In the past, several historical societies lent their collections for copying by the Library's Photographic Unit . The Library's own photographers document important events in Canberra and at the National Library. The Photographic Unit also photographs the works in the Library's collections for clients, particularly publishers. Original works of photographic art and the more valuable prints and negatives in the collection are not on open access, but stored between sheets of acid-free paper in map cabinets, drawers, manuscript boxes and in albums. This material is available for viewing by researchers on request.
Access is available through a catalogue record.
Most of the copy photographs are stored in compactus shelving in the Pictorial Reading Room . The general rule is that a 16 x 21 cm black and white print is placed in front of a piece of acid-free cardboard, and these are both slipped into a polyethylene envelope. Photographs are filed according to subject and place or alphabetical by surname for the Portraits collection. The list of subject headings is very loosely based on the Library of Congress List of subject headings, but this has neen adapted to meet the requirements of an Australian collection and to suit the needs of users. Copies of the list of headings are available for perusal.