Following a generous donation of $ 1500 from the William Angliss Charitable Fund, the State Library has been enabled to proceed with plans to establish a Conservation Department. Deterioration of books and unique documents, along with the destruction of other rare objects, has become a matter of wide concern and conservation programmes to repair the ravages of time and to arrest further decay are being adopted all over the world. So far developments at the State Library are at an early stage, but basic equipment including a large guillotine and laboratory utensils have been acquired by means of the Angliss gift, and fumigation equipment for the prevention of insect attack and mould will also be installed. A craftsman is already at work in quarters set apart for the purpose, repairing documents from the La Trobe Library collections. In time the Library hopes to acquire the services of trained personnel who will be able to attack the more complex problems of conservation and offer a service to the community at large. Those who have observed with sorrow the effects of neglect on our literary heritage will have no doubt of the need for such a service.

The Friends, on whose initiative the approach was made to the Angliss Fund, associate themselves with the Library Council of Victoria in expressing warm gratitude to Lady Angliss and her fellow-trustees.

is a section of the State Library of Victoria and is Victoria's Chief research-centre and reference library for Australian history and literature. It is the State's principal repository for manuscript material, historical paintings, newspapers, etc., relating to the history of Australia and the Pacific and especially Victoria.

is a society founded in 1966. Its aims are to publicise the Library, to attract financial support for it, to help to fill gaps in the book-collection, and to encourage the donation of manuscript and other material.

With regard to the last objective, the Friends seek to locate diaries, letters and other family or institutional papers which have survived, and to acquire such material for the Library or to arrange to have it photo-copied by negotiation with the owners.

The Friends' Patrons are H. E. The Governor, Sir Henry Winneke, K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., O.B.E., K.St.J., Q.C. (Patron-in-Chief); Hon. R. J. Hamer, E.D., M.L.A.; Hon. Sir Henry Bolte, G.C.M.G.; the Lady Casey; Professor R. M. Crawford.

The Friends' office-bearers are: President, Professor A. G. L. Shaw; Vice President, Dr. Geoffrey Serle; Hon. Treasurer, S. R. C. Wood, Esq., D.F.C.; Hon. Secretary, John Holroyd, Esq.; Librarian, Miss Kathleen Young (La Trobe Librarian).

New Friends will be welcomed, especially if they are prepared to be active. The annual subscription is $12 (which includes the Journal). The Friends' address is State Library of Victoria, Swanston Street, Melbourne. 3000.

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