'On the Line' Nullarbor



The ASF Conservation Commission has released a new short film 'On the Line' Nullarbor highlighting the fragile beauty of the Nullarbor and the threat it faces from industrial exploitation by windfarms, solar panels and ammonia plants. The Nullarbor Plain is one of the flattest and largest continuous karst areas in the world and is a literal time capsule, informing us of fauna and changing ecosystems over hundreds of thousands of years.

Narrated by Dr Richard ‘Harry’ Harris SC, OAM, this four minute film showcases the unique characteristics and beautiful landscape of the Nullarbor and its caves, both above and below the ground. The caves and extensive underwater passages of the Nullarbor are all at risk of complete destruction should this devastating project be allowed to proceed. The ASF Library also has a copy of the mp4.
 

New Publications from the Sydney Speleological Society (SSS)

  

Launched at the 70th Anniversary of SSS on the 25th October  2024, "Karst in Paradise" is a comprehensive report on the karst and caves on Lord Howe Island, a small splotch of land at the western bend of the Lord Howe Rise. John Wylie has devoted 19 years of survey work and exploration to this amazing book, which has been released as Sydney Speleological Society Occasional Paper No.21. Beautifully illustrated with photos and maps, this book fully documents the caves of the island, as well as the flora, fauna, geology and history. Trip reports are included.

Also launched at the 70th Anniversary was "Publications of the Sydney Speleological Society - A Pictorial History" (as Occasional Paper No.22). This excellent idea has meant that there is now a comprehensive list - in cover pictures - of all the publications produced by the Sydney Speleological Society since Stop Press issue 104 (which is where Ross Ellis took over editing) up to the 700th issue in February 2024. The Occasional Papers, the Abstracts series and a few miscellaneous publications are also included. This represents an incredible body of work, and is an important reference for any caver interested in the publication history of Australia's caving clubs (including this librarian!)

These new books can be purchased from the publications page of SSS for AU$60 each, or can be borrowed from the library by ASF members.

Introducing the ASF Library

The Australian Speleological Federation Inc. maintains an extensive collection of caving and caving related literature, as well as being the repository for the Federation's Archives. The collection includes books, journals and magazines, club journals and publications, maps, posters, artwork, postcards, photographs and memorabilia. The Library is also developing a museum which holds objects of historical interest to caving and speleology.

The physical contents of the ASF Library and much of the museum collection are held at North Wyong NSW. Access to the Library is available to all ASF club members on request to the Librarian or a member of the ASF Executive. The resources of the Library exist to be used and everything except archive, reference and rare material is available for loan. Due to the ASF having member clubs all over Australia, an effort is being made to provide as much electronic access to the Library holdings as possible, and the Library would like to thank Rod OBrien from the Sydney University Speleological Society (SUSS) for donating an enormous amount of digital material to the ASF. The Koha server is maintained by Mike Lake. Many, many thanks are due to David Connard for coding ASF member access to member-only material. Links can be found in catalogue entries where an item is available to view online. Some material will only be available to ASF members and you will need to log in to access this online.  The current ASF Librarian is Cathi Humphrey-Hood.

The "About" section of this wesbite has more details about accessing material. If you have any questions about the Library, please contact the Librarian at asf.caves.library@gmail.com

Dirk Stoffels from CSS has built a multimedia index to help with finding DVD, video and photograph holdings while cataloguing is taking place:

ASF Members Access to Library Files

If you are a member of an ASF affiliated club (or an individual ASF member), you can now access files directly from the Library catalogue. If you look something up in the catalogue and it says "ASF Library holdings (login required), you can now click on the link and it will take you to the membership database to log in (if you don't have a token, use the "Click here to retrieve your login" link to get your token (your token can be reused, so please keep it secure)). You can login via the admin section if you have been set up to do that for your club.



If you have a username and password to AWS you can of course still use that to log directly into AWS and look at files in our AWS buckets.

Thank you so much David Connard for getting this to work!

New Book - Australian Caves and Karst Systems



Edited by ASF members Dr Sue White, John Webb and Garry K. Smith and published by SpringerLink in 2023, this is the most comprehensive book on the caves and karst areas of Australia published to date. The ASF Library has now purchased an e-copy of the book. ASF members with an AWS login can now access the book by logging into the AWS Console and navigating to the folder: st2.asflib.net>BKS>SPRNGR>CKSW. The catalogue entry is here. If you are an ASF member and would like access to the pdf version for research purposes, please email asf.caves.library@gmail.com.

You can now login to view this via the membership database.

CQSS Archive and Map Cabinet Finds New Home With the ASF

The ASF Library has picked up the contents of the Central Queensland Speleological Society (CQSS) from the Central Queensland University Rockhampton Library and these records have been transferred to NSW for re-cataloguing. We would like to thank the staff of the CQU Library, Clive Kavanagh, Noel Sands and Pauline Toop of CQSS, and a large number of ASF members and the ASF Executive for their help and support during the transfer process. A big thank you to Bob Kershaw for cataloguing the contents of the boxes. This information will be uploaded to the catalogue soon.

The CQSS/UQSS map cabinet in now also at North Wyong.

KSS Trog - Vol.59 No.2 Late Spring 2024
NHVSS Vol.60 July 2023 (released December 2024)
Caves Australia 230 November 2024
Senkenberg Museum Band 154 Heft 4-6 2024 (Hardcopy)
Speleogia 89 March 2024 (hardcopy)
BCRA Cave and Karst Science Vol.51 No.2 August 2024 (hardcopy)
SRGWA The Caver's Chronicle Vol.43 No.1&2 December 2023-24 (hardcopy)
JSSS Vol.68 No.10 October 2024
Karstologia 82 2nd Semester 2023 (hardcopy)
Spelunca 174 June 2024 (hardcopy)
MSS Winter 2024 Newsletter - ASF member login required
OSS Descent Vol.21 for Feb 2022 (released Oct 2024)
JSSS Vol.68 No.09 September 2024
KSS Trog - Vol.59 No.1 Spring 2024
ASF Cave Cricket - open access
STC Speleo Spiel 460 July/September 2024 - open access
MSS Autumn 2024 Newsletter  - ASF member login required
JSSS Vol.68 No.08 August 2024
JSSS Vol.68 No.07 July 2024
Northern Caverneers Troglodyte Vol.34 No.1 July 2024 - ASF member login required
SRCC Speleopod No.94 June 2024 - ASF member login required
STC Speleo Spiel 459 April/June 2024 - open access
JSSS Vol.68 No.06 June 2024
SUSS Bull Vol.62 No.01 - open access
JSSS Vol.68 No.05 May 2024
Acta Carsologica 52/2-3 2024 (hardcopy)
Senckenberg Museum Band 154 Heft 1-3 2024 (hardcopy)
BCRA Cave and Karst Science Vol.51 No.1 April 2024 (hardcopy)
Spelunca 173 March 2024 (hardcopy)
JSSS Vol.68 No.04 April 2024
ISS Newsletter Vol.30 No.01 March 2024 - ASF member login required
JSSS Vol.68 No.03 March 2024
MSS Summer 2024 Newsletter
STC Speleo-Spiel 458 Jan-March 2024
Caves Australia 227 February 2024
JSSS Vol.68 No.02 February 2024
Northern Caverneers Troglodyte No.33 Issue 2 December 2023
KSS Trog Vol.58 No.5 Summer 2023
Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society for 2023 (hardcopy)
Spelunca 172 December 2023 (hardcopy)
SRCC Speleopod No.93 Dec 2023