Libraries are full of surprises, and what a joyful surprise it was to hear a performance for children by Opera Australia at Nuriootpa Library.

A performance for kids by a professional opera singer, with a backdrop of children’s books and a citizen science display. Wow.

The performance was a perfect outreach partnership between Opera Australia, who were performing Don Giovanni at the Barossa Arts Centre, and Barossa Council Libraries.

There is a lot going on across the Barossa Council Public Libraries at Nuriootpa, Lyndoch, Mount Pleasant and Tanunda.

After the high of the opera performance, it was great to talk to Dr Melissa Whitrow Community Experience Manager at Barossa Library Services about the many things happening across the Barossa libraries.

Melissa has had an interesting change of direction. She has a PhD in epidemiology, and until 2019 was working as a paediatric epidemiologist.

While completing her course in Library and Information Management, Melissa started working part-time at Barossa Public Library, and is now the Community Experience Manager, based at Nuriootpa.

The town of Nuriootpa is about 75 kilometres north of Adelaide, in the Barossa Council region and on Ngadjuri country. Nuriootpa is home for about 7,000 residents, while the Barossa Council has a population of about 27,000 people.

In our conversation, Melissa talked about the evidence based approach that the library team takes to managing the libraries resources and programs and outcomes.

At the Nuriootpa branch, the latest available library statistics were on display showing that nearly 7000 people are active library members, which is around 25% of the Barossa community.

The Barossa community are good readers, viewers, listeners and puzzle solvers, with close to 178,000 collection loans and 64,000 digital loans in the last reported year.

A library measure that was new to me is ‘dead on arrival’ stock, which is the percentage of library resources that aren’t borrowed within 6 months of arriving in the library. At Barossa, the DOA is less than 2%, showing that the collection development team know what their community likes.

This week, my friend Ruth sent to me a link to a new report on Public Libraries for Social Connection published by State Library Victoria and Public Libraries Victoria. (There are links to this report and lots of other library reports in the On the Library Trail resources page).

The report is a good analysis of the four core library activities that nurture social connection – places, programs, people and partnerships.

Intentionally designed for social interaction and accessibility, libraries support participation in civic life, relationship building, connection with culture and country, and access to information.

Nuriootpa library, and the other Barossa Council library branches, are great examples of the work being done by dedicated public library employees to build community bonds.

Barossa Council libraries hold over 400 events and programs each year across their four libraries. Each event or program is carefully curated and led by library staff who are experts in childhood development, school curriculum and community engagement.

I was very keen to visit Nuriootpa library to see their Beanie Festival, as part of the Libraries SA Firstival program, encouraging people to try something new in the July school holidays at their local library.

Local makers had been coming together at knit and natter sessions to knit beanies for the library exhibition, which had a gala opening night for the community to attend their first Beanie Festival.

For the next two weeks the beanies were displayed throughout the library on the library shelves amongst the books. It was a clever way to display the beanies, and to get people to visit different sections of the library.

Partnerships and collaboration programs are vital for libraries and other organisations to reach a new audience.

Where the Storytime Opera performance was an example of community outreach by the Opera company to the local community via the library, the Barossa Libraries have also partnered with the local Barossa Co-op to run a library program for children in the Co-op’s fruit and vegetable market. Once a month, for thirty minutes, kids and adults can come along to sing and learn about food.

There is strong connection to local history and heritage in the Barossa community reflected in network of twenty-four heritage groups in the area.

The local history room at Nuriootpa library is part of the Heritage network and offers one on one help and advice with local history questions and research, along with holding a collection of family histories, local newspapers, genealogical databases and South Australian birth, death and marriage indexes.

Barossa Public Library service commenced in 1959, and to commemorate the first 50 years of the library in 2009, Jo Zander, dedicated local historian, researched and wrote a short history on the Barossa libraries and the Williamstown Institute and Lyndoch Institute library that preceded the public library service.

Barossa Libraries Instagram

The Barossa Council library services

Barossa Australia

The Barossa Public Library Service : a jubilee history 1959-2009

Small town libraries are great. In the main street of Mount Pleasant sits the library in the perfect location – next to the bakery and opposite Robbers Dog Distillery.

Mount Pleasant is only 55 kilometres north east of Adelaide, located at the southern end of Barossa Valley and on the edge of the Adelaide Hills, on Peramangk and Kaurna country.

It is one of twenty-five townships in the beautiful Barossa Council region, and is home to about 1000 people.

There are four libraries in The Barossa Council – Mount Pleasant, Lyndoch, Tanunda and Nuriootpa. Mount Pleasant and Lyndoch also double up as the Local Council Branch Office.

For library employees, driving through the renowned Barossa wine region is a lovely way to get to work. I had a bonus experience driving from Mount Pleasant to Lyndoch – needing to slow down to a crawl as a koala crossed the road.

I was warmly welcomed by Lynda Fraser at Mount Pleasant Library. For over thirty years, Lynda has been welcoming and helping library visitors, in her long career in metropolitan and regional libraries in South Australia and Victoria.

The library is located in what was the council chambers for the District Council of Mount Pleasant. In 1997, Mount Pleasant Council amalgamated with The Barossa Council.

Where Council meetings were once held is now the space for children to wiggle, wriggle and giggle. Every Wednesday, about 40 people come along to the hour long Wiggle & Wonder session. An impressive attendance figure for a small community.

Mount Pleasant library has some classic late mid-century modern features with a raked ceiling and orange feature glass. This is a lovely light filled space for a communal gathering around a shared table.

The library was refurbished a few years ago and it looks fresh and neat as a pin, with comfortable and inviting places to sit and read.

You could snuggle in with a good book on a bright yellow couch, under a beautiful hand crocheted rug, kindly donated to the Library.

Opposite the Library is the Mount Pleasant Soldiers’ Memorial Hall, which was the premises for the Mount Pleasant Institute

The Mount Pleasant Institute was the library for Institute members for over 120 years, from 1863 to 1989 and was one of the last Institutes to be dissolved in South Australia.

• Barossa Libraries Instagram

• The Barossa Council library services

• Barossa Australia

• Institutes of South Australia, Mount Pleasant

Campbelltown Library is celebrating 50 years of public library service with a party and exhibition.

Library branches were opened in Campbelltown in 1976, and Athelstone in 1980, before the branches were consolidated into a new library built at the current location in Newton in 1985.

In 2010, the library at Newton doubled in size with an $8M redevelopment by DesignInc.

Campbelltown Library is now a large, and busy library in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide, on Kaurna country, serving a community of almost 60,000 residents.

Open daily, about 500 – 700 people go to the library at Newton every day, and not surprising given the range of programs, spaces, collections and services offered by the library.

This excludes the vast number of people, who use the online collections via the Library SA app.

A big thanks to Sonja Lawrence, who showed me around the library, and wore her special earrings that looked like little books.

There was so much to love at Campbelltown Library, including several things that made me think: I didn’t know libraries were doing that!

Highlights included

• a communication access guide at the welcome desk to assist visitors with communication challenges

• a book group for visually impaired book lovers who meet to listen to audiobooks

• chat seats for people to connect and share stories with volunteers

• a magic tree for young ones to gather for stories and wriggling.

The library also offers a substantial community languages collection, adult literacy resources for English language learners, and a wonderful toy library full of games, puzzles and toys for children to borrow.

Plus, there are many spaces for lots of different tasks –

• a maker space for up to 15 people to drop in, chat with others or receive instruction on craft, sewing or 3D printing projects

• a history room for retaining and showcasing local history

• a private IT suite for digital literacy training and help

• a secluded quiet area for study and reading newspapers

• an outdoor space with a fabulous book mural

• a youth space

• a cosy lounge area for puzzles and relaxing

• a room for printing, scanning and shredding

• plenty of public computers

• a joyful toy library room full of toys and helpers

• comfortable places with good light to sit, read and relax

• flexible meeting rooms available out of library hours

• and a gallery space currently showcasing 50 years of the library.

At all libraries there are restrictions on taking photos of library visitors. I had a good problem at Campbelltown Library, where there were people everywhere, using all the spaces, so I couldn’t take photos of some areas.

Lots of spaces allows for almost daily events and programs at the library.

Every week there are twenty-four regular events for adults and children, plus a wide range of programs for adults including author talks, movies and more.

In July the libraries of South Australia have a Firstival program, where libraries run events encouraging visitors to try something new. At Campbelltown Library, there are Firstival events to perform poetry, make kimchi and much more.

Before Campbelltown Library opened its doors in 1976, the Magill Institute had served as a library for the members of the Institute from 1859 to 1976 from two buildings in Magill.

The Magill Institute was dissolved in 1976, replaced by Campbelltown Public Library for all people in the community.

• campbelltown.sa.gov.au/community/library

• instagram.com/campbelltownlibrary

Sources:

Institutes of South Australia, Magill

There is something magical about School Community Libraries.

In South Australia there are over forty school community libraries, sometimes simply called a community library.

In the Coorong region, there are four community libraries – co-located at the schools in Coomandook, Meningie, Tintinara and Tailem Bend. Collectively, these libraries are the Coorong Libraries.

At the end of Library Lane is the Tailem Bend Community Library, co-located with Tailem Bend Primary School. The library is in the school’s original classroom, built in 1908.

Tailem Bend is a country town, 85 kilometres south-east of Adelaide, on Ngarrindjeri country, in Coorong District Council region.

The town of Tailem Bend has a population of about 1400 people and the Primary School has around 120 students from Reception to Year 6.

For over 30 years, Angie Tomkinson has worked at the Tailem Community Library.

Angie is the epitome of a community connector and contributor. Beyond her long connection with the library and primary school, Angie is also in involved with the local history group, netball club and Rotary Club.

For her contribution to the community, Angie was recently honoured with the Tailem Bend Citizen of the year award.

Angie and her colleague Karen warmly welcomed me to the library, and proudly told me stories about Tailem Bend’s Community Library.

The library opened as a public joint use community library in 1986. For almost 80 years, from 1908 to 1986, Tailem Bend Institute had provided a library service for members of the Institute.

Connecting to community history is a vital role for the library team. For the last five years, Angie has hosted a monthly Monday Memories event at the library. Monday Memories brings the community together to reminisce about local people and events as they chat about photos from the Tailem Bend Library archives.

The historic photos are also posted to the Tailem Bend Library Facebook page, to keep the conversation going online.

In another fantastic initiative to help the community to connect to the history of Tailem Bend, Angie compiles and publishes The Tailem Bend Tribute. The Tribute looks like an old style newspaper, complete with historic news articles and advertisements sourced from Trove – the National Library of Australia’s platform for digitised newspapers, coupled with photos from the Tailem Bend Library archives

Part of the library is the original school classroom building, which is still used for teaching and engaging students.

Apart from all the children’s books and art displays, there is a wonderful collection of all sorts of old telephones. The kids love to play with the rotary dial telephone.

Libraries often have a collection of used books for sale as you leave the library. At Tailem Bend Community Library, the old books are individually wrapped in brown paper and string, and called ‘blind date’ books. All proceeds of the blind date books go to developing the archive history collection of the Community Library.

I look forward to reading my blind date book – an Australian outback crime thriller.

• libraries.sa.gov.au/client/en_AU/coorong

• facebook.com/TB.library17

Sources:

• Institutes of South Australia, Tailem Bend

• Facebook.com, Tailem Bend Library

• Murray Bridge News, One for the record books: Angie Tomkinson named Tailem Bend citizen of the year

Not many big thinkers get a building named after them. The Stretton Centre at Munno Para is named after Professor Hugh Stretton.

In his book, Australia Fair, Hugh Stretton called on us to ‘leave Australia fairer than we found it’. These inspiring words are etched around the bust of Hugh Stretton near the entrance to the Stretton Centre Library.

Libraries may be the clearest example of an organisation dedicated to making life fairer. Particularly in South Australia, where all library customers have access to the same content of over 3 million items, online and physical, and can easily borrow from all 130+ libraries across the State. All of this for free.

The Stretton Centre Library at Munno Para is one of two libraries in Playford Council region.

Munno Para is a fast growing region, located 32 kilometres north of Adelaide, on Kaurna land in Playford Council region.

The library is on the doorstep of a large housing development, where over 4,000 new homes are being built, expanding the population by an additional 15,000 people.

There has been a public library at Munno Para since 1966, and most recently the library was located at the Munno Para Shopping Centre.

It was great to chat to Debbie, who has worked at the Playford libraries at Elizabeth and Munno Para for over twenty years.

The $16M Stretton Centre, opened in 2015. The building was designed by Hassell, who were honoured with the South Australian Architecture Award for Public Architecture in 2016 for the Stretton Centre.

Around the library there is art everywhere. From the commissioned mural by street artist Mimby Jones Robinson to the wall of cover art from manga and graphic novels.

And, great to see that there is a vast collection of anime, manga, graphic novels and teen fiction

A grand circular staircase leads to work spaces, meeting rooms and training rooms for a popular co-working space.

Stretton Library is open six days a week.

playford.sa.gov.au/community/library-services

instagram.com/playfordlibraryservice

Playford Civic Centre library traces its origins back to South Australia’s first municipal public lending library, opened in Elizabeth South in 1957.

Elizabeth is an outer northern suburb of Adelaide, about 24 kilometres north of Adelaide, on Kaurna land.

The suburb of Elizabeth is now part of the City of Playford Council, a large council with about 116,000 residents.

Playford Council has two libraries, plus a mobile library and a home library service.

In 1955, Elizabeth was developed as a significant new housing area, named after Queen Elizabeth II.

In the early 1950s, Sir Thomas Playford, the long serving Premier of South Australia, had resisted the call to open subsidised free public libraries and preferred the model that was in place with a Country Lending Service, supplemented by the Institute libraries.

However, with the development of Elizabeth as a satellite town in 1954, the Housing Trust was on board to provide land for library purposes.

This coincided with the passing of the Libraries (Subsidies) Act 1955, which set out a framework for the Treasurer to subsidise the running costs of libraries established by a local council.

Sir Thomas Playford, who had opposed subsidised public libraries, opened the Elizabeth library in 1957, and was the first borrower.

The first library was located in Elizabeth South Shopping Centre from 1957, and in 1960, another library opened in Elizabeth North.

In 1968, the Elizabeth Public Library and clock tower was constructed at Elizabeth Shopping Centre – a striking two storey, mid-century public building, which was the home of the Elizabeth Library for the next thirty-five years.

In 2004 a new library was built as part of the Playford Civic Centre redevelopment, which is about double the size of the old Elizabeth Public Library.

The Playford Civic Centre Library is now co-located, alongside a function centre, theatre, public meeting rooms, customer service centre and Council Chambers.

The dancing figures statue by Hubert Yencesse, which previously stood outside the old Elizabeth Public Library, was moved to the new Civic Centre Library, and is a now set off by the landscape of mature bottle trees.

Jaimie Ritchie has worked at the Playford libraries for many years, and was my personal, and helpful, library guide.

The Playford Civic Centre library is open every day, from 9-6pm most days, until 9pm on Thursdays, and shorter hours on the weekend.

On the Wednesday morning I visited the library, outside of school holidays, there would have been at least sixty people in the library, from babies to seniors.

The space is flexible to accommodate changing needs of the library users. A dedicated space is now available for young people to be together, along with a gaming area.

The library has also expanded and updated the quiet study area with plenty of desks, tables and quiet one person pods.

The study area was revamped in lead up to Playford Council also setting up Uni Hub Playford, which is a hub located close to the library, for students to come together for studying online, working together or needing a quiet place to focus.

There are lots of programs offered by the library, including two writing groups – one for young writers, and another for adults. Maybe inspired by famous Elizabeth old boy, Jimmy Barnes’ award winning memoirs.

The library has an impressive collection of non-fiction and history books, along with a digitised photo collection, with over 10,000 photos at playfordspast.recollect.net.au. There are some fantastic photos of the construction and everyday life in the old Elizabeth Public Library.

And great to see a photo of Jimmy Barnes in the old Elizabeth Public Library, well before he went on to write his award winning books, Working Class Boy and Working Class Man.

playford.sa.gov.au/community/library-services

instagram.com/playfordlibraryservice

Sources:

Bridge (1986) A trunk full of books : history of the State Library of South Australia and its forerunners

Facebook.com, Elizabeth That Was

playfordspast.recollect.net.au

State Library of South Australia, A selective chronology of the State Library of South Australia and its forerunners

The honour of being South Australia’s newest library goes to Hewett Library.

Launched in March 2026, the library is located in the Hewett Centre.

Hewett is a newish northern suburb of Gawler established in 2001.

Located about 40 kilometres north of Adelaide, Hewett is close to Gawler, but it part of Light Regional Council, on Kaurna land.

The Hewett Centre is a multi-purpose community centre managed by Light Regional Council.

I recently met with Pepper Mickan, Community Services Manager at Light Regional Council, and she told me how the new library opened within 9 weeks, from idea to launch.

New libraries starting from scratch are few and far between. It is almost ten years since the last new library opened in South Australia, which was Aldinga library.

Starting on a small scale, with a well curated collection of books and good range of programs is an ideal way to build a new library and customers.

Hewett Library has opened on an 18 month trial period. The library, with its striking curved ceiling, is located next to Hewett Primary School and close to a child care centre.

The successful programs for all ages offered at the other two libraries in Light Region are now also running at the Hewett Library including the after school hours STEAM club,

Two new employees and a trainee were employed for the new library and customer service branch at Hewett.

Taya welcomed me at the front desk, and I also chatted to Heather, who I had just met at Kapunda Library.

The walls at the new library were covered with butchers paper filled with ideas for the new library on programs to run, favourite things to do at the library, and what libraries mean to the community.

Libraries are peaceful, joyful, exciting and knowledgeable. A great place to connect, feel part of the community, to learn new things, to read with the kids, and an alternative to screens.

In my quest to visit every public library in South Australia, I drove along the Thiele Highway, named after much loved author Colin Thiele, to visit three libraries in Kapunda, Freeling and, the new library at Hewett.

Colin Thiele inspired the joy of reading for so many young readers. The South Australian author, born in Eudunda, wrote over 100 books, including Storm Boy.

Kapunda is about 80 kilometres north of Adelaide, on Ngadjuri country, has a population of about 2,700 people, and is in Light Regional Council area.

There are over thirty buildings in Kapunda listed on the State Heritage Register, including the historic building, where the library and visitor information centre are co-located.

Amy and Heather welcomed me to the library and told me about the background of the building and the library service.

The library is located in a former drapery store, known as Andrew Thomson’s store, built in 1860.

From the ground floor library, a wraparound staircase leads up to the Sir Sidney Kidman permanent exhibition on the first floor.

I knew the basic details about Sidney Kidman, once the largest landholder in Australia, but I wasn’t aware of his connection to Kapunda.

In what was once the basement of Thomson’s drapery store, there is an interesting space, called the Taste of the Region interpretive display, to learn about Kapunda’s history.

In a nod to the building’s past, where once the basement was the storeroom for the drapery store, with goods packed in boxes, the treasured items and background stories are displayed in wooden packing boxes.

I loved the map on the floor made from slate showing the Ngadjuri area.

Kapunda library opened in 1981, and has been located in Thomson’s drapery store building since around 1988.

Prior to the opening of the public library, the Kapunda Institute had provided library services to members of the Institute, from 1859 to 1983.

Kapunda Institute was one of the first institutes in South Australia to receive a box of books from the South Australia Institute on North Terrace, as part of the circulating library developed in 1859.

The South Australian Institute’s circulating library system for distributing non-fiction books was an Australian first, and became in geographical terms the largest and most comprehensive in the world.

Each receiving institute would receive a box of books every three months for their members to read, before sending the crate of books to another institute

Over the next twenty years, the box of books circulating system was adopted by Victoria, New South Wales and the US.

Kapunda Library & Visitor Centre is open every day, and is the starting point for the 10 kilometre Kapunda Heritage Trail that winds its way around 42 buildings and landmarks.

onecard.network/client/en_AU/light

From Tennessee to Freeling, there are communities around the world that are inspiring a love of reading in children, through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

Freeling is a lovely small town, located 60 kilometres north of Adelaide in the Light Regional Council area, on Ngadjuri country. There are about 16,000 people living in Light Regional Council area, and about 2,700 people residing in Freeling.

Sally-Anne and Pepper warmly welcomed me to Freeling Library.

Pepper Mickan is the Community Services Manager at Light Regional Council, the President of Public Libraries of South Australia (PLSA) and the Deputy Chair, Australian Public Library Alliance. Oh, and she started working in libraries as 12 year old library volunteer.

It was wonderful to talk to Pepper about her many roles, including leading the team to deliver South Australia’s latest public library and customer service branch at Hewett, that opened in February 2026.

Pepper also proudly told me about the Building Early Engagement and Support (BEES) program that the library is running.

BEES is a free early development and literacy program for families in the Light Regional Council.

The program is in response to the results from Australian Early Development Census that highlighted a significant increase in developmental vulnerability among children in the Light Regional Council area.

The library already had some programs to improve children’s reading skills and foster community connections, and have now extended their offering with the BEES program.

BEES program is for the families who care for the 100+ babies born in 2025 that are living in the Light region, who will receive for five years, a monthly book pack and play resources delivered to their home, parenting information, access to early childhood programs and a chance to connect to other families in the area.

It was lovely to hear Sally Anne chatting about the BEES program to a local parent and her baby as I was in the library.

It takes a village to raise a child, so the BEES program is led by Raising Literacy Australia and supported by United Way Australia, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and Light Regional Council.

Before the Freeling Public Library opened in its current location, in about 1995, Freeling had been served by the Freeling Institute, which operated for almost 120 years, from 1868.

The Freeling Institute was one of the last Institutes to be dissolved in South Australia, when it closed in 1986.

wordsgrowminds.org.au/get-involved/building-early-engagement-and-support-bees

imaginationlibrary.com/au/affiliate/LIGHTLGASA

instagram.com/light.region

Why had I left it so long to walk to Walkerville library?

Now that I have done it, I will be adding Walkerville to one of my regular library spots.

Walkerville Council, located on Kaurna Country, is the smallest Council in metropolitan Adelaide and is home to about 8,000 residents.

It’s hard to miss the Walkerville library. The building has a striking geometric design, and is located next to the historic Town Hall, on the corner of the two main roads in the area.

Walkerville Library traces its origin back to the Walkerville Institute, which operated out of the Walkerville Town Hall from 1908 to 1939.

In 1939, Walkerville Council built a new building next to the Town Hall to mark the centenary of the village of Walkerville. The Walkerville Institute rented the building from the Council, which included a new library and reading room.

By 1963, the Institute had been dissolved and the library was then incorporated as a free Public Library within the Walkerville Council.

In 2013, a new $7M Walkerville Civic and Community Centre was completed, linking a new library and Council administration area to the historic Walkerville Town Hall.

The Walkerville Civic and Community Centre was designed by JPE Design Studio, who were inspired by the concept of the ‘public living room’ when designing the library, to create a space that is public yet personal.

State Library NSW Public library services has a good description of library design as a community place.

“Floor space, once dominated by the collection, is converted to include comfortable areas to relax and socialise. Like public squares and street cafes, a modern public library provides a place for people to meet and pass time, in addition to its core information services.

These libraries offer a variety of different spaces – quiet contemplative nooks, places by the window, or seats near bustling thoroughfares.

As well as continuing to serve their traditional roles, libraries act as an extension of people’s recreational time.

People may stay for much longer periods and therefore seek the amenity that longer stays require.”

In addition to the Walkerville library, JPE Design are the architects behind three fabulous library buildings in Adelaide - Parks Library, Ngutungka Henley Community Centre and Library and Payinthi Library at Prospect.

With north facing floor to ceiling windows, plus dappled shade coverage, Walkerville library is a lovely building to read and spend a long time in.

Along most of the north facing windows is a long timber slatted seating area, to hang out on, sit and chat, or just read in a beautiful space with good lighting.

On the day of my visit there were plenty of people reading and working in sound absorbing quiet study booths towards the rear of the library, and other quiet nooks.

While most of the library is open and bright, the non-fiction collection feels cosy like browsing in the library stacks with dark coloured book shelves, carpet and a low ceiling.

There is also a small art gallery in the Civic and Community Centre.

The Walkerville community book clubs are well catered for with book sets. I am sure there will be a lot of laughs at the book clubs reading tales from my former colleague, Shaun Micallef, in his latest memoir Tripping over myself.

walkerville.sa.gov.au

facebook.com/WalkervilleLibrary

Port Adelaide library was redeveloped in 2025, and the library now looks as fresh inside as Sam Songailo’s striking geometric mural on the library wall.

There are five libraries in Port Adelaide Enfield (PAE) Council and it has been a pleasure to visit all of them – Parks, Enfield, Semaphore, Greenacres and Port Adelaide.

Located on Kaurna country, PAE is one of the three big councils in Adelaide, with a population of about 141,000 people residing in more than 50 suburbs.

On my arrival at Port Adelaide library, word had spread about my quest to visit every public library in South Australia. I was warmly welcomed by Josef, who was already following On the library trail.

Josef introduced me to his colleagues, Elena, whom I had met at Parks Library, and Liz, Community Development officer.

Liz and I chatted about the commitment of the City of PAE’s elected members to libraries, and in particular community access to libraries.

One of the things that has stood out about the PAE libraries, is that all of the libraries are open seven days a week, starting at 9AM on weekdays.

About 100,000 people visit Port Adelaide Library each year.

This significant library visitor figure is testament to the work of the PAE libraries staff and council creating a network of libraries in their region to support the changing needs of the community.

In 2024 City of PAE refreshed their visual brand, and this has extended throughout the PAE libraries.

I have been very impressed by the promotional publications that are designed and produced by the PAE libraries marketing and communications co-ordinator to highlight the ‘amazing things happening across the PAE libraries.

For the recent refurbishment at Port Adelaide library, contemporary library signage was designed inhouse and produced at the makerspace at Parks Library.

PAE library staff also capitalised on the City of PAE rebranding to develop an easy to navigate website specifically for the library - paelibraries.com.au.

Port Adelaide Library was opened in 1979, in a peak period for opening libraries in the western suburbs of Adelaide, thanks to the leadership of Jim Crawford, former Chairman of the Libraries Board of SA.

From a dire lack of public libraries in the western suburbs, nine libraries were opened in 1978 and 1979, including three mobile library services.

The Port Adelaide library was established after the Port Adelaide Institute was dissolved and ownership transferred to Port Adelaide Council.

The Port Adelaide Institute was one of the first institutes in South Australia and operated for over 120 years from 1851 to 1979, providing library services to the Institute’s members. The institute was located in the heritage listed Port Adelaide Institute building, constructed in 1874.

Port Adelaide is South Australia’s first State Heritage Area, with a rich history as a working seaport. There is a dedicated History and Heritage section in the library, with a permanent collection and material for loan.

Important records are being digitised, and cleverly displayed by incorporating a large tablet screen inside a heritage small writing desk.

In the 2025 redevelopment of the Port Adelaide library, new services were added to, or enhanced in the library’s offerings including a new tool library, and a curated art book collection.

For big or small projects, the new tool library is perfect for people who only need to access tools occasionally, but need good quality tools including drills, screwdriver sets, sanders and jigsaws.

The librarians at PAE worked in conjunction with Vitalstatistix, a Port Adelaide based theatre company, to develop a collection of art books that are typically expensive and out of reach for many people, including artists.

paelibraries.com.au

instagram.com/CityofPAELibraries

Greenacres Library, one of the five libraries in City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, is an ideal space for “little learners to lifelong explorers”, with a busy schedule of events and plenty of spaces for people to sit, read, learn and explore.

Greenacres library opened in 1964. It was the first public library built by Enfield Council, which is now City of Port Adelaide Enfield Council (PAE).

PAE is one of the three big councils in Adelaide, with a population of about 141,000 people, and located on Kaurna country.

The current Greenacres library was built in 1998, and features a striking mural of a fruit bat by Sarah Boese.

I was warmly welcomed by Lan and Alyssa. For over 25 years, Lan has been welcoming and helping Greenacres library users.

Over the last few years, PAE libraries has been gradually revamping their libraries - updating the seating, workspaces, shelving, and carpet and all the libraries have a fresh look.

When libraries provide good spaces to read, work, listen, learn, watch, or come together, people will turn up in droves.

Greenacres is a large library, and can accommodate a lot of people doing a range of activities simultaneously.

Even on a Thursday morning, there would have been about 30 or so people in the library, across a wide range of ages, and when events are on, about 100 people can be in the library.

At Greenacres Library there are so many different spaces for individuals and small groups including:

• a quiet pod

• individual study booths with sound absorbing material

• two small meeting rooms for 4-6 people

• a community meeting room with a kitchen for up to 35 people

• a technology room for about 20 people to dock their laptop into a large screen

• large communal tables

• comfortable seats and couches.

Nearly all of these spaces were being used on a hot Thursday morning in February when I visited Greenacres library.

I couldn’t resist borrowing, Murder on the Heysen Trail by David Roberts.

The Heysen Trail is a 1,200 kilometre walking trail in South Australia.

When I told my friend Maree that I was setting out to visit all of South Australia’s libraries, she suggested that I call my quest – On the Library Trail, as a nod to the Heysen Trail. Both trails take years to complete.

paelibraries.com.au

instagram.com/CityofPAELibraries

Robe is known for beautiful beaches, historic buildings and the red and white obelisk.

Robe Library combines all of these features. The seaside library is ideally located, about 100 steps to town beach, adjoins the historic Robe Institute building, and the library’s stamp features the famous obelisk.

Robe is on the Limestone Coast, on Buandig country, and is very popular holiday destination.

In low season, about 1500 people live in Robe, but come summer, the town expands to about 15,000 people with holiday makers and seasonal workers.

The library is co-located with the visitor information centre and celebrated its 40^th anniversary in 2023.

Robe Public Library was built in 1983 as an extension to the heritage listed Robe Institute Building.

The Robe Institute building was built in 1868,and a library had been part of the Institute for 120 years.

For 37 years, Kathleen Browne was the Institute Librarian, and she was the first library borrower when Robe library opened as a Public Library in 1983.

Kathleen is honoured in the Institute Building, with the Kathleen Browne Room, where the Robe History group meet and store their collection.

Jim Crawford, Chairman of the Libraries Board of SA, opened the Library in August 1983, and Robe was the 100^th public library in South Australia.

Librarian, Lonny Peel proudly shared with me both the history of the Robe Library and their recent changes, including revamping the children’s section in 2023 to get kids back into reading. The children love it.

Local history has a strong focus in Robe, and in the library. I love the collection of local history, local authors books.

I also love the idea of the 100 club for booklovers. A different take on a book group, where your target is to read 100 books for the year, and catch up with fellow keen readers during the year to talk about your love of books.

The library benefits from active participation by volunteers, such as members of the Friends of the Robe Library. The Lions Club also sponsors a beach wheelchair, which is kept at the library.

The library is open every day, and interstate holiday makers can use a temporary membership card to take full advantage of what Robe library has to offer.

robe.sa.gov.au/services/library

instagram.com/robevisitorcentre

facebook.com/robevisitorinformationcentreandpubliclibrary

In Kingston SE (South East), there is one school, which is so much more than a school.

Kingston Community School is also the home for seven school and community joint use facilities, starting with the library.

There is also a 25 metre swimming pool, football oval, cricket nets, tennis and netball court, squash courts and a gymnasium – all shared between the school and the Kingston SE community.

Kingston SE is in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, on Meintangk/Moandik country, about 240 kilometres from Adelaide.

The Community School caters for around 300 students from reception to year 12, so ages from about 6 to 18, and serves the district population of 2400 people.

The school, and the library opened in 1986 on the current site. There has been a school in Kingston for over 125 years, but there wasn’t a local library until the school-community library was built 40 years ago.

I was warmly welcomed to the library by Haley. The community school library is open six days a week.

In 2024, the library won the Local Government Association’s Jim Crawford award for Innovation in Libraries for the Literacy without barriers program,

To encourage reading, and connecting text to the real world, the library has book packs which contain stories, activities and guides for parents and carers to read with their pre-school aged children.

The Literacy without barriers program was developed by Kirsten Barich to tackle declining early literacy levels and a lack of engagement with pre-school programs within the Kingston community.

Jim Crawford was a legend when it came to the development of South Australia’s public libraries.

He served on local councils for more than twenty years, and was the Chairman of the Libraries Board for ten years, from 1977 to 1987.

This was a period when public libraries were being established in South Australia, growing out of the era of being associated with the Institutes.

He was also instrumental in the development of mobile libraries in the 1960s. Crawford was the Managing Director of CMV vehicle dealership, and through the CMV charitable trust, he donated money and vehicles to set up mobile libraries, where public libraries didn’t exist.

In a nice twist, Jim Crawford opened the Kingston Community Library in 1986, as Chairman of the Libraries Board of SA.

kingstoncs.sa.edu.au

instagram.com/kingstoncs_library

There is a lot to love about Beachport.

• A rugged coastline

• A welcoming library open every day

• A big purple chair to relax in

Beachport is a small town of about 500 people on the Limestone Coast, on Boandik country, just over 300 kilometres from Adelaide.

The seaside town grows in summer, with lots to offer including a ripper little library, open every day.

The library is co-located with the Beachport visitor centre, where Jasmine and Heather warmly welcomed me.

Work was about to commence at the visitor centre to create space for Art Gallery Beachport, so next time I visit, it will be a library / art gallery / visitor centre.

The library is about the size of a lounge room, with a big inviting purple chair to sit in.

You can never judge a library by its size.

Like all libraries in South Australia, as part of the LibrariesSA network, library members in Beachport can access resources from any library in South Australia knowing that the material will be delivered to their local library in a few days.

Plus, all library members have access to the thousands of e-books and audio books on Libby and Borrow Box.

While I am on the library trail, I have been borrowing books from every library I visit, and later returning the books to my local library.

In Beachport, I borrowed The desert knows her name by Lia Hills, and later returned the book to my local library branch. Through the magic of the Libraries SA network, the book will be sent back to Beachport library.

I look forward to visiting Beachport library again later this year, and checking out the new Beachport Art Gallery.

There is another reason to love this little town - Santa always stops and dries his washing at Beachport.

It’s true – I see his washing there every year.

wattlerange.sa.gov.au/living-here/libraries

instagram.com/beachportexplore

A library with an art gallery, or an art gallery with a library.

Millicent is located in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, on Boandik country, and has a population of about 5,000 people,

I have visited Millicent many times in the last decade while holidaying in the region, and now wonder why I had never visited the co-located library and art gallery before.

Kristie showed me around the library and art gallery and explained the unique setup of the Millicent Library and Gallery.

The art gallery is a high quality public exhibition space co-located with the library in the Civic Centre complex.

As Kristie explained, co-locating the two public facilities increases the visitors to both – if you were at the library, you would certainly visit the art gallery, and vice versa.

This is reflected in the Millicent Library and Gallery Facebook page, which simply states that the library is “is a highly used country library, with over 80,000 loans a year and 55% community membership.”

While I was visiting, the Wattle Range Art Exhibition was on display in the gallery, featuring an incredible range of paintings, 3D art, textiles and mixed media.

All the more remarkable as the exhibition is limited to people who live in the Wattle Range Council area – a region of about 12,000 residents.

The art isn’t just restricted to the art gallery space. There was a colourful display of young children’s art at the entrance to the library, and an incredible woven tapestry depicting historic Millicent produced by the local craft community .

Like many libraries in South Australia, the Millicent Public Library was preceded by the Millicent Institute Library.

The Millicent Institute was dissolved in 1989, and was one the last Institutes to be dissolved in South Australia.

The library and gallery was built in 1990, in the same location where the Millicent Institute had once stood.

At the entrance to the library is a stone laid in “recognition of the contribution made by the Millicent Institute through its library and Civic Hall 1884 -1988.”

The old doors from the Millicent Institute Library are now in the entrance of the library, storing some of the collection from the Institute Library.

Millicent Library also has the Towers History Room - a generous sized room devoted to the management and storage of the extensive Cultural Heritage Collection of over 30,000 items.

Named after the late Bruce Towers, local historian, farmer, stone mason and builder, who provided a bequest to the library in 2002.

The Towers History Room includes furniture and local history items owned by Mr Towers, and a large board room table, donated to the library by Cellulose Australia, a paper manufacture company that had been an owner of the Millicent Paper Mill.

As I was leaving the library, I was chatting with Kristie about the collection of ‘boomerang bags’. These are handmade bags that library users can take to carry their library items, and return them when they visit the library again.

An industrious Millicent local, set herself a task to make 10,000 boomerang bags in a year. She smashed the target, with the help of the community donating fabric. Now there are plenty of boomerang bags, plus the pattern, if others want to make their own boomerang bag.

https://www.wattlerange.sa.gov.au/living-here/libraries

https://www.instagram.com/millicentlibraryandgallery

Semaphore Library is not only a beautiful library in an historic building, it is also perfectly located, with an ice-cream shop at the front of the building, and close to the beach.

A northwestern suburb of Adelaide, Semaphore is about 14 kilometres from the city centre. The library is one of five libraries in the City of Port Adelaide Enfield library service.

Like the story of many South Australian libraries, Semaphore Library is young and old.

On arrival at the library, Emma told me some of the building’s rich backstory and gave me a helpful brochure on the History of Semaphore Library.

Semaphore Library was established as a public library in 1978, and was previously located in the former Central Provision Stores (CPS) building at 34 Semaphore Road.

In 1994 the library moved to the Semaphore Institute building.

The Institute Building was built in 1884, and when you walk into Semaphore Library, your eye is immediately drawn to the 34ft high ceilings, and the elaborate art deco decoration around what was the stage.

Semaphore Institute operated a library in the building from 1884 up to 1975, in various parts of the building.

Over the years, the Institute Building hall was used for live theatre, concerts, a youth club with a boxing ring on the stage, and a cinema.

The building was vacant from 1985 to 1993, when it was converted from a theatre to a library, maintaining the art deco features.

Where once there was a boxing ring, the stage is now the location for the computers.

It was lovely to see a plaque on the wall in memory of Arthur Mortimer. I had recently been reading about the incredible work that Mortimer did to advocate for public libraries in the Western Suburbs of Adelaide, in A Trunk Full of Books.

In the mid-1970s, when the Institutes were being phased out, and local councils were taking on the role of setting up public libraries, there were no public libraries in the western suburbs of Adelaide, despite having a population of over 200,000 people.

Arthur Mortimer was a librarian, and a resident of the western suburbs. He set up the Concerned Residents of the West (CROW) to advocate for expanding library services across South Australia.

With some very clever stunts and constant political lobbying, CROW secured a commitment from the Dunstan Government to build libraries in the Western Suburbs, which resulted in seven public libraries being established across various councils in 1978 and 1979 in Adelaide’s western region.

I loved the Citizen Science area, which focussed on the algal bloom event that South Australia has been dealing with in 2025, and other projects for budding citizen scientists of all ages to engage with.

I also really liked the showcase book displays highlighting books under useful categories such as “If you like John le Carre, you may also like ….,” beach reads, trending and politics. It had a bookshop feel to highlight books that library users may not know about.

From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage. How Australia got compulsory voting is now on my reading list, and I hadn’t heard of Judith Brett’s book until I saw it on the showcase display.

paelibraries.com.au

instagram.com/cityofPAElibraries

It is easy for the history of a library to fade away, even its recent history.

I have recently been reading A trunk full of books by historian, Professor Carl Bridge. Written in 1986, it plots the development of public libraries in South Australia, from 1836 to 1983.

A search of the State Library of South Australia revealed that the Enfield Library opened in 1985. The library just missed the cut off of being included in Bridge’s comprehensive list of the Establishment of Subsidised Libraries in South Australia, up to 1984.

Enfield Library is now one of five libraries in the Port Adelaide Enfield Council region, located across the inner north and north western suburbs of Adelaide. The councils of Port Adelaide and Enfield merged in 1996.

Like many Public Libraries in South Australia, the history of the library in the area is linked to the history of the local Institute building.

The Enfield Institute was established in 1877 and was one of the last in the state to be dissolved, in 1988. A subscription library for members of the Enfield Institute was in operation up until 1975.

A link to the now demolished Enfield Institute Building is in the large artwork, A Sense of Place, which covers the front of the Enfield Library.

There is a large skylight in the library to fill the building with natural light and comfortable places to sit and read, amongst the shelves, and next to large windows.

It was a lovely spot for me to read Temple of books: Magnificent Libraries around the world and think where the global library trail will take me.

There were plenty of options for working spaces, with and without a computer. A bookable quiet study room, a shared study place with six desk spaces, plenty of computers in the open library and two community meeting rooms.

It’s an ongoing challenge for libraries sharing the message about the range of online resources on offer to all libraries as part of Libraries SA.

I love how Enfield Library is subtly sharing the message about some of the online resources available to patrons by displaying pamphlets about LinkedIn Learning amongst the non-fiction collection.

It reminded me that I should take greater advantage of this free online training.

paelibraries.com.au

instagram.com/cityofPAElibraries

Parks Library in Angle Park is a ripper of a library, and to use the tagline on their library bags, full of imagination.

When I looked at the photos online of the Parks Library that was opened in 2018, I thought ‘wow’.

I thought the same, when I saw the outside of Parks Library – it’s a beautiful, modern library building, built around a courtyard garden.

Inside the library, I had the same reaction – wow, what an impressive library space.

Parks Library is one of five libraries in the Port Adelaide Enfield council area . The five libraries are all open seven days a week.

City of Port Adelaide Enfield (PAE) is one of the three big councils in Adelaide, with a population of about 141,000 people, and on the traditional land of the Kaurna people.

Council previously operated the Library and parts of the Community Centre at The Parks in facilities owned by the South Australian Government, which closed in 2013.

The Government gifted the Council land to build a new library.

The new $7.6M library in Angle Park, designed by JPE Design Studio, opened in 2018.

Parks Library is showcased in Amazing Library Designs, a website by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) describing the library’s design and vision as:

The design of Parks Library was driven by the community’s vision to create a welcoming public space that celebrates the local community and provides a focal point for the local area; a welcoming space for people to relax, read and learn.

On so many levels, it appears that Parks Library is successfully delivering on the community’s vision.

The focus of Parks Library is on programs for the community.

There is far more space devoted to meeting and community spaces, than the physical collection of books and other materials.

The comfortable and light filled library features functional indoor and outdoor spaces, combined with a maker space, sound recording studio, four adaptable meeting rooms and a community kitchen that can be accessed out of library hours.

Parks Library is designed as wonderful, welcoming space to simultaneously host small and large events while the library patrons are also using the space for reading, studying, chatting, gaming, playing cards and many other activities.

The meeting rooms are flexible, not only in space configuration, but also the ease of accessing the rooms. The rooms are free for patrons in the library, if the room doesn’t have a booking.

Alternatively, booking the rooms online at reasonable prices is easy via SpacetoCo, with discounted prices for not for profit groups, community cultural groups and City of PAE residents.

The Makerspace at Parks Library is described as a ‘creative hub designed for hands-on learning’ and includes 3D printers, laser cutter, soldering equipment, sewing machines, hand tools and power tools. It is open six days a week. The space is open to anyone over 16 with library card from any SA library.

There is also a Sound Studio at Parks Library next to the Makerspace that has been acoustically treated and is the perfect space for podcasting or voice recording.

I also loved that the Toy Library also included a rack of costumes for the kids.

The library staff, Sarah and Minori were knowledgeable and suitably proud of their library and the programs it provides to help the residents of Port Adelaide Enfield council and beyond.

paelibraries.com.au

instagram.com/cityofPAElibraries

Murray Bridge Library is ideally located on a rise overlooking the River Murray / Murrundi.

Less than 80 kilometres east of Adelaide, the Rural City of Murray Bridge council is home to about 23,000 people and is located on the land of the Ngarrindjeri people.

There is one library in the Rural City of Murray Bridge council area, as most of the population lives in or near Murray Bridge.

Going by the latest visitor numbers, which just happened to be released on the day I was visiting, the library is very popular with around 50,000 visitors for 2024/25, up from about 42,000 in the previous year.

The library building was opened in 2012 with a $2.5M fit out and chatting to Shae, I was told this is the third location for the library.

Now located in a prime position overlooking the River Murrary, the library is part of the Murray Bridge Market place shopping centre, with its own access point separate from the shopping centre, and easy access from the centre’s car park.

Life on the river is reflected in the library in many ways including an art installation featuring maritime rope and the little riverboat and barges to house the children’s books.

The local men’s shed built the children’s riverboat and barges with the support of the Friends of the Murray Bridge public library.

Each barge is named after a bird species that is common in the area - pelican owl, ibis, swan, plover, wren, heron and egret. A great way for children to start to learn the names of their local birds.

The history and heritage collection includes a permanent display sharing some of the story of the cultural heritage of the Ngarrindjeri people and the history of Murray Bridge. There is also a collection of books on the history of the Murray Bridge area and artefacts used by the Ngarrindjeri people.

I loved the community languages section for books in various languages other than English and the Memory Hub collection for resources to assist people and their carers managing dementia and other memory issues

Local volunteers and community groups support the library in a number of ways.

For many years, Murray Bridge library has had a program delivering books to Mobilong Prison every fortnight.

I chatted to Chris, who has proudly volunteered at the library for over fifteen years, along with volunteering at Meals on Wheels and his church.

The Circular economy Resource Recovery Hub at the entrance to the library is also a collaborative project involving council, Murray Bridge Rotary club and the Adelaide Hills Region Waste Management Authority.

South Australia has been a leader in circular economy for years, and now many public libraries offer recycling hubs for small items such as mobile phones, batteries, blister packs, household cords, small e-waste, soft drink lids, ring pulls, x-rays and glasses.

When I visited the library on Monday morning, Sophie Thomson, presenter with ABC’s Gardening Australia TV program was speaking to about 50 people in a large meeting space.

The library’s spacious design allows for community events to take place without disturbing other visitors, who can still enjoy quiet areas for work and conversation.

By chance, the Council’s annual report was released on the day I visited the library.

It was interesting to read that the library aims to loan 100,000 physical items each year.

As more people shift to digital formats for reading, listening, and viewing, the library saw a decrease in physical loans but still managed to loan nearly 113,000 items, with approximately 27% of those being digital materials.

This is in line with the recent trends reported in the Australian public libraries statistical report for 2023-24, which shows that digital borrowing accounts for about one-third of loans.

https://www.facebook.com/mblibrary

https://onecard.network/client/en_AU/murraybridge/