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Joan Bruce knows a thing or two about rare books.
The 71-year-old has spent 34 years working at the State Library of Queensland, but it’s only now that she has become an online sensation, known to her legion of fans as Joan of Archives.
Within a month, one video of Joan’s thoughtful commentary on an old book from the library’s collection was watched more than 140,000 times on Instagram and Tiktok.
In the clip, she shares the story of how the book was made – a collaboration between a beetle that carved its path through a tree, and humans, who contributed their skills in poetry, book binding, and cabinet-making.
The book is eye-catching and intriguing, but many viewers were more enamoured with Joan of Archives. One TikTok commenter wrote: “Joan of Archives – I’m obsessed with you.”
We visited Joan in a nook of the library to hear more about her journey with rare books.
Where Joan’s love of books began
Joan was always interested in literature and languages, but it was only when she began at the State Library of Queensland that she became engrossed with rare books.
Graduates today are faced with what can feel like unlimited options when it comes to pursuing a career, but Joan says that was not the case when she graduated from high school – especially for young women.
“I finished high school in 1970, and for women then, your best options were teaching, librarianship or nursing. I opted for librarianship,” she said. “Back then, people didn’t plan their lives and careers like they do now.”
But it was a career she fell in love with.
The State Library of Queensland in 1988, three years before Joan began her career there.Credit: Queensland State Library
“[Rare books are] beautiful, often beautifully illustrated, with lots of interesting stories,” she said.
“In the arts and rare books unit that I landed in when I first came here, we did a lot of tours for groups. People really love it. When you get that response from people, you can’t help loving it.”
What lessons books can teach us
During our interview, Joan, who is small in stature, was almost overshadowed by a large herbal medicine directory that lay on the table in front of her.
Joan at work in “The Lab” at the State Library of Queensland.
The dictionary’s first edition was published in 1562, and while the state library’s copy isn’t that old, it was still published in 1583 – 442 years ago.
The book features illustrations of plants with medicinal properties, all done by wooden block.
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While the science within its pages is out of date, the book still holds significance to rare book librarians, particularly those interested in printing.
Joan said the copy in front of her was published in Venice, about 130 years after Johannes Gutenberg printed his first Bibles in Germany.
“I think Venice might have been one of the first places the printing press went to,” she explains.
“It was a very political thing, printing books – some printers had to leave town.
“Printing books was a way to spread information. Some people don’t like that; they feel very threatened, and they want to preserve their political status.”
Joan is fascinated by how rare books can help people relate to the past. For example, she points to the library’s collection from the Victorian era of British history, between about 1820 and 1914.
“I used to think the Victorian period was so different to us,” she said.
“The more I look at their books, the more I think we’re just like them. Sometimes I wonder if you could just put a template on top of it – there are so many similarities.
“All that political turmoil at various periods, you can see that happening now. But it’s not printed books that are the problem now, it’s what’s online.”
What’s next for Joan’s social media career
Joan brought the knowledge, while Cinnamon Smith from the marketing team contributed the TikTok vision. Together, they’re unstoppable.
And after just one video, Joan of Archives has already been recognised in public.
“I was at an exhibition opening, and they all came towards me with big smiles on their faces, [saying] ‘we saw your video’,” she recalls.
“Then the next Saturday morning, I went to my coffee shop and they came towards me with big smiles on their faces. For a while, I was thinking about wearing a mask.
“I love talking about the books, I think they’re more interesting than I am.
“But we’re going to do more videos, that’s for sure.”
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