The Library
Pop culture curiosities from Australia’s screen and sound history.
Lose yourself in the Library, a treasure box of the National Film and Sound Archive’s most wondrous and whimsical artefacts.
An Art Deco marvel, the restored Library now houses more than 280 objects drawn from the national collection. History, culture and curiosity meet in unexpected ways, with soft toys and everyday gadgets displayed alongside rare early artefacts. Together, they trace how Australians have watched, listened and shared stories across screen, sound and media culture over time.
Discover iconic objects such as flipbooks, View-Masters, gramophones, boomboxes and an iPod Shuffle. Take a nostalgic detour through children’s television favourites including Bobo the Clown, Skippy, Romper Room and Fat Cat. Australian music and sound culture also features, with artefacts linked to Dame Nellie Melba, Kylie Minogue, Kamahl and Yothu Yindi, alongside material from the newsreel era, amateur filmmaking and Australian classics.
Open daily and free to explore, the Library rewards curiosity at any pace.
Opening hours
General
Daily 10 am—4 pm
Closed Christmas Day
Closed New Year’s Day
Explore our other spaces
Dom’s deli & bar
Modern deli and bar serving locally roasted coffee, pastries and signature sandwiches by day, transforming into an intimate wine bar by night.
Gallery
Visit the Gallery to view film and sound exhibits and special one-off exhibitions in a classic Canberra Art Deco space built in 1930.
Our building
Discover highlights and curiosities from Australia’s audiovisual history throughout our Art Deco building.
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