The State Library has a primary role of collecting, preserving and providing access to the story of South Australia through published and unpublished texts, images, audiovisual and other information media.
The State Library is committed to providing the widest possible access to information for all South Australians whether they visit the State Library in person, online, by phone or are seeking information through local public libraries.
Reference, research, and document delivery services are provided by the State Library to public libraries and their customer free of charge. The strong partnership with public libraries will be developed further through a range of collection development and other initiatives.
The State Library contributes holdings information to the Libraries Australia database and, where possible, provides document delivery access to collection materials for libraries throughout Australia and around the world.
The State Library is committed to working collaboratively with other libraries and collecting institutions, through membership of peak bodies such as the Council of Australian State Libraries, to:
We intended to provide all State Library customers, staff and other libraries with a clear understanding of the State Library’s collection development priorities. The policy also forms part of the public accountability of the State Library of South Australia to the people of the state whose taxes fund it.