OUR library network is one of the Shire’s most popular community assets and that is why Council continues to invest in their emerging roles as community hubs – places where people, information, ideas, creativity, and technology are brought together.

So it’s fantastic news for Dorrigo locals that a recent grant submission lodged by Council has secured $482,000 of funding from the NSW Public Library Infrastructure Grant Program to fund the refurbishment of their local library.

And the library refurbishment couldn’t come at a better time, because in the 2019/20 financial year alone, more than 58% of Dorrigo residents were active library members and the library hosted 21,683 visits and 140 programs attended by 1,130 people.

That’s why preliminary designs for the refurbishment significantly increase the existing library’s footprint and feature a dedicated youth area and computer workspace as well as a larger community meeting room and generous multipurpose entry foyer and art spaces.

The preliminary design also features a suite of current accessibility standard improvements, including a new circular entry ramp and deck with parking spaces for mobility scooters and two upgraded unisex amenities to cater for the disabled, the elderly, families and children.

Ultimately, our libraries provide so much more to our local community than just books, they’re also social spaces where you can go to catch up with friends, learn something new, use the internet or simply sit back and relax with a good book – there’s something for everyone.

 

By Bellingen Shire Council