Access All Areas

In this video series, join CEO Kate Torney for exclusive insights into her most cherished collection items, spaces (including some that even staff can't access!), legends and legacies at State Library Victoria.

From the dizzy heights of the rooftop to the atmospheric depths of the catacombs, Access All Areas gives you an insider's access to restricted Library spaces, along with a heady dose of Library lore.

With each episode we'll offer suggestions for further reading and browsing. Click on the individual episodes below to follow your curiosity wherever it may lead.

About Kate Torney

Kate Torney has been CEO at State Library Victoria since 2015. Prior to this, she spent six years as the Director of News at ABC, capping off a 20-year career there. A testament to her passion for creativity and knowledge, Kate serves on the boards of Circus Oz, The Conversation and the Judith Neilson Institute of Journalism and Ideas. In 2020, she was awarded an Order of Australia for her services to broadcast media and to the cultural sector.

Watch episodes of Access All Areas 

• The dais: the intricate timber structure at the heart of the domed La Trobe Reading Room.
• Ribbon of words: meditative quotations about books, libraries and reading inscribed into the dome's walls.
• The roof: seven levels above the streets of Melbourne!
• The dome balconies: furnishing the dome and our daydreams alike.
• The card catalogue: a marriage of exquisite penmanship, vital recordkeeping and heady atmosphere.
• Favourites from the Cowen Gallery: three distinctive paintings linked by the theme of fire.
• Dome furniture: the enduring delight of the dome's well-worn timber chairs and desks.
• Highlights from our World of the book exhibition: our oldest item and our oldest book!
• Birds of America: discover how this masterpiece came to land at the Library.
• Whitman letters: heartfelt correspondence between one of America's most important poets and a Melburnian friend.