Assistance Finding Information

The State Library of Victoria can help you find information in various ways. Whether you're looking for answers to questions or trying to locate collection items, our staff can help you - both online and onsite - find the information you need.

What type of information can we help you with?

• finding facts and figures
• general inquiries about the Library's collections and services
• assistance with using the catalogue or databases
• locating Library items
• identifying appropriate information resources.

Find out about some of the questions we've answered >

Find out how we can help you locate items >

What can't we help you with?

• in-depth or detailed information requiring more than two hours of research
• research for school assignments
• lengthy newspaper searches
• detailed family history research.

What kind of help is available?

You can chat online via our Victorian chat service or the Australian and New Zealand chat service AskNow, fill out our online form, telephone us, write to us or send us a fax. If you are visiting the Library, you can ask for assistance at any of the information desks.

For a complete list of options see Ask Us! - Information & Research Help.

How long does it take?

Whether you're online or onsite, we can help you with quick facts straight away. If your question takes more time, we will refer it to the appropriate librarian who can do more in-depth research for up to two hours. This service can take up to ten working days.

Need specialist help?

If you need help locating original heritage items (such as maps, rare books, Australian manuscripts, pictures, children's literature) or would like to consult the Library's specialist in-house indexes and other research tools, you will need to speak to staff in the relevant collection, as well as view items by appointment.