Collections

Adult fiction

The adult fiction collection is intended to supply all standard contemporary works and selected classic novels to accommodate as many reading interests, tastes and levels as possible. The collection therefore includes bestsellers, classics, genre fiction (e.g mystery, western, science fiction, fantasy, romance, etc.), as well as other titles of merit or interest.

Adult fiction is arranged on the shelves alphabetically by the author's surname.

For ease of browsing, books in popular genres are clearly identified with the following spine labels:

Audio-visual

The audio-visual collections include DVDs, videos, music CDs, talking books on CD and cassette, and language kits.

Selection for the various audio-visual collections is aimed at providing recreational viewing and listening and instructional materials to complement and/or supplement the book collections.
 

Community Languages

The library holds a range of community language materials. Included are books, magazines, DVDs, videos and music CDs. This collection is shelved separately from the English language collection and contains adult fiction and non-fiction, junior fiction and non-fiction and picture books.

How to find an item in your language
Each language has its own identification prefix on the spine of the item (book, video, DVD, etc.). Fiction book labels also have the first four letters of the author's surname and non-fiction books are given a Dewey number. Children's books are marked with a 'J'.

• ARA - Arabic
• CHI - Chinese
• GRE - Greek ITA - Italian
• KOR - Korean
• SPA - Spanish
• VIE - Vietnamese

We can borrow books for you in your own language from the State Library of NSW. Please ask at your local library for help. This is a free service. Download the brochure "Do you need books in your language?" to find out more.

Easies and picture books

This collection is aimed at children up to 7 years of age. It consists of Picture books, board books, early reading material, big books, and pop-up books.
 

Family History

Have you ever wondered when your descendants came to Australia, or if you are related to the Royal Family, or a humble convict? Find out by using our Family History Collection at Campsie library. We have birth, death and marriage records, shipping records, the Sands Directory, the International Genealogical Index and many other useful resources for budding genealogists.

Located at Campsie Library, the Family History Collection is a specialized collection of research material designed to guide beginners wanting to research their family tree as well as the more experienced.

Included in the collection:

• Books on various aspects of family research
• Birth, Death and Marriage indexes for all Australian States
• Sands Sydney and NSW Directory 1858 - 1933
• Colonial Secretary's Papers 1788 - 1825
• International Genealogical Indexes (IGI)
• Cemetery records
• Selected early electoral rolls
• Passenger and shipping lists

Graphic Novels

Located in the Youth Zone at Campsie Library this collection is primarily aimed at older teenagers and upwards.

The collection features a wide range of titles from popular comic publishers including Marvel, DC, Vertigo and Dark Horse.  It also features a variety of Japanese manga titles.

The books are arranged on the shelves alphabetically by the author's surname.

HSC Collection

We have a large number of reader guides and study guides for texts that HSC students may currently be studying. The loan period for items in this collection is overnight only so resources are readily available.
 

Junior fiction

The junior fiction collection is aimed at children of ages 5 to 12 years.

The collection is made up of fiction catering to the interests of these ages.  This includes classics, award winners (Australian and world wide), TV and movie tie-ins, and popular series.

The books are arranged on the shelves alphabetically by the author's surname.
 

Large print and talking books

For people with poor eyesight, the library has an extensive collection of books in larger print, and many talking books (books on cassette or CD).

Large print and talking books are selected to ensure that a representative range of titles and genres is available. As this collection is principally used by the elderly, selection will take into consideration the special needs and tastes of that group.

Large print books are arranged on the shelves alphabetically by the author's surname.

Learning English

Canterbury City Library has a large collection of English as a Second Language (ESL) materials designed to help people learn the English language OR improve their command of English.

Books and kits (books with cassettes, CDs and/or videos) in this collection have been graded and colour coded in order to assist readers in choosing the materials suited to their level of English language competency:

These materials help people to learn or improve various skills, such as:

• Pronunciation Skills - kits help people learn the correct pronunciation of words, the sound, stress and rhythm of the language.
• Listening Skills - kits to help improve the person's listening skills and understanding of the spoken word.
• Reading Skills - these materials help develop and/or improve reading skills.
• Writing Skills - includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, letter writing, filling in forms and taking messages.

Local History

The Local History Collection is a specialized collection containing material covering all the historic and contemporary aspects of the Canterbury district.

The Canterbury Local Studies Centre is located in the Reference area of Campsie Library and contains all the information you need about Canterbury's past. As well as historical documents, the Collection includes maps, Council records, photographs and more contemporary documents such as Environmental Impact Statements.

The material includes:

• Books / Periodicals
• Reports on local issues eg. Wolli Creek preservation, F5 Freeway, Cooks River
• Local newspapers, current and back issues
• Clippings file containing cuttings and ephemera of local interest.
• Pictorial material including photographs, posters etc.
• Maps and plans; Local council papers
• Archives, such as personal papers and records of local organisations

The collection is housed at the Local Studies Centre which is located within the Reference Library at Campsie Library.  The collection is not for loan, however photocopying facilities are available. Telephone enquiries can be made on (02) 9789 9380.
 

Newspapers and magazines

Newspapers
The library currently receives the local newspapers and a selection of the most popular daily metropolitan newspapers. These include:

Local Newspapers:

• Cooks River Valley Times
• Bankstown - Canterbury Torch
• Canterbury - Bankstown Express

Metropolitan Newspapers:

• The Australian
• Australian Financial Review
• Daily Telegraph
• Sydney Morning Herald

Copies of local newspapers are held indefinitely. The Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian and the Australian Financial Review are held until available on microfilm.

Newspapers in the following community languages are also available and are held for approximately one week - Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Magazines
General, popular and specialist magazines are purchased with an emphasis where possible on providing the Australian edition. Generally, popular periodicals are available for loan, while the more technical periodicals are housed in the Reference Collection.

Community language magazines of general interest are currently purchased in the following languages - Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Junior and Young Adult magazines are purchased in general interest areas.
 

Non-fiction

Non fiction books are selected for their current popular value, their level of use or demand, or the importance of their subject matter. The library aims to provide the community with as wide a range of information as possible.

The Non-fiction collection has both adult and junior material interfiled. Books are arranged on the shelves numerically using the Dewey Decimal Classification.

The broad Dewey numerical categories are as follows:

Paperback collection

The library has a collection of miscellaneous paperbacks, mainly consisting of genre fiction, but also including a small number of non-fiction titles.  For ease of browsing, books in some of the popular genres are identified with the following spine labels:  

Romances	Historical fiction	Westerns	Short Stories	Science Fiction
Mysteries	Fantasy fiction	War stories	Thrillers	Human Interest

Reference Library

Material in the Reference Library is not for loan, and must be used in the library.  The collection contains a wide range of encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, atlases, yearbooks, maps and general information resources.  It also includes:

• Newspaper Collection, including back issues of the 'Sydney Morning Herald', the 'Australian' and the 'Australian Financial Review' (1987 to date) and an incomplete collection from earlier years, including both world war periods.
• Extensive Pamphlet File, which includes pamphlets and brochures on a variety of past and current topics.
• Statistical data including Census information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
• Journals and periodicals covering a wide range of subjects.
• Past HSC papers, criticisms and bibliographies.
• Local Studies Collection

Toy Collection

The Toy Collection has been selected for children up to 8 years of age. Library members may borrow one toy per library card. Please ask staff if you would like to view the collection.
 

Young Adult Fiction

The young adult fiction collection is aimed at the people aged from 13 to 18 years of age.

The collection is made up of fiction catering to the interests of these ages, popular fiction, Award winners (Australian and world wide), TV and movie tie-ins, and Series literature in paperback.

The books are arranged on the shelves alphabetically by the author's surname.