access via Murray St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9461 3500
perth.library@cityofperth.wa.gov.au
http://www.perth.wa.gov.au/web/Living/City-of-Perth-Library/
Hours:
Mon-Fri 9:00 - 18:00
Sat 9:00 - 12:00
Did you know that there is a library in the heart of the city? No, no no. It is not the State Library. This is a small-not-so-small borrowing library with thousands of books, CDs, DVDs, talking books, foreign-languages learning material, and local history material (books and oral history material) in English and several other languages.
I have been using this library for years and I know they have a good collection of English literature (fiction and non fiction), a nice small selection of books in other languages, a decent collection of films on DVD, which is bigger than it looks as most of them are in other borrowers' hands, a small collection of music CDs and CD-ROM, and a decent collection of talking books. They also have large-print books, which are perfect for people with poor sight or impaired vision.
The cool thing is that you can borrow up to 8 items at a time with a 3-week return period. You can renew the loan for another 3 weeks if nobody else asks for the item/s you have; this can be a problem with new released DVDs, CDs and books. Through their online catalogue, you can reserve borrowed books, renew your loan, request interlibrary loans, suggest new purchases, and check out newly-arrived material. Visit: http://203.27.5.65/amlibweb/ and use you library card for in-depth use. The catalogue web is ugly-looking and not very modern, but still functional and very useful.
If you don't like borrowing or free stuff (a fact that would turn you into a weirdo, sorry!), you can go there to read the newspaper or your favourite book, listen to recorded material, use their free metered Internet, take your kids to their many children activities they organise, or take your grandparents to read the newspaper, learn computer skills or play Mahjong. They offer free individual tutoring lessons, for 45 minutes, for seniors to use the Internet on Thursdays (10am, 11am, 12.30pm and 1.15pm; to book your spot ring 9461 3503, or go to the information desk. Another added bonus is that, if you are are elderly, or are temporary or permanently disabled, or know anybody who is, they still can borrow books, as the Library offers regular Housebound Delivery Services, free of charge, to residents of the city of Perth; to organise things ring Karen at 9461 3500.
Most of the staff are efficient and very friendly, some of them quite passionate about their work, which always translates into the way they treat customers. There is also the usual rude staff person who diminishes the value of the library, but that happens everywhere. They need to implement and be firmer on their prohibition on mobiles, and get a better and comfier seating area.
The new temporary location is a great improvement with regards to the old one in the Commerce Chambers' underground. The current location of the library, although temporary, will be valid for a couple of years, at least until 2014, when the new purpose-built building is expected to be finished on their former location. Hopefully, the final location will be the modern library that old customers have always been dreaming of
To access the library at its current location, head to the escalator placed between the Coffee Club cafeteria and Forever New shop, and follow the corridor. The Library is located at the end of the same.
Run to the City of Perth Library, and get your home entertainment without getting into any dangerous money liaison. Whohoo!
