uniforms
Stories
Photographs and films
WA history
Wimmin's Work
Wimmin's Work is a new collection of audio, audio-visual and photographic stories documenting the stories of ten Western Australian women.
portrait of Barbara Darling
by Lucy Torvaldsen
Wimmin's Work
Strap in for Barbara's reflection on her life of activism, advocacy and uplifting others. And remember - life really can get better with age, and you never have to settle down.

Exhibitions

Dreamwalker 01 graphic novel page 3 written by Molly Hunt and Scott Wilson artwork by Chris Wood and letters by Wolfgang Bylsma
The First Twenty Years
Dates
Experience an exhibition tracing two decades of work by Perth-based small press comic publisher Gestalt, championing Australian comic creators and showcasing an underrated narrative art form that continues to defy expectations.
Person looking at photographs  in the 2024 Ilford Orloff Awards exhibition
Photography Exhibition
Dates
See the work of some of WA's best photographers from 2025. Spanning a range of styles and subjects, this exhibition showcases the winners and finalists of the third annual awards.
Book an Adventure exhibition
80 Years of Australian Stories for Children
Dates
Venture through an exhibition of original picture book artwork, celebrating 80 years of the Children’s Book Council of Australia. From timeless tales to modern favourites, explore the wondrous worlds found within the pages of Australia’s best-loved children’s books.

Upcoming events

Story Time - Dad with son
Weekly on Monday and Friday, 10:30am - 12pm until Mon 15 Dec 2025
Interactive story fun for pre-schoolers and their carers. Followed by a half hour Play Time where families can explore literacy and learning through reading, talking, singing, writing and playing together.
English Conversation session at the State Library
Practise English at the State Library
Weekly on Tuesday and Wednesday, 1:30 - 2:30pm until Wed 17 Dec 2025
Join our English conversation groups, a friendly place to practise your language skills and make new friends.
Reading at book on a smart device
Online digital book club. Every month, join author David Allan-Petale in conversation with a new author to discuss their book.
Better Beginnings Rhyme Time
Weekly on Friday, 10:30am - 12pm until Fri 12 Dec 2025
Songs, rhymes and stories for babies and their families, followed by an hour of Play Time to help develop early literacy and learning skills.
black text on cream background that reads Stella day out 2025
Join us as Stella-listed authors Laura Elizabeth Woollett and Santilla Chingaipe speak on themes of violence and power, slavery, and history (and its erasure).
Families attend a camp service Mt Margaret Mission with singing and the message in language ca1950
Monthly on the last Wednesday, 2 - 4pm until Wed 26 Nov 2025
The Storylines project connects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to the State Library's heritage, history and photographic collections.

Sheiks, Fakes & Cameleers

Between 1870 and 1920, around 20,000 camels and 4,000 men travelled to Australia to help explore and develop the country's arid interior. Discover the forgotten history of cameleers in Western Australia.