History of the Library
The Conjoint libraries are located on the first floor
of the James Edward Neild House, next door to the Victorian Artists'
Society. The James Edward Neild House was formerly the property of
the Australian Medical Association at 426 Albert Street and was acquired
by the Hospital in June 1969. James Edward Neild was the inaugural
President of the Hospital and was also a long serving editor of the
Australian Medical Journal.
In 1890 the Australian Medical Journal in Melbourne
published a catalogue of books and journals in Melbourne libraries,
brought about by Sir James Barrett. The subject of this material was
on the physiology and pathology of the eye, ear and throat.
At the instigation of Dr
RF Lowe and Dr KG Howsam, Medical Superintendent of The Victorian
Eye and Ear Hospital (granted Queen's patronage in 1960) and with
the cooperation of the Committee of Management a professional librarian
was appointed in 1954.
The Ophthalmological Society of Australia,
the forerunner of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of
Ophthalmologists was founded in 1938 and the first volume of the Society's
annual volume was published in 1939. Reciprocal exchanges in return
for the Transactions of the Ophthalmological Society of Australia
began and were stored in boxes at the Society's head office in Sydney.
In 1953, after a request from Dr Lowe, the journals were transferred
from Sydney to the hospital and The Conjoint Libraries of The Victorian
Eye & Ear Hospital and the Ophthalmological Society of Australia
(BMA) was created.
Today the library still receives over 35 opthalmological
journals from round the world in exchange for Clinical and Experimental
Ophthalmology (previously The Australian and New Zealand Journal
of Ophthalmology). New exchanges are still being initiated.
The Ophthalmological Society of Australia collections
were based on the libraries of Sir James Barrett, Dr E Gault, Dr George
Brew, Dr Arthur Joyce, Dr DV Giri, Dr M Schneider and Dr R Angus.
Dr Lowe was a member of The Royal Victorian Eye &
Ear Hospital Library Committee since its inception and served as Chairman
of the Committee at various intervals until his retirement due to
ill health in September 1997. He was Chairman of The
Ophthalmological Society of Australia's Library Committee from
1953 to 1961 when he became Honorary Librarian. He resigned as Honorary
Librarian of the College in September 1997 due to illness. On 27 September
1982, the Committee of Management decided to name The Royal Victorian
Eye & Ear Hospital Medical Library, The Ronald Lowe Library, to
honour Dr Lowe's long and dedicated involvement.
In September 1995 the Library launched its internet
home page, initially located at the University of Melbourne Department
of Ophthalmology, thanks to the hospitality of Professor Hugh Taylor.
It was relocated to the RVEEH domain at http://www.rveeh.vic.gov.au/library/
in August 1996.
In February 2000, Judith Quilter retired as Chief Librarian
after an amazing 30 years service to the library. This dedication
has been rewarded by her receiving a Medal in the Order of Australia
in the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours list.
Victorian Doctors in training gave the library 5 stars
in a survey conducted by Australian Medical Association
Victorian Branch in 2002.
"Residents regard the library as the finest eye and ear medical library
in the country..."
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