This collection was conceived as a result of a commitment by the Library in the 1950s to the development of a specialised children's literature collection. The collection contains current and retrospective children's books and related material which have contributed to the cultural heritage of Australian children, as well as reference books and periodicals. Although the main emphasis has been on publishing from Australia, Great Britain and the United States of America, materials from Europe and Asia have also been acquired. Languages other than English are represented in a separate collection. The archives of this international organisation are also included and will continue to be received.
Items range from rare and valuable publications to inexpensive ones.
The scope of the collection was broadened in the 1960s to include materials such as penny dreadfuls, comics, posters, printed games, greeting cards, paper dolls and other ephemera relating to childhood, as well as realia such as lead animals, tops, and wooden puzzles. In the 1980s the range of materials was again diversified to encompass other non-print materials, including spoken word and music cassettes, and children's films. Microfiche copies of rare items are also acquired. School books from past centuries have always been collected, but more recently, textbooks for Australian children dating from the late 19th century have been represented. The reference books and periodicals collection also dates from the late 1950s and consists of books, bibliographies, indexes, periodicals, microforms and other reference materials on children's literature and other related subjects.