For thousands of years, the Kaurna people of the Adelaide plains have told their stories and kept their memories of this place alive in their oral tradition. Today, a greeting stone by Uncle Lewis O’Brien of the Kaurna people at the entrance to the State Library welcomes visitors to a place that also keeps the memories of the state alive.
We exist to ensure that current and future generations enjoy, experience and learn from our South Australiana collections and world knowledge collected and preserved for their use; we provide research and information services, events and programs to enrich access to the collections.
The State Library of South Australia’s core purpose is to collect and maintain the documented history of the state and provide access that connects people with our resources and world knowledge. To support these, we contribute to the wellbeing of the state by providing culturally enriching opportunities to our communities.
The State Library is part of the Department for the Premier and Cabinet, led by Premier The Hon. Steven Marshall MP.
We encourage members of the community, organisations, and businesses to consider donating material for appraisal, especially South Australiana, to increase the depth and range of the library's collections.
Learn how we are preserving and conserving the State Library's collection for future generations to explore and research.
For all your research or reference queries our librarians are here to help you!