By George Ivanoff (Arts student 1986 89 - now an author of children's books)
A person's relationship with a library can be as important as a relationship with another person. In many ways, it is akin to friendship. A library can provide information; it can provoke thought; it can be a place to escape to; it can be a place for reflection; a library, in the right circumstances, can even provide solace. Sometime, of course, it can also be the source of much frustration, as that vital piece of information remains just beyond your grasp... even though you know it's there... somewhere.
I first walked into the Baillieu Library as an Arts student back in 1986. In the larger scheme of things, that's not all that long ago... but in my own personal timeframe, it seems like an age away. As a nervous and shy first year, lacking in confidence and feeling completely overwhelmed, the Baillieu Library was the first place within the University of Melbourne where I felt truly comfortable.
Over the course of my four years at the University, the Baillieu library was the place I always returned to. It was my most often visited part of the University. It was where I went to do research. It was where I went to write. It was where I went to think. And sometime, it was where I went just for a little peace and quiet.
After I finished my undergraduate studies, I went on to post graduate studies at Monash University. And while I used the library at Monash, I still frequently returned to the Baillieu. I felt comfortable there. Research and writing seemed to go just that little bit smoother in those familiar surrounds.
Since completing my studies, I made a brief return to the University of Melbourne as a web development consultant in the late 90s and early 2000s. And yes, you guessed it, I spent many a lunch break within the walls of the Baillieu.
These days I make my living as a writer. Kids' books mostly. I have two young daughters... so I don't get out as much as I used to. I don't come to the Baillieu as often any more. But every now and then... when I'm researching something for a book... or simply while I'm passing by on the way to someplace else... I'll pay a visit to my old friend - the Baillieu Library.
Postscript:
Some of my first year activities in the Baillieu Library ended up as inspiration for a short story. I'm not sure that I should be admitting this... but as a first year, I had a brief flirtation with graffiti. There were many secluded corners within the library, with old desks that were covered in scrawled student messages. I took to reading these musing, and soon noticed that certain messages evoked written responses. And in some cases numerous responses from different people. I referred to this as "conversational graffiti". It wasn't long before I started writing my own messages on these desks, specifically designed to provoke responses. I even kept a little graffiti diary for a while. I convinced myself that this was legitimate, social research, and that I'd use the information to write an article or something. I eventually lost interest (as one does so readily at that age) and forgot all about it all. But years later, I rediscovered my notes and used them in the writing of a short story, "The Writing's on the Wall", which appeared in a collection called Life, Death and Detention (Margaret Hamilton Books 1999).
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George currently has a copy of his book: "Life, Death and Detention" (Margaret Hamilton Books 1999) with some notes of Baillieu graffiti to accompany it in the Baillieu Library 50th exhibition currently on display
George's Website: http://www.georgeivanoff.com.au/