Melbourne’s newest public library opens

8 July 2015 Books+Publishing

The Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton was officially opened on 3 July by lord mayor Robert Doyle after a $15.5 million refurbishment of the building.

The heritage-listed Kathleen Syme building was purchased in 2011 by the City of Melbourne for $4.88 million as part of its $60 million investment in new community hubs and infrastructure. This investment includes the Library at the Dock, Kensington Town Hall, Southbank Library at Boyd and Carlton Baths Family Resource Centre.

Doyle said at the opening: ‘Kathleen Syme boasts a traditional collection of more than 40,000 items as well a social enterprise café, computer rooms, conference rooms and bookable meeting spaces. It features facilities for people who want to watch a big screen TV, hear from authors, explore the world of 3D printing, or use a recording studio.’

The library collection also includes 4000 items in languages other than English, including Chinese, Korean and Japanese, reflecting the diversity of Carlton’s residents, more than half of whom were born overseas.

Category: Library news