The NSW Fellows will be travelling collectively to the USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Europe, South Africa, China, Mexico, Chile, Ireland, Singapore, South Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Israel to investigate a range of topics and issues.
With the aim of benchmarking the balance of access, security and preservation for significant library collections, Ms Stevens said: “I will be researching the best way for the State Library to protect its collection, given that we have to provide it to researchers and whenever you open up a collection, there’s a risk of damage.
“We also don’t allow bags in here plus have some additional security measures but I am hoping to learn from the best around the world when it comes to protecting a library’s assets,” she said.
Five decades ago, just four weeks after the death of Sir Winston Churchill on February 28, 1965, the ‘Churchill Memorial Sunday’ doorknock appeal was held across Australia.
The concept, endorsed by Churchill before he died, was to raise funds for Fellowships bearing his name, for ordinary people – providing a unique opportunity to travel, learn, and bring knowledge back to their country.
Such was the admiration and respect that Australian fighting men and women of World War II held for Churchill, that this became the greatest one-day doorknock in Australian history.
Funds collected from everyday Australians together with donations from Government and Australian companies, totalled the princely sum of 2,206,000 pounds ($4,412,000).
Since the inception of the Churchill Trust, more than 4,400 Australians have identified projects where overseas research allowed them to bring back vital networks and skills.
Win to study world’s best library systems
ASHFIELD resident Philippa Stevens is one of 24 NSW residents who will travel around the world in 2020 as recipients of the Churchill Fellowship award.