Harold White joined the staff of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library as a cadet cataloguer in February 1923, a few weeks after leaving school. It was an important year in the history of the Library. In April the Commonwealth Government purchased at auction the personal journal of James Cook, kept during the voyage of the Endeavour in 1768–71. The journal has always been the most famous item in the Library’s collection. Later that year, the Library Committee adopted the term ‘Commonwealth National Library’ to distinguish the national collections and services from those offered to the Parliament. It remained a hybrid institution until the passing of the 1960 National Library of Australia Act and the opening of the Library building in 1968.