In 1974 Lu Rees, then President of the ACT Branch of The Children's Book Council of Australia, proposed to the other branches, that the ACT Branch would begin a collection of biographical files on Australian children's authors and illustrators and a collection of their works. Lu Rees offered her personal collection of several hundred works "as a first step." The collection was maintained in the home of a member of The Children's Book Council of Australia, and developed with donations mainly from Children's Book Council of Australia members. In 1979, in response to the International Year of the Child, Lu Rees initiated a plan to collect overseas translated editions of Australian authors. In 1980, Belle Alderman first suggested that the collection, which had outgrown the home of Lu Rees, could be housed at the Canberra College of Advanced Education, where it could be accessed by students and researchers. In the same year, the Library of the Canberra College of Advanced Education, under Chief Librarian the late Victor Crittenden O.A.M., agreed to house the collection, catalogue the resources and provide in kind support. At the time of handing over in July 1980, the collection became known as the Lu Rees Archives, after its founder. The collection then held around 1000 books and 50 research files on authors and illustrators. In 1981 Australian publishers agreed to donate their children's books, a practice which has continued. Lu Rees, who received both an M.B.E. and was created a member of the Order of Australia for her services to children's literature, died on 23 January 1983. Posthumously, Mrs Rees was awarded the Dromkeen Medal for services to children's literature.
Management
Since 1983, the Archives has been managed by the , members of which include representatives of the local and national Children's Book Council of Australia, the University of Canberra Library, national and public libraries and tertiary institutions in Canberra, as well as those managing the Archives and its activities. The Children's Book Council of Australia ACT Branch took over management of the Archives in 1990. The following year, the University and The Children's Book Council of Australia ACT Branch signed a formal agreement outlining roles and responsibilities, and the agreement was renewed in 2003. Up until 1989, when the University of Canberra Library was restructured, part-time staffing was available from the Library, and until a part-time position funded by The Children's Book Council of Australia began in 1995, administration of the Archives was undertaken by volunteers. Management of the Archives is guided by the . An honorary position of Collections Development Manager has existed since 1990 and , Emeritus Professor of Children's Literature, has occupied this position since its establishment.
Collections
An outline of the collection development objectives can be found in the current , the Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children's Literature Strategic Plan, and on the webpage The Lu Rees Archives has collected material by and about Australian children's book authors and illustrators, including manuscripts, artworks, books, artifacts, reference material, theses, rare books, periodicals, and over featuring thirty different categories of materials. The Archives houses two publishers' archives, the and Omnibus Books, and has extensive photographic and audio material relating to Australian children's literature. An ongoing project to develop 'Artwork Frameworks' to record artwork held by the Archive to aid with cataloguing and research began in 2009. An aim of the Archives is to collect all the individual editions of published works.
To assist researchers, the Archives staff have created unique and in 2010, the Archives "assisted 393 clients who visited or contacted the archives".
The Archives have presented a number of significant events celebrating Australian children's authors and their works, including:
*In 2001, the Archives established the annual 'Walter McVitty Lectures,' sponsored by the National Museum of Australia, which ran for three years.
*In 2007, The Words... Pictures... Book! Exhibition.
*In 2011, a celebration of Australian children's books in translation featuring Emily Rodda, an exhibition of Archives original artwork and cataloguing of 470 books in 30 languages.
In 2009, a report on behalf of the National Executive of The Children's Book Council of Australia by Marj Kirkland, found the Archives provided an "exceptional repository of knowledge and heritage related to Australian children's literature, whose existence should never be endangered".
In a significance report, an external expert, Graeme Powell, identified the significance of the Archives as follows:
*its book collection post-1960 is comparable to National and State Libraries.
*its collection of translated works are among Australia's strongest
*its 400 comprehensive research files on authors and illustrators are "unmatched" in Australia.
*its manuscripts and artworks feature Australia's most important creators and "is of considerable value to researchers studying the artistic development of particular illustrators."
*its resources are open access and this is valued by researchers.
Funding
The National Executive of The Children's Book Council of Australia funds one part-time administrative officer, and the ACT Branch provides an annual donation.
Donations – In 1988, the Archives achieved deductible gift recipient status, with eligibility to receive gifts under the including monetary donations. Members of the public also support the Archives with donations.
In kind support for the archives has been offered by the University of Canberra, and is part of a formal agreement between the University Library and The Children's Book Council of Australia.
To secure the future of The Lu Rees Archives, "the Archives aims to create an endowment fund of $1,000,000 by 2020".
Volunteers
The Archives has a strong volunteer body with various expertise who pursue specific projects and progress the strategic plan. The volunteer program is permanent and essential to daily functioning of the Archive. Currently, the positions of Collections Development Manager, and Editor of the 'Lu Rees Archives : Notes, Books and Authors' Journal, are voluntary. In 2010, volunteers contributed over 2013 hours of unpaid work to the archives.
Publications
journal, begun in 1981, is published once per year and contains articles by authors, illustrators and publishers on children's literature, as well as news from the Archive. The Archives and are available online.
Access
The Archives has an extensive website http://www.canberra.edu.au/lu-rees, and information on how to access . The Archives is open two days per week, and allows access at other times by appointment.
