Self-Guided Visits and Trails
| Duration | 2 hours |
|---|---|
| Year level | F–2 3–4 5–6 7–8 9-10 11-12 |
| Cost | Free (bookings essential) |
| Availability | Monday-Friday during term time 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm, 2:00pm and 3:00pm |
| Capacity | 100 |
Planning to bring your students to the Library? Registrations are now open for 2026!
Whether it be a city excursion, school camp, research project or exhibition viewing, the Library offers free timed sessions for self-guided groups to explore the Library at your leisure!
With a selection of Victorian 2.0 curriculum-linked, self-guided trails available, there is something for all ages to discover the Library’s magnificent spaces, exhibitions and treasured collections.
Upon booking, you will receive access to the associated student worksheet and teacher reference guide. For further questions, please contact the Library's Education Team at education@slv.vic.gov.au.
School trails
When you book, you can choose from the following trails:
Welcome to the Library trail
Explore Australia’s oldest and busiest public library in the Welcome to the Library trail. Students will explore our iconic spaces, learn about the history of State Library Victoria, and discuss the wider role of libraries within the community including how the Library collects and cares for all our stories.
Pathways to Research: Library services and collections trail
Explore how Victoria’s oldest and busiest public library can help your students with their next research project. In this self-guided trail, students will examine how the Library can help them research a topic of their choice. Students explore key spaces in the library and are encouraged to engage with a variety of items from our collection to set them up for research success.
Please note: For a rich research experience Secondary school students should have a phone or device handy to complete a variety of research tasks during the trail.
'World of the Book' exhibition trail
Explore the Library’s iconic spaces and the Library's collection of rare and unique works on display in the World of Book exhibition. Through a series of activities students will discover how books are keepers of ideas, knowledge and stories. They will reflect on the lasting impact of books—from shaping cultural identity and sparking imagination to influencing how we record history and share human experience.
Victorian Curriculum 2.0
State Library Victoria offers curriculum-aligned programs to support teachers and foster meaningful student engagement and understanding. This program meets several content descriptors depending on your chosen trail including English, Humanities and the Arts. Please download curriculum documentation below for a full outline of the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 aligned content descriptors for each trail.
Self-guided guidelines:
- Students are to break into small groups of up to ten.
- Adult supervision is required for years Preschool to Year 7, per small group.
- Please be mindful of other visitors, by moving one small group through a space at a time.
- Students remain the responsibility of teachers at all times.
The booking process
Simply click on the Book Now button and you will be directed to our online booking page where you can select a date and time.
Size of booking
A maximum of 100 students can be allocated to one booking time and program via the online booking system.
Kindly note that if you require any adjustments to the booking time or group size, please contact the Education Team at education@slv.vic.gov.au and we will do our best to accommodate within the parameters of our programming.
Preparing for your visit
See our Plan a School Visit page for information on visiting the Library, including bus parking, locker availability and safety requirements. Contact the Education Team at education@slv.vic.gov.au for any further questions.
State Library Victoria is committed to being a child safe organisation. Please view our child safe code of conduct for more information.
Funding opportunity for low-ICSEA schools
Schools with an ICSEA ranking below 1020 may be eligible for our Access Education Funding to support the cost of attending a facilitated program at State Library Victoria. To view our full suite of facilitated programs please visit the Schools page. Check your school’s ICSEA on the My School website to see if you are eligible. Then, contact the Education Team at education@slv.vic.gov.au to learn how to book as an Access Education group.
If you have any questions about this program, please contact the Education Team at education@slv.vic.gov.au or call 8664 7555. A member of our team will be happy to assist you.
