• The Great Library Tour

This visit was a bit of a special one, because we visited Chermside with my aunt, who hadn’t met Squirm before this. The Chermside Library is one of the few Brisbane City Council Libraries open on a Monday. It’s also one of the biggest Brisbane City Libraries.

We were there right on time for the Babies, Books and Rhymes session which is held in a meeting room outside the library itself. It was very popular – lots of parents with babies younger than Squirm, which I don’t see that often – but wasn’t particularly good. There wasn’t any focus on books and by repeating all the rhymes over and over, there was a really monotonous feeling. I also object to doing the Grand Old Duke of York six times! My arms cannot haul a 7 kilo baby up and down the hill that much! The woman sitting next to me said it wasn’t like that all the time – it’s usually a lot better. There was a lovely friendly feeling among the parents, though, and a lot of them went in for books after, which is something I wasn’t sure would happen with the rhyme time being held outside the actual library.

The library itself is huge and really well organised. It’s got big non fiction and fiction sections, a quiet room, places for studying and a lounge area set up near a display of the more recent books. There’s also a cafe area, thoughtfully set up near the magazines (as well as having an outside area). The kids area is quite separate from the rest of the library, with a half wall around it.

The kids area has been decorated with a space theme. There’s a console set around a kids computer (complete with buttons to press and lights that light up), a big painting on the wall, a chalk board shaped like a rocket, rocket shaped shelf ends and an extremely popular reading nook, shaped like a capsule. There’s lots of comfy chairs, low shelves around the outside of the room, and a comfortable disorganised feel – the kind of place where you’re happy to pick up any of the books in the place. The staff were noticeable in the children’s area, and were restacking the shelves when we finished up – a huge job since there seems to be more books than shelf room.

There was a big range of books to choose from, and the books ranged from extremely well loved to brand new and barely touched. There was also a pleasant buzz around the whole library – and as both my aunt and I noticed, a wide range of ages was represented. I’ll definitely be going back – I’m already booked in to hear Mem Fox speak there next month!

The best parts of Chermside Library

• The space themed kids area
• Great staff – very knowledgeable and helpful
• The cafe was awesome and extremely affordable
• The wide range of people using the space

Important Information about Chermside Library

375 Hamilton Road
Chermside

Website – There’s a lot of events on each week, so it’s worth checking this out.

Open all week. See website for details

Limited parking available in the carpark which is shared with the swimming pool. Be aware that nearby Chermside Westfield charges for parking. This is a good public transport library.

While we were there . . .

There is a popular pool complex right next to the library, which would be great in summer. There’s also a massive shopping centre nearby. At the northern end of the shopping centre, you can go for a quick walk outside and across the road to Kidspace Park (or 7th Brigade park, I think) which has a massive play area for kids, including a huge fort.

• Great Library Tour Introduction
• Mapping the Great Library Tour

North Lakes is the kind of library that should have been completely awesome to visit. It was large, big windows with lots of light, funky looking bookshelves in the kids sections. But something was just ‘off’ in the feeling of the library. Something made it into a place I probably wouldn’t want to spend too long at.

Maybe it’s because it’s a temporary library. North Lakes Library used to be located on the Corso, right near the shopping centre in what would probably be called the ‘heart’ of North Lakes (which is a developer created suburb in Moreton Bay Region). Recently, the library was sold to Education Queensland and now forms a second campus for the massive North Lakes school. (I believe their seniors work out of there). The Library was moved to a temporary home, the second floor of a commercial building, while they wait for a new one to be built. (I’m also a little miffed that the building of a new library to replace a new building will go ahead before Strathpine gets their new library – which is desperately needed. Tells you a little about which parts of Moreton Bay Region are more valued.)

Maybe it was that the non-fiction area seemed kind of sparse? Some nice books, but not a lot of them.

Then there was the children’s section. It should have been great. Lovely big, purpose built, facing out bookshelves for the picture books, forming little alcoves which should have been perfect to curl up into. Neatly organised shelves for the children’s novels, young adults books and children’s non-fiction, with cool stripy shelf ends. Big sofas and a range of small chairs. And toys.

Except the toys were the problem. They were everywhere, spread in all directions across the floor. There was no one there playing with them, it was just a mess, and a slightly dangeous one at that. It was also something I’d never seen at any other library. In the other libraries with toys, the toys were kept neatly and safely, creating a feeling of pride which was missing in the North Lakes children’s section.

So somehow, this was the library which should have ticked all the right boxes, but managed to feel pretty uninviting. I’ll be interested to see what the new library looks like when it gets rebuilt, but I don’t think I’ll be rushing back to this one.

The best parts of North Lakes Library

• Lots of sofas
• Bookshelves facing outwards for picture books

Important Information about North Lakes Library

5 Discovery Drive,
NORTH LAKES, QLD 4509

Open seven days a week. See website for details.

Parking available.

While we were there . . .

We’d just come from Redcliffe (which is a quick drive away), so we didn’t stay long. There is a big shopping centre a couple of streets over. I believe there’s also some nice walking paths in the area. There’s not much around the general area of the library – it feels like a very commercial area.

The entrance to the library

• Great Library Tour Introduction
• Mapping the Great Library Tour

My first thought when walking into the Redcliffe Library was simply – wow! The library, which is part of a complex with the local art gallery, is absolutely massive. I think that originally, when Redcliffe was a council of its own, that it was the only library for the whole council area, so it really needed to be comprehensive to properly serve the local population.

The library, as well as being massive, has lovely high roofs and allows a lot of natural light in the room. I’m starting to build a firm preference for natural light in libraries – artificial lights don’t always add to the ‘romance’ of a library 🙂 The young people’s section of the library (children’s, children’s non fiction and young adult) takes up a whole length of the library – young people are definitely welcomed and valued here. (Since the high school is just a block away, I really hope those students utilise this amazing space)

At one end of the children’s section is an enclosed reading deck. There were a number of adult sized chairs there, along with a puppet theatre, two cubby houses and a big game board. When I arrived, a small group of children were putting on a show for their parents. This ‘show’ feeling spills inside, with a semi circle of comfortable chairs facing a ‘backdrop’ painting against one wall – the perfect area for story time and rhyme time. Behind the story area is a collection of small tables and chairs, perfect for craft. There were also toys available for playing inside.

Picture books were next in line. There were the standard low boxes holding the picture books, but these were arranged in rows on either side of a collection of displays (I love books being out on display – it’s a great way to catch a reader’s eye). Junior novels were after that, followed by junior non-fiction and then the young adult collection. Finally, there was a lounge area for the young adults.

Another thing I really liked in the junior non-fiction was the books that were on display at the ends of the shelves. They weren’t the usual books you think of when you think of non fiction, and I think they’d be very good at encouraging children to look closer at the non fiction area.

The staff were excellent at Redcliffe library. One of the books I read with Squirm was beginning to lose its pages, so I brought it up to the desk. I was asked if I wanted to borrow it and I believe they would have made some temporary repairs right there if I’d said yes. The staff at the checkout desk were also lovely.

I think this library obviously has benefited from being the only library in the council area for a long time – obviously all library money can then be spent in one place. Now that it’s part of a larger council area (Moreton Bay Regional Council – along with Strathpine and Albany Creek) it’s to be seen how the library funding will be spread into the future – especially since I’ve been told a couple of times that Caboolture is the new ‘flagship’ library. Of course, the good part about it being part of an amalgamated council is that people from further away – like me – can visit and borrow from there.

This library is probably my new favourite (up there with Albany Creek and Logan Central) and I highly recommend it as part of a day trip to a lovely part of the world.

The Reading Deck

The best parts of Redcliffe Library

• It’s massive!
• The attention given to creating a nice place for young people
• It feels very airy and uncluttered
• The lovely staff

Important Information about Redcliffe Library

470-476 Oxley Avenue,
REDCLIFFE, QLD 4020

Web: library.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/OPAC/MBRCBRRD

Parking available in a carpark underneath. There’s also a disabled toilet with a change table and a toddler sized toilet inside it.

While we were there . . .

We probably didn’t see half of what there is to see in Redcliffe! The art gallery in the same building as the library had a lovely display on, and there were also children’s activities available. We walked along the main street and poked our head into a few of the arcades there, including one with a lovely wooden toy shop. There’s Humpybong Creek which has been done up and has a walking track along it. But, of course, you really need to take a walk along the water, and out onto the lovely jetty. (There’s also playgrounds and the lagoon, as well as Sutton’s beach which we didn’t get to. I also want to go back for the museum). For the drive home, we followed the path of the North Moreton Bay Tourist Drive, which took us along the water and the harbour – lovely!

The entrance to the library

• Great Library Tour Introduction
• Mapping the Great Library Tour

When I decided to go to Ikea, I knew the sensible thing would be to visit a nearby library. The easiest library to get to from Ikea was the new (built in 2011) Logan Central Library, so after a couple of hours trundling around Ikea, I made my way there.

The Logan Central Library shares space with community rooms and a Supre outlet shop. The first thing you see as you approach the front door is a massive art installation, made up of hundreds of books to make a column at the entrance. The art work is repeated inside around the circulation desk and around other columns inside the library.

The library itself was huge and quite busy. There is a sizeable indigenous book collection – the Nyeumba-Meta collection – kept in a special area near the front door. This collection is primarily meant for educators in the Logan area – which is a great idea since books on indigenous topics and by indigenous authors can be difficult to find and expensive to buy but are essential for schools.

The children’s area was off to one side of the library. There’s a large room, with big glass windows, filled with different video games for the kids to play. Long shelves containing junior fiction and junior non-fiction led into a large carpeted area and a large ‘wet’ area. Around the outside of the carpeted area were picture books, with board books and large books (like teachers use) in the low shelves in the middle. There were also a number of low chairs and tables for craft work, and there was children’s work prominently displayed on the walls. Also on the walls were posters, lots and lots of advertisements for the different children’s programs the library runs (including lots of after school helping programs) and displays. One particular display that we sat near was a creative Halloween display, with a wide range of recommended books – including fiction and non fiction – that fit the theme.

There was a couple of big comfy arm chairs – all in use when we got there – plus some soft bench like seats. The books were well looked after, but also looked well read. There didn’t seem to be as many brand new books as I’ve seen in some of the libraries, but there was a wide choice and it was easy to find some good books we hadn’t read before.

I didn’t see much of the staff around – I’m sure there were lots of them, but they just weren’t around where I was. There were a couple of security guards there, though, which seemed a bit unusual for a library.

It was an awesome library, though, and it was very cool to see the library and the rooms in it, very busy. It’s exactly what we need to see in libraries!

The best parts of Logan Central Library

• The gorgeous artwork
• The indigenous book collection
• Big wet area for activities
• Lots of available activities for local kids

Important Information about Logan Central Library

26 Wilbur Street, Logan Central, Qld, 4280

Opening hours

Monday, Wednesday and Friday
9 am – 5 pm

Tuesday and Thursday
9 am – 8 pm

Saturday
9 am – 4 pm

Website

Parking available

While we were there . . .

We were actually in the area to visit Ikea – so that took up most of our morning. I suggest Ikea and Logan Central Library make a pretty good day. There were also lots of parks in the area – some of which looked pretty awesome and worth a visit.

• Great Library Tour Introduction
• Mapping the Great Library Tour

When we were little, we lived in Spring Hill. Although we were probably closer to the Brisbane City library (which, back then, was in the City Hall) we usually visited the library at New Farm. So it was very strange to go back there again.

The New Farm Library, which is on the edge of New Farm Park, is another smaller library. Unlike the other libraries I’ve been to, the children’s area is right up the front of the library. This meant that I did feel like we were on show the whole time, and I didn’t really feel like it was a place you could relax with children.

The children’s area was pretty simple, with a big floor area, covered in a huge rug, and a collection of really big and bright floor cushions. There was no table or small chairs – just a couple of sofa like chairs that were set out of the way. There is also no divide between the children’s and the young adult section, and it wasn’t particularly inviting to young adults. I wonder if that’s because there’s not a big population of young adults in the New Farm area?

There were no posters or wall decorations in the children’s area, although there was a big empty notice board taking up one end of the room. It was bright, with a fair amount of natural light, and it was lovely looking out of the windows and seeing the gardens out the front of the library.

When we arrived, story time was just finishing up, and it was great to see the staff member dressed up and really getting into it. It was just a small group of children, but they looked like they were really involved in the activity. We chose a couple of books to read, which were older but in good condition, but unfortunately Squirm thought the library was a place for feeding and changing, so we didn’t get a lot of reading done.

The best parts of New Farm Library

• Big floor cushions
• Enthusiastic staff

Important Information about New Farm Library

135 Sydney St, New Farm 4005

Closed on public holidays
Monday and Sunday: Closed
Tuesday and Wednesday: 10am – 6pm
Thursday: 12 noon – 8pm
Friday: 10am – 5pm
Saturday: 10am – 2pm

While we were there . . .

If you’re in New Farm, you have to drop by New Farm park. We were there for a gathering, and just walking across the park to the library, made me feel happy. At this time of the year, the Jacaranda trees are all out and the rose gardens are just beautiful. I know a lot of the older children enjoyed the playground as well. There’s also walking down near the river, and the park has free Wi Fi now 🙂 You can also walk up the block to the Methyr shops. I highly recommend Mary Ryans bookshop. However, the food places were quite crowded and seemed to be more about being on show than getting a good feed.

• Great Library Tour Introduction
• Mapping the Great Library Tour

The Albany Creek Library was a totally new library to me. But, as it happened, I had a meeting in the park right next to the library, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to explore the next library on our list. It’s also a Moreton Bay Regional Council library, which meant that I could change our books there 🙂

Albany Creek library is in a self contained building, which felt really big on the inside – even if it didn’t immediately seem that way from the outside. The entrance way was pretty open, allowing you to get your bearings fairly quickly. From the leaflets at the check in/out terminals, it became clear that there are a lot of community events held at the library. This also made sense since it was quite close to the main shopping area.

The back of the library – quite a large space – contained the young people’s areas. Like Strathpine, the young adults section was physically separate from the children’s area. The children’s section was bright and felt airy – even though the windows were quite high. There were shelves against the wall for the toy library, then another row of shelves holding board books, low shelves with the picture books and junior fiction in a diagonal row of shelves. There was a mix of colours and neutrals in the childrens area and it actually felt a little more mellow than the usual primary colours. There was also a number of posters on the wall, a hanging dragon leading into the childrens’ section and poetry (written by children) etched into the glass of the window. My favourite part, though, was the two light features, which mixed different coloured lights with long string like things.

Next to the board books were a collection of nicely battered board games for children to play with in the library. When you put this together with the craft table near the entrance, the video games available in the young adult section and the fact it was the second week of school holidays – I would have expected it to be packed. However, there were only a few families in the library in the whole time I was there.

The staff were really friendly, both as we came in and as we left the library. They were pleased to see Squirm there – commenting that he’s getting an early start to the reading . . . 🙂

As for the books! There was a nice selection in adult non fiction that I got a quick look at as we moved through the library. And the picture books were great – I wanted to take all of them out!

All in all, this was my favourite library so far. I’m looking forward to going back there in the future.

The best parts of Albany Creek Library

• Soft squishy chairs
• Relaxed feel
• Awesome book selection

Important Information about Albany Creek Library

16 Ferguson Street,
ALBANY CREEK, QLD 4035

Website

Open Monday to Sunday. See website for details

Parking out front and next to the park at the side.

While we were there . . .

We didn’t have a lot of time to poke around, but there is a nice park next to the library – a good place to get out the energy before or after the visit. This is a fenced park, which appeals to a lot of people.

I also had a great coffee from the Coffee Club across the street 🙂

• Great Library Tour Introduction
• Mapping the Great Library Tour

The Mt Gravatt Library is in central Mt Gravatt. I used to live 5 minutes down the road, and it’s on the way to Squirm’s grandparents place, so it seemed like a good second library trip.

The library is very small, probably about the size of a biggish shop. It’s a little hard to find the entrance too – instead of facing out onto the main road, the entrance is tucked away around the back. When you get there, it is quite welcoming, but also (through necessity) very crowded with displays and the checking desk – we had to wait for other people coming in or going out of the door before we could get in or out.

The children’s area is small, but quite cosy, tucked away down the back of the library. It has big windows looking out onto the main street, which allow lots of natural light into the room. It’s also right on top of the young adult section (in fact there is no real division between them) and the computers. The children’s section contains shelves and furniture in the standard primary colours, but no real decorations – just a few advertising posters and a couple of small book cover photocopies arranged up much higher than children’s eye line. (I didn’t see the covers until I sat down and looked around). There’s some cushions on the floor, three small armchairs and a couple of stools, but most of the room is given over to shelves for the picture books. (All the chapter books are arranged in shelves along the wall.)

There was a big selection of books and all of them looked like they were in good condition. One thing I noticed was that they seemed to have some very obscure books – I know there was one picture books there that was recently promoted by Engineers Australia.  The rest of the library looked as if the collection had been chosen with regard for the people using it – my father in law commented that they have lots of large print books for the elderly residents who use it.

The staff I came across were busy, but friendly. We were lucky enough to be there for story time, and although it was aimed at an older age than Squirm, we were definitely made welcome. The story time had an alien and space theme, and the staff member taking it was enthusiastic and had obviously put thought into the progression through the books. However, the influx of parents and children for story time, definitely highlighted the problem with space at this library – it became very squishy very quickly.

The best parts of Mt Gravatt Library

• The fabulous big windows looking out – they made the children’s area feel bigger than it was
• The arm chairs were really comfortable
• Nice selection of books

Important Information about Mt Gravatt Library

8 Creek Road
MOUNT GRAVATT QLD 4122

Website

Saturday, 9:00am to 12:00pm.
Sunday and Monday, Closed.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm.
Thursday, 9:00am to 7:00pm.
This library is closed on public holidays.

On street parking only. No visible toilet.

While we were there . . .

Squirm and I went to explore the rest of the central Mt Gravatt while we were there. There were a few real highlights like the excellent service I got at the Mt Gravatt Coffee Club and the tiny retro sewing shop up at one end of the street. There were some food and coffee places I really want to go back and try at another time. Then there was Photo Continental and it’s utterly amazing scrapbooking section (honestly, if you’re a scrapbooker you have to check it out!). (Photo Continental also had a change table in their disabled toilet which was very appreciated). Squirm and I also went for a drive up to the Mt Gravatt look out, which I’d never been up during the day. The views up there are great, and there was a nice little play ground. I believe there’s also a few walks to do if you’re feeling more active.

What surprised me was the lack of people around. It was a beautiful day, and it felt like the street should be buzzing with people. Instead it was mostly empty. I guess, in that area at least, people are heading to the bigger shopping centres instead of the little strips of shops.

The playground and view from Mt Gravatt Lookout