History

Trove was launched in December 2009, the bright idea of National Library of Australia staff.

It was always seen as a way to bring together collections of wonderful things - in technical terms, an aggregator. Initially, this was a wide range of collaborative library services, including:

  • The Australian Bibliographic Network, later Libraries Australia;
  • Pandora – the National Library’s web archiving service;
  • RAAM – the Register of Australian Manuscripts;
  • Picture Australia;
  • Australian Dancing;
  • Music Australia;
  • ARROW Discovery Service;
  • People Australia; and
  • The Australian Newspapers Beta Service.

Trove's first name was the Single Business Discovery Service (catchy, isn't it?). Perhaps due to this name not exactly rolling off the tongue, staff briefly bestowed the nickname Girt. As in, “our home is girt by sea”...

Shortly before the launch in December 2009, the name Trove was suggested by a clever Library staff member. It brought to mind a treasure trove, as well as the French verb trouver meaning “to discover”, and was immediately popular.

And that is how the story began.