New-look library remains relevant
MACQUARIE Regional Library has maintained it’s place as a relevant community hub, with renovations to its Dubbo Branch including a self-check desk and automated return shute. The revamp took just over three months to complete, with an expenditure of $900,000 and the transfer of thousands of books between the existing library and its temporary home across the road in the old Mitre 10 garden department and back again.
“It was in need of an update,” was how MRL director John Bayliss described the library’s appearance.
“The look and feel of the place was tired as it had been 13 years since Council had undertaken a refurbishment of the building. There’s a new look and feel about the library now that’s light and bright and it has a look of openness about it.”
The bulk of funding for the upgrade was budgeted by the former Dubbo City Council, which owns the facility and contributed $700,000 towards its improvement. The remaining $200,000 was sourced through the State Government in the form of a Public Library Infrastructure Grant.
While the external structure remains the same, the library looks vastly different internally, with new carpeting, colour scheme, ceiling panels, shelving and furniture installed as well as a new air conditioning unit and fire security system. The work was completed by the Brownrite Building Group.
“There’s a new layout of the collection,” Bayliss confirmed. “There’s also more reading areas, study spaces and an additional meeting room which was a requirement. A group of up to 30 can now easily fit in the space.”
In planning the renovation, library management and staff were guided by community needs and feedback from users.
“That was something that was really important to us, keeping up with the community’s needs,” he said.
“We’ve really thought about the space and changed it to include better seating and presentation to encourage people to explore the collections.”
Local bibliophiles will be relieved to learn that books are not losing their relevance in modern society and readers are just accessing information differently in some cases. The library is keeping up with these trends.
We consider the webpage as an extra branch. It’s just like having a library at home – MRL Director John Bayliss.
“There are e-resources, e-magazines, ebooks and audiobooks,” Bayliss said. “They are very popular and the web page gives access to a very comprehensive list of databases for study, research and tracing ancestry.
“We consider the webpage as an extra branch. It’s just like having a library at home. But people still love books and reading a book. There are just those who have different demands and we are catering to their needs. It’s us meeting how they want to access information as well as those who want to come in and browse.”
“There are many uses of the library so we need to cater for those users.”
As such, the library has its increased Wifi coverage.
“We’ve also put in a new security tagging system for the collection which allows us to have an automated return shute. And we’ve installed face out shelving which gives us an opportunity to promote the collection and display the books.
There is more space for people to sit and read, whether it’s in the comfy chairs or at the reading
tables.
“The youth area is better laid out and now includes recreational reading as well as HSC materials.”
Bayliss said people have been very complimentary of the change and the new layout.
“It’s the same space, we’ve just rearranged things and better utilising the area as well as the cosmetic overhaul.”
Bayliss was extremely proud of the commitment shown by staff, who put in a lot of effort to shift the library to a new location and then bring it back again.
“There was a fantastic effort from the staff to pack up and unpack the library twice and Mitre 10 was a great space for us to use. At the same time, everyone was very excited about the re-opening and showing if off. It was a great effort from everyone that contributed and that we were able to re-open on July 4. It was certainly a labour of love.”
The official unveiling of the library renovations will be conducted by Arts Minister, Deputy Premier and local MP Troy Grant on August 22.
Other future events include a talk by former deputy prime minister, Tim Fischer, about his book “Maestro John Monash”, a visit from the state library on July 28 and 29 with Shakespeare’s First Folio and a talk by Lieutenant Colonel Peter Sweeney on the Battle of Fromelles on July 26.