Melbourne Art Library

Nell Fraser

Abstract: Established in 2020, Melbourne Art Library (MAL) is a not-for-profit lending library that collects specialised art and design texts. Access is core to MAL’s mission - both ensuring that readers and makers can access specialised texts without needing to be affiliated with universities and other institutions, and ensuring that local artist-made texts and ephemera are collected and shared. MAL models an experimental approach to art librarianship, developing out of a mind-set of artist-run-initiatives and coupling DIY strategies with professional librarianship practice. Nell Fraser will speak to the importance of permeability and flexibility in the library’s development.

About: Nell Fraser is the founder of Melbourne Art Library, where she is a Library Coordinator. Nell is passionate about community engagement with local histories. She has worked across cultural collections in Canberra and Melbourne, most recently as the General Manager at the Castlemaine Art Museum. Nell is a librarian, with a background in Art History and Theory.