The new library is the first step in a series of three redevelopment and revitalisation projects between now and 2015

Cost: $10.2 million dollars
Estimated completion: 2009/2010
Location: Adjacent to the Civic Centre & Cave Garden
The new library is the first stage of Mount Gambier’s redevelopment and is a vital component of the overall revitalisation of the city centre. The new library will provide facilities and opportunities for people to connect.

Libraries have become more than a place to just borrow books. They have evolved into a place where people come to sit and read, listen to music, research, play, learn, socialise and connect. Libraries are now seen as places that are a focus of community activity, beyond just being a place for reading.

Virtual Tour of New Library

Since 2005, the Mount Gambier Public Library has taken steps toward this approach by introducing more community-based initiatives and programs, which has increased patronage to the library by more than 1000 visits per month. To continue the library’s growth, its infrastructure must also change to grow and support its community.

The Council’s Strategic Plan 2007 – 2012 incorporates a ‘Lifelong Community Learning’ strategy and the construction of the new Mount Gambier Library will play a vital role in the advancement of lifelong community learning and enhanced community engagement.

The current library located beneath the Council and the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre suffers from being hidden, accessibility issues and an extreme lack of space, preventing expansion of the library and its resources as a true community asset.

The Public Library and Community Centre development will be much more than a physical redevelopment. It will challenge perceptions of what a library is and what a library can be. The new development will revitalise many of the community services offered by the City of Mount Gambier, delivering an innovative suite of services and programs, onsite, online and throughout the wider Mount Gambier region.

Alongside this project, Council will undertake refurbishment and improvements works to the Civic Centre, Plaza and the existing Library and will provide increased car parking facilities.

The Mount Gambier Library will:

• Be a welcoming community space, connecting people, embracing technology and promoting opportunities for meaningful community engagement.
• Feature a café, meeting rooms, a specially designed children’s library, a parenting room, a local history room, study rooms and much more.
• Contribute to meeting the demands of our ever-growing city and provide a place for people of all ages, from different regions and even further afield, to engage in a variety of community activities, facilities and social, learning and networking functions.
• Support and lead the preservation of Mount Gambier’s cultural and documentary heritage.