Physical Collections

The Main Collection reflects the broad offerings of the University and covers the largest range of course-related subjects and areas of general interest.

Highlights of the collection include materials covering:

• Australian history, politics and literature.
• English literature.
• World Wars, socialism, and fascism.
• Women and gender studies.
• Food studies.
• Medicine.
• Mathematics.
• Psychology.

This collection in particular is developing from the physical to the electronic and digital, offering our patrons wider access to library materials away from campus. This includes not only online books and journals, but also digitised primary source materials from rare and specialised collection worldwide, especially developed digitised resources, and streamed music and visual materials.

The Main Collection is constantly growing to meet the diverse teaching and research needs of our University community. You will find the Main Collection spread across all of the libraries.

The High Use Collection contains items that are in high demand (such as textbooks and required reading). They have a short loan period to ensure that all students are able to access course-related books when needed. Learn more about the High Use Collection.

The Music Collection is one of the largest classical music collections in Australia. It is comprised of reference works, books, journals, CDs, DVDs, LPs, collected editions and historical sets (monumenta), and performance and study scores.

This collection brings together the former collections of the Elder Music Library. In 2002 during its previous incarnation, the Performing Arts Library, the Elder Music Library amalgamated with the Barr Smith Library Music Collection, the Fulton Library of the South Australian College of Advanced Education, and the Flinders Street School of Music.

The Music Collection is held on Level 1 South of the Barr Smith Library. Facilities include: insulated listening booths with specialist audio equipment, an electric keyboard, and computers with Sibelius software.

Access is also available to a large range of e-resources via Library Search.

Yaitya Ngutupira comes from the Kaurna language, meaning about Aboriginal knowledge. Yaitya Ngutupira is a collection of physical and digital items from across the library, brought together on the themes of linguistics, music, art, native title, health, social justice, politics, and biographical and cultural knowledge. The collection also highlights and presents books written by Indigenous authors and scholars.

Yaitya Ngutupira brings together University teaching and research through the provision of culturally appropriate and sensitive scholarly resources into cultural spaces that aim to support and embed Indigenous knowledge and shared learning.

Yaitya Ngutupira's dedicated study and reading areas for students, academics, and staff create ways to meet, engage, and share knowledge. Yaitya Ngutupira spaces are located at all three campus libraries - level 1 of the Barr Smith Library, Waite Library and Roseworthy Library.

View a short video about Yaitya Ngutupira and the cultural space  here:

Please note
Members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are advised that this collection may contain names and images of deceased people. All users should also be aware that certain words, terms or descriptions may be culturally sensitive and may be considered inappropriate today, but may have reflected the author’s/creator’s attitude or that of the period in which they were written. 

Artist: Mai-Sie Crawford-Owers
Description: Digital print 2018.
The artwork is a visual representation of a collection of Indigenous Knowledges. The piece depicts Aboriginal message sticks, traditionally used as an ancient form of communication in order to pass on knowledge between groups.
Artist Bio: Mai-Sie is a Barkindji woman from Far West NSW, with a growing passion for contemporary Aboriginal art and graphic design. Mai-Sie’s art is a visual representation of her journey of learning and furthering her knowledge of Aboriginal culture and traditions.

Reading for pleasure has been linked to significantly reduced stress levels, increased focus and concentration, a wider vocabulary, and higher levels of empathy and emotional intelligence.

The aim of this collection is to complement our existing literature collection (located in the 800s) with more up-to-date and popular titles. Highlights include:

• Graphic novels
• Popular fictional series
• Light non-fiction and biographies
• Hand-picked selections from the Main Collection on a rotating theme - currently displaying Australian authors

Located in the Level 2 Atrium at the Barr Smith Library (just outside the Reading Room), this collection is housed within a more relaxed environment (complete with comfortable wing-back chairs and lounges!) where our University community can take time out of their day and relax.

You can also browse the collection online.

The Pride Collection is a curated collection comprising a diverse mix of fiction, non-fiction, and self-help resources to cover all areas of gender and sexuality. This new collection contributes to the Library’s commitment to providing a safe and supportive environment for all students.

Located in the Level 2 Atrium at the Barr Smith Library (just outside the Reading Room), this collection can be found opposite the Recreational Reading Collection.

You can also browse the collection online.

The East Asian Collection brings together the University of Adelaide Library’s existing collections of Chinese and Japanese language material to support research and teaching, particularly in the areas of social sciences, literature and history.

It is made up of over 10,000 volumes of print materials acquired by the Library, as well as those generously donated over the years. Highlights include impressive sets of Japanese literature and specialist material covering the period of the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1970).

The East Asian Collection can be found on Level 1 South of the Barr Smith Library.

The Map Collection comprises a range of (mostly) historical print maps in areas such as geography, geology, planning, social, and census. It includes a large number of sheet maps, wall maps and atlases donated by the Geography and Geology departments of the University.  

The Map Collection is located on level 1 of the Barr Smith Library, although maps are also held in storage and in Rare Books and Special Collections. Learn more about finding and using maps.