Aboriginal Australian books and materials at Sutherland Shire Libraries will now be highlighted and easy to find with the launch of an exciting new collection.
The Aboriginal Australian collection was developed in consultation with members of the local Aboriginal community in a bid to make materials written by, and about, the lives of Indigenous Australians more visible than ever before.
"Sutherland Shire Libraries' collections contain a wealth of material about Aboriginal Australian society, history and perspectives," said Sutherland Shire Mayor, Councillor Carmelo Pesce.
"It is great to see Aboriginal authors are now prominently located in the library collection and easily available for students, researchers and people looking to read about Indigenous Australians.
"It's vital that our history and the voices of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are heard, now and into the future."
Items that are a part of the Aboriginal Australian collection can be identified by an Aboriginal flag on the spine of the book and range from non-fiction books that have met the standard of 'truth-telling', to fiction novels by authors identifying as Aboriginal Australian. They cover many topics including biographical works, history, art, traditions, social conditions, music, botany, ecology, environmentalism and land management.
Featured titles will also be prominently displayed in the library so that visitors can easily find new items in the evolving collection.
An official launch will be held at Sutherland Library on Thursday 5 September at 12pm, coinciding with the presentation of a family history workshop that aims to assist people with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestry to navigate their family tree.
