Helen Parsons reports - "The shelves are very empty. And the walls are being plastered and painted as we sell off our beautiful architect designed bookshelves. Roger and I and a couple of staff are still working because we still have some sale price library orders to complete.
The library at the National Gallery in Canberra
"The story behind our supply of New Zealand art books to the Library at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra is that many, many years ago I lugged two very heavy suitcases of New Zealand Art publications to an NZ/Australia Art Librarians conference in Perth
It was early days of computers and I remember that the the librarians asked if I could supply my lists so they read alphabetically. I had no idea of how to make the computer do that.
I had gone to the conference at the behest of Devon Sinclair; she was Librarian at the Fine Arts Library at Ilam, University of Canterbury
One of those Australian librarians remembered me when she started a new job at Canberra and we began to supply them with all New Zealand
The Library at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra has a superb research collection of New Zealand
The loss of this very fine bookshop is a blow to the arts and literary community but how nice to think that so much of the remaining stock has finished up in libraries where it is available to all.
Farewell Roger and Helen. Good luck for your retirement and all your tramping plans Roger, and all the best Helen for your ongoing library supply business.
