I Love Melbourne’s City Library

I enjoy my weekly visits to the City Library. It is located on Flinders Lane. It is accessible for people living in the Melbourne CBD, Southbank and Docklands. People from other parts of Melbourne who work or study in the city are signing up for memberships there too.
The list of books available is really quite comprehensive. I am so glad that I didn’t have to buy the prescribed text for the previous unit of studies that I was doing. I think the recommended retail price for the book was around $100. Instead, I borrowed the book from this library and used it throughout the whole duration. Along with the State Library, this library has served my needs over the years but unlike the State Library, I can bring the books home to complete my assignments in peace and quite.

This library is really quite unique. It has the usual facilities like computers for hire and conference/meeting rooms, like most suburban libraries. On top of that, there is a piano on the first floor for those who are not shy to play their favourite pieces. A very good pianist comes in to play too. I am not sure of her schedule but she is very good. This is the same lady that used to play the piano at the Galleria on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke Streets. Again, I am not sure if she is still playing at the Galleria as I have not been back there since their big renovation. Now back to the library, where there is also a gallery upstairs (right where the piano is) for displays of community art. Towards the back of the library and up a short flight of stairs in the mezzanine area is where the audio CDs, DVDs and Magazines are kept. Also sharing the mezzanine area is the young adult (teens) section. I mention this because I think the designer of this area has really catered to teenagers’ needs. There are bean bags for them to chill out and the lights are dimmer, giving it a relaxed atmosphere. I recently noticed that they have installed a Nintendo Wii in this area. Visitors are welcomed to use this for half an hour at a time.

The only thing I don’t quite like about the City Library is that it can get quite crowded at times. As it is part of the CAE, their teenage students use the library at certain times of the day. Many were obviously educated in a different but strictly regimented style previously and are not yet accustomed to indoor protocols (within a more relaxed model of education) in places such as libraries. So, it is not uncommon to see 18-19 year olds behaving like toddlers, running up and down the stairs and book aisles and chatting away loudly like they have just recently bought the facility. To a nanny who has been looking after boisterous charges, the sight of these teenagers can be quite amusing. In times like this I just walk in to pick up the books I need quickly and leave ASAP. There really is no point circling like a frustrated ‘boxing day’ driver looking for an empty car park because most of the comfy tub chairs would have been taken. People even come in for a snooze on those chairs.

On a recent visit to the City Library I noticed that visitors are now allowed to use the seminar/conference room upstairs for quiet reading. This room used to be locked up when not in use. Now that it is open, it has increased the seating area for people who need to check out a book or two before borrowing. I really appreciate this move. The library also has improved the small reading area within the younger children’s section. Removing the foamy stools, they placed a set of child-sized tables and chairs, and a purple polka-dot beanbag for mini visitors to use. They also provided colouring pages and colour pencils for little artists to enjoy. I think I might take Stella with me for a visit before Christmas.

Ooh yes, the librarians are friendly too. Except for a couple of incidents, I have not seen them snapping at people unfairly. A few of them really know their job well. Someone asked one of them about a book and she immediately provided the initial numbers for the section where the book was likely to be. She did it off the top of her head. I sometimes sit under the stairs, an area quite close to where people register for membership. I noticed that most librarians are mindful when dealing with people of a NESB. They weren’t seen raising their voices (in frustration) when talking to people with little English. Have you ever seen those morons who speak loudly to people who speak English as a second/foreign language in the hope that they can increase their understanding? They are not deaf. Do you think this (raising the voice) is done to humiliate the people? Do you think these same people are also applying the same technique of increasing the volume when dealing with wilful children? I can think of many amusing examples. No, the offending adult is not me.

It looks like I got a little side-tracked again. Back to the City Library, I hope the people running this facility will continue to do so. I have enjoyed the services on offer and will continue to visit it weekly. If instead of being bored to death by this post, you somehow become interested to this little gem in our great city, visit it and see for yourself.