What's on

View the Library's current and upcoming workshops, events, talks and exhibitions. Join us in person or online (where available).

A vast, semi-arid landscape revealing orange dirt, green shrubbery, and a small hill peaking with a cluster of large rocks.
Revealing Riversleigh

This exhibition presents fossils from Riversleigh World Heritage Area that provide unique insights into the processes that shaped Australia’s present biodiversity.

Exhibition:
Exhibition on display from 29 September 2025.
Level 5 Main Library

 

In person
Two Library Peer Mentors standing next to the Library Peer Mentors sign in the Main Library foyer. They are in green uniforms and smiling at the camera.
Library Peer Mentors

Need help with your academic studies and university life? Drop in or book ahead during term time.

Library Peer Mentors are available at Main, Law and Paddington Libraries.

Register for our weekly activities and chat about the week's topic with free afternoon tea.

Find out more.

In person
A group of students are in discussion. They are sitting at a large group study desk next to a window, on Level 2 Main Library.
Mental Health Month

This October, join the Library for a month of free events:

  • Caffeine, cookies and conversations
  • Create cute bag charms at Paddington Library
  • Chess in the Library
  • Sprinkle some Magic: Cupcake decorating!
  • Open Studio: Windows in Time

Explore our events and register.

In person
An ancient bone fragment protuding from the ground. Other bone fossils are visible.
Beyond the Glass: Fossil Stories

To celebrate National Fossil Day, a special guest from the UNSW School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences will share insights into the fossil specimens and records featured in Revealing Riversleigh.

Wednesday 15 October, 12.30pm-1.15pm.

Registration required.

In person
Close up of a student reaching down mid-game to pick up a large chess piece from the giant chess board.
Chess in the Library

Did you know playing chess can improve your memory, deepen your focus and boost your planning skills? Join members of the UNSW Chess Club to play some casual chess, meet new friends and have fun.

Thursday 16 October 2pm - 4pm.
Main Library

Drop-in event, no registration required.

In person
A jumble of discarded circuit boards and electronic components, revealing the raw materials of technology
Technological Revolution

This display features materials surveying 20th century advancements in automation, globalisation and access to information that reshaped society and the economy.  

Exhibition:
Until 20 October
UNSW Art & Design Paddington Library

In person
Collage of images with people in conversations
Publishing your research: What you need to know

Are you looking to publish research? Do you know how to make your work open access and retain your author rights?

Join us for an approachable introduction to publishing your work.

  • Wednesday 22 October, 10am - 11am
  • Thursday 27 November, 12pm - 1pm

Register now.

Online
A close up of a book in UNSW Library's special collections.
Through the Lens: In conversation with Special Collections

This Revealing Riversleigh special event is a spotlight talk and public viewing of significant palaeontological illustrations by Sir Richard Owen held in UNSW Library’s Special Collections.

Wednesday 22 October, 3pm-4pm.

Registration required.

In person
A close up of students' hands holding their cupcakes decorated with icing. The cupcakes are colourful, including a pink pig cupcake, chocolate monster cupcakes, and green and blue dinosaure cupcakes.
Sprinkle some Magic: Cupcake decorating!

Join us for an enchanting afternoon at the Library Peer Mentor Cookie and Cupcake Decorating Extravaganza! Transform plain treats into edible masterpieces.

Main Library:

  • Wednesday 29 October, 3pm - 4pm
  • Thursday 30 October, 3pm - 4pm

Registration required.

In person
Close up of a table with watercolour paints and someone creating a colourful painting of different coloured rocks.
Open Studio: Windows in Time

Join us for an afternoon of observation, curiosity, and watercolour painting inspired by Revealing Riversleigh. This event is proudly part of UNSW Mental Health Month 2025.

Thursday 30 October, 2.30pm - 4.30pm.

Registration required. 

In person
Close up of a hand embroidering on a piece of grey fabric attached to a piece of denim. The grey fabric resembles the shape of a rock.
Open Studio: Homage to a Rock

Join us for an afternoon of observation, curiosity, and stitching inspired by Revealing Riversleigh.

Tuesday 4 November, 2.30pm-4.30pm.

Registration required. 

In person
Two students browsing books on the Main Library collection shelves.
Discover your Library

Did you know UNSW Library is the perfect place to start your study journey? Join us for a tour of Main Library!

Wednesday 12 November, 2pm - 3pm.

Limited sessions available, registration required.

In person
An illustration of black fracturing lines interspersed with white circles, with a colour gradient shifting from pale red to green in the background
Yanyiminga muday Ngurrawa / Walk softly on Country with me

This display of artworks is an invitation to engage with the beauty and depth of Dharug language and the rich cultural narratives it carries.

Exhibition:
Until November 2025
Level 3, Main Library

In person
A colour illustration of a Tasmania tiger, a dog-like animal with a sandy-brown coat, and dark stripes on its back
Drawn to Extinction

This visual legacy of the Tasmanian tiger is an icon of Australian folklore, as well as a cautionary tale imprinted onto our cultural memory.

Exhibition:
On display from 7 August 2025.
UNSW Law Library

In person
A librarian presenting in front of students inside the Law Library.
Library Hacks

Library Hacks are a series of workshops held at the start of each term for new and returning students. They familiarise you with everything the Library has to offer and help you develop key skills needed for success at UNSW.

Explore upcoming events.

In person