Newest chapter

By Monique Ebrington
A NEW chapter was opened in Yarra Junction Library’s history last Tuesday (6 April), after five weeks of refurbishment.
The $65,000 redevelopment was a joint venture between Easter Regional Library and the Shire of Yarra Ranges, with the aim of creating more space and modernising the seven-year-old library.
Yarra Junction Community Library manager Sandra Hamnett said internal walls had been removed to create more space within the library and new carpet, furniture and technology had also been installed.
Ms Hamnett said a lot of focus had also gone into creating a dedicated children’s room, which would also double as a meeting area for the library-run community activities, and teen lounge.
Ms Hamnett said she was surprised at how ‘dramatically different’ the library now looked.
“It’s far more modern, I think, that what I expected,” Ms Hamnett said.
“I didn’t believe we could get so much space, and so much more material, out of what we had to work with.
Nearly everything is in the same place as it was before, yet there are plenty of new books, new tales, new desks, wi-fi, more computers and space to sit.
Eastern Regional Library CEO Joseph Cullen said the new library layout and facilities took into account the changing functions of a community library.
“Libraries nowadays are considered the third most popular place away from home and work, for people to work or relax,” Mr Cullen said.
“Libraries aren’t just for borrowing books any more. We’ve tried to incorporate this into the refurbishment though comfy new sofas, wi-fi, places to study and more computers.”
He said the refurbishment was not entirely aimed at bringing in more borrowers, but enhancing the experience of the library’s existing 4900 members
Mr Cullen said book borrowers seemed pleased with the changes, and had already borrowed all of the 1000 new books added to the library as part of the recent works.
Ms Hamnett said that Yarra Junction Library’s readers were so astute with new texts that they were quick to pick up that the branch was mentioned in Frankston author Garry Disher’s latest novel, Wyatt, which was released in February.
Ms Hamnett said that Mr Disher used the term ‘dreary’ when he described the library’s general effect on the book’s main protagonist Eddie.
“I do think he sets the scene very well in his writing, so I hope that’s not how other people view us,” she said.
Mr Hamnett said that Mr Disher seemed like a fitting guest author for the official launch of the new-look library.
“It was very good-natured of him to accept our invitation and he looks forward to changing his perception of Yarra Junction Library,” she said.
Garry Disher will be at the Yarra Junction Library for a morning tea from 10.30am on Wednesday, 21 April.