Library Architecture and Culture
Surry Hills Library Sets New Benchmark in Sustainable Design
Jun 21, 2009
The $19 million hybrid public building combines a library, resource centre, community neighbourhood centre, and childcare facility, and is being heralded as setting a new benchmark in sustainable design for public buildings.
Solar panels provide power for the building for up to six hours a day, a 62,000 litre storage tank collects water from the roof to be treated and used for 100% of flushing toilets and landscape irrigation, geothermal bores use the earth’s temperature to cool water and air, and air quality is improved by being passed through an environmental atrium filled with plants selected for their filtering properties.
The Changing Face of Libraries
In a preview tour of the building, the Surry Hills Library and Community Centre architect, Richard Francis-Jones of Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp told Suite101 libraries have changed enormously over the years, which is reflected in the new building.
“Libraries are becoming more important, not less important. Previously one may have thought of a library as just a storehouse of books, but now the use of a library is much broader. It’s more about equitable access to information and technology.
People can access free internet, they can use their computers on wireless connections. It doesn’t matter whether you can afford a computer or not, you can get the same access to information as everyone else; and that’s a fundamentally important principle.”
New Library Members Joining by the Hundreds
Thousands of people turned out on the 13th of June 2009 for the opening of the Surry Hills Library and Community Centre, with many signing up to become new members. They joined hundreds of others who joined even before the library had officially opened.
Currently 17% of City of Sydney residents belong to the City’s library network of eight branches, including Customs House, Glebe, Haymarket, Newtown and Paddington. As well as 30,000 resident members, an additional 15,000 members live outside council limits. Kiersten Fishburn, the Manager of Culture and Libraries for City of Sydney says she believes Surry Hills library will continue to encourage new members.
“On the first day of the soft opening we hoped to get a few people through so we could test our equipment, and instead 1200 people came through the door. People are excited about using it.”
From Books to Free Internet Access
Fishburn told Suite101 each library in the network carries a unique collection of books, magazines, CDs and DVDs suited to the local community, along with free internet access, WiFi, and various activities and classes.
“People are genuinely surprised when they first come in. I think there is a real misconception about what a library is, which is a bit of a 1950s style model, and unless you actually enter a public library you won’t be aware of how much more is going on.”
Library Memberships for the Homeless
The library will be available to every member of the community thanks to a progressive membership programme for the homeless.
“Our attitude at the City of Sydney is that the homeless are very much a part of our community, and therefore have every right to use the library service.” Fishburn explains.
“We now have a type of membership where you don’t have to give an address and can still get a library membership. We’ve had around a hundred people in the last three or four months join under that membership, which shows that people who are homeless have been really hoping that they could use library services.”
 |
 |
 |
 |
