The National Library of Australian (NLA) has joined the election spirit launching a public call for material from this and past elections to add it to its collection.
In a statement, the NLA said it was looking for printed campaign material, including flyers, letters to constituents, how-to-vote cards, stickers, badges, posters, or any other original published material to promote a party or candidate, or to lobby on election issues.
“Political ephemera provide a unique perspective into Australia’s social life and political landscape — the rise and fall of policies, issues, parties, and careers,” the Library said.
“The material produced by candidates, lobby groups, officials and journalists reporting the story is all important.”
It said the NLA’s Federal Election Ephemera Collection ranged from manifestos to the ‘unofficial’ Election Bean Poll — where café customers were invited to show their political preferences using coffee beans — to a complete digital archive of major party policies.
“By collecting 2019 Federal election ephemera, we can preserve and make accessible to political and social historians of the future, the stories of today,” the Library said.
“Thanks to our supporters, the National Library now has the largest collection of political memorabilia in Australia covering every Australian Federal election since Federation in 1901.”
Information on how to help the NLA expand its collection can be accessed on the Library’s website at this PS News link.
