Libraries that are worth exploring on your next trip to Sydney.
Libraries are essential in communities. They provide people with a vast source of information, entertainment, and education. Public libraries are also open to everyone, regardless of age and social status. They play an important role in the community, shaping ideas and perspectives.
Visiting libraries is also a great activity when you are in a new city. Bibliotourism is a recent tourism concept, where tourists are encouraged to visit libraries. A public library can tell tourists many things about a place. From its design and architecture to its collections, a library acts as a monument to the city’s history and heritage. Both historic and modern libraries showcase the rich culture and history of a place.
Top Sydney libraries
Travelling to Sydney soon? You’ll never run out of things to do here. And if you’re into books, libraries and incredible architectures, you’d have an impressive list of libraries to explore. Here are some libraries to include in your itinerary. Take note that these libraries have areas for kids, so even families with children can visit.
The State Library of NSW
The State Library of New South Wales is the oldest library in Australia. You can enjoy a wide range of events and activities in the State Library, such as workshops, movies, talks, and presentations. It also provides free guided tours of the library.
The State Library houses two libraries – the State Reference Library and the 1910 Mitchell Wing.
The State Reference Library boasts five million books, maps, manuscripts, photographs, relics, architectural plans, paintings, and vast online content. The 1910 Mitchell Wing, on the other hand, contains the most incredible collection of Australiana in the world, such as the log book of Captain Bligh and the original journals of James Cook. The latter is housed in the Mitchell Library Reading Room.
The Marie Bashir Reading Room offers a Family History Service, including free courses that will help attendees trace the history of their families.
The State Library has Wi-Fi, a book shop, and a café, so you can buy souvenirs or enjoy some snacks while in the place.
Woollahra Library
People who love greeneries will fall in love with the Woollahra Library located in Double Bay. You will feel like you are exploring an indoor garden instead of a library. It is famous for its vertical garden wall that cascades through all three levels of the building. The library serves as a learning centre but is also a play area for kids, a working space, a function centre, a support centre, and a meeting place for many people.
On the first level is the children’s area, where children can get creative with their imaginations. It has suspended paper birds, tree-like columns, and a slippery slide. Children can read, do arts and crafts, and play. It has interactive books to encourage young learners to read. More than a place to learn, it is also a place to make remarkable memories.
Movie showings and events are held on the second level of the library. Here is where you will find its book collections, as well as DVDs, newspapers, and magazines. The second level also houses a tech room for youths, which has PlayStations and a technology zone with iPads and computers.
The third level is quieter and more subdued. It has lounge seats and private booths, functions as a working space, and even has a fireplace. Library patrons can bring in food and drinks in the booths and meeting rooms so they can stay and work all day. The Woollahra Library provides a different experience, and even those who are not avid fans of books will love the place.
Green Square Library
The Green Square Library is an award-winning underground library along Botany Road in Sydney. The exterior of this remarkable library is made up of glass blocks that reflect the clear and blue Sydney skies. However, its library collection is located underground.
The library has a children’s area with reading nooks. In the middle is a sunken garden where library patrons can read or simply relax. A circular skylight brings natural sunlight into the space, making it warm and inviting.
The Green Square Library houses a café, sizeable open study and working spaces, reading rooms, desks, meeting rooms, a music room, and a computer lab.
Marrickville Library and Pavilion
Another award-winning library to visit in Sydney is the Marrickville Library, located on Marrickville Road. It is a popular place for people to meet for work or study.
The three-storey library was built on the site of a hospital. Its architecture is quite eye-catching, with its oversized folding roofs and massive timber columns. Patrons will find a modern interior inside that incorporates warm and relaxing wood tones. Skylights illuminate the interiors and double and triple-height spaces create a vast area that makes the library more inviting. There are also open-air verandas, connective spaces, a suspended bridge, and a large auditorium stair with cushioned seats.
The library has a children’s section, a dedicated floor for art, and a café. You can browse through its impressive domestic and international periodicals collection that covers a vast range of topics from agriculture to fashion.
Customs House Library
Located in Circular Quay, the Customs House Library is a contemporary library that boasts a beautiful design and modern comforts. It has three levels connected by a helix staircase.
The library has over 50,000 collections from various cultures. Aside from books, its patrons can enjoy films, toys, video games, music, markerspace kits, CDs, and DVDs.
For children, the library offers story time and rhyme time every week. The weekly activity includes some singing, reading, and other activities that kids will enjoy.
It has an Ideas Lab for the innovators, providing multipurpose rooms and markerspace where people can create, tinker, and even invent.
You can also enjoy a beautiful view of the harbour while reading in the Grand Reading Room, which has harbour-facing windows.
Enjoy Sydney and Stay with us at The Savoy Hotel.
Stay at the heart of it all! The Savoy Hotel is a small and tranquil oasis located in Double Bay. We provide personalised accommodation to suit your needs and preferences. It is just 4.5 km from the city centre and is accessible by bus, taxi, and even harbour ferry. Give us a call on +612 9326 1411, and let us take part in your next adventure in Sydney.
