State Library Victoria, Melbourne

State Library Victoria (SLV) serves as the principal library in Victoria, Australia. Situated in Melbourne, it was founded in 1854 under the name Melbourne Public Library, making it the oldest public library in Australia and one of the earliest free libraries in the world. It also boasts the distinction of being Australia's most frequented public library and, as of 2018, ranks as the fourth-most-visited library on a global scale.

The library has retained its original location in Melbourne's central business district since its inception, facing Swanston Street. The Library complex, completed in 1992, was built in phases. Joseph Reed's 1860 plan included a domed section facing Russell Street for the Museum and Gallery, which was mostly followed for a century. The southern front wing with the Queen's Reading Room (now Queen's Hall) was finished in 1859, while the northern section (now Hansen Hall) was added in 1864 by Abraham Linacre. Temporary halls and a pagoda were erected in 1866 for an exhibition, later housing the Industrial & Technological Museum of Victoria starting in 1870.

The library's extensive collection comprises more than five million items, encompassing not only books but also manuscripts, paintings, maps, photographs, and newspapers. It maintains a particular emphasis on materials related to Victoria, including the diaries of Melbourne's founders, John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner, the folios of Captain James Cook, and the armor of Ned Kelly.