2026 marks the 200th Anniversary of the State Library of NSW. It’s a significant moment not only for this Library, but for all libraries across the state.
NSW public libraries are invited to join us in celebrating 200 years of libraries and the essential role they play in our communities. Get involved by encouraging your community to share what their library means to them or host your own celebration.
Library membership campaign
A public library membership promotional campaign will run from 1 July to 31 August.
As Library & Information Week commences the State Library’s media team has issued a media release for the Join your public library campaign. It is being distributed to print, radio and TV outlets across Sydney and regional NSW. We are also pitching to targeted contacts at the ABC to ensure broad reach across the state.
How you can help
Your local promotion plays an important role in the success of this campaign. We encourage you to:
- Adapt and distribute the media release to your local media contacts.
- Share the campaign across your social media channels and newsletters.
- Encourage staff, partners and community organisations to spread the word.
- Highlight the campaign in your library and at community events and outreach opportunities where possible.
The State Library funded advertising campaign that launched at the start of July will continue to run on social media and in select outdoor locations until the end of August. The campaign appears in retail spaces, bus shelters and outdoor panels across a selection of regions throughout NSW. The campaign features real library members and includes the call to action Join your public library. There will also be ads on Instagram and Facebook. The campaign directs people to the Join your public library page which outlines the benefits of public libraries and has links to the NSW.net public library directory to help people find their local library.
Promotional resources
To support your promotional and social media activities, a range of resources is available to download.
Resources to download
Download posters, social media assets and digital signage.
Canva templates
These are also available as Canva templates. If your library has a Canva account, you can customise the templates and share them with your local community.
- Poster templates
- Landscape digital signage templates
- Portrait digital signage templates
- Social media image templates
- Social media story templates
Public library images
You are also welcome to use any of the images taken as part of the NSW public libraries photographic commission in your promotions. Throughout 2025 the State Library commissioned ten photographers to capture images and stories of library users from 65 libraries across regional NSW and metropolitan Sydney. Library users were invited to share personal stories about the libraries that have shaped their lives and identities.
Share your story
On Monday 23 February, the State Library launched an online portal inviting the public to share personal stories about the libraries that have shaped them. It might be a local library, a street library, a grand institution, a neighbour’s bookshelf or even a library of the imagination. Contributions from across the state (and beyond) will come together to celebrate the power of libraries.
Promoting the online portal
The online portal provides a great opportunity to collect stories about your libraries and what they mean to your community.
Use the promotional material provided to promote the online portal to your community. All the promotional material is available on Dropbox, and includes:
- promotional copy for use on your website and social media channels
- social media and online assets for use on your social posts and other digital platforms
- printable poster in A4 or A3 for display in your library - there is space to add your library logo
- digital signage in portrait and landscape for use on your library’s digital screens - there is space to add your library logo
- QR codes to add to your promotional material to easily direct people to the portal
- media release template - customise this template media release to send to your local media outlets to help spread the word.
Please tag the State Library in your social media posts so we can share them on our channels:
- Instagram: @statelibrarynsw - use the hashtags #StateLibraryNSW #StateLibrary #200Years #TheLibraryThatMadeMe #NSWPublicLibaries
- Facebook: @The State Library of New South Wales @statelibrarynsw
A short film featuring images and stories from library users is available for digital display in your library (file size 754 MB). Throughout 2025 the State Library commissioned ten photographers to capture images and stories of library users from 65 libraries across regional NSW and metropolitan Sydney. Library users were invited to share personal stories about the libraries that have shaped their lives and identities. This video shows some of these images and stories.
The commissioned photographs are also available in regional promotional kits. These kits make it easy for you to find and share stories about your local community and include a selection of local stories from both community members and high-profile writers and creatives sharing the libraries that have shaped them.
You can also order bookmarks to promote the online portal to your community.
At the State Library
The State Library is celebrating with a dynamic anniversary program of exhibitions, activations, talks and performances that will explore the surprising and transformative moments that have shaped this Library over 200 years. The program will be presented onsite, online and across the state.
The Library That Made Me book
The State Library’s major anniversary book The library that made me: 200 years of the State Library of NSW comprises an essay on the State Library’s history by Mitchell Librarian Richard Neville, an essay by Damien Webb Manager of the State Library’s Indigenous Engagement team on the bronze doors of the Mitchell Building, 59 commissioned pieces by well-known Australians (authors, creatives, leading identities) reflecting on the libraries that made them, and a photo-essay showcasing a day in the life of the State Library.
Every council in NSW has been sent a copy for their collection.
Our Public Programs team is developing a book tour for 4-5 libraries in NSW. Contributors to the book will be invited to speak alongside local talent where appropriate.
Celebrate the power of libraries in your own way
We encourage you to host your own local events or storytelling sessions that showcase the impact your library has had on your community. These can be large or small and might feature local authors, artists, community identities and library users with fascinating stories.
The State Library is partnering with ABC Radio (Sydney and statewide) to help promote the online portal and membership drive. This may include live interviews, listener call-ins, on-air competitions, and involvement in local events and coverage in your region. We’ll keep you posted on any local opportunities that arise.