Devonport library reopens as part of $48m paranaple centre

5 September 2018 Books+Publishing

Tasmania’s new Devonport Library has reopened as part of the $48 million multi-purpose building known as the paranaple centre, reports the Advocate.

Jane Forward at Devonport Library said that the new library, which takes up two floors of the paranaple centre, is a people-friendly space. ‘One of the things I like about the library space is how its design allows for a lot of flexibility in terms of how we use the space and how customers use the space,’ she said.

The ground floor is a shared space with a customer service centre, a café and the library returns area, which Forward expects to be a ‘very lively, dynamic and busy space’. The first-floor library area is for quiet reading and research with ‘wonderfully comfortable armchairs’ and places to plug in devices and use the library’s free high-speed wifi.

‘The transparency of the paranaple centre’s facade has been designed to make it feel accessible and it immediately welcomes the community into the library space in a way the old building never did.

‘We’re hoping the visibility of the library right in the heart of the city is going to attract many more people to the space. Once they’re here we will be able to share with them all of the different services a contemporary library offers these days,’ said Forward.

As well as the library, the four levels of the building are home to Devonport City Council offices, Service Tasmania, Devonport Online and the paranaple Convention Centre.

Category: Library news