Originally titled Nillumbik Library. See also Yarra Plenty Regional Library
In the seventies the humble beginnings of the Eltham library was in the redundant red brick Council Chamber building. But behind the scenes, ideas were being thrown around by the people of Eltham, librarians and anyone with an interest in a decent library befitting the needs of people in this area.
By the early nineties the library was up and running. Greg Burgess, the architect gave us this beautiful and unusual circular mud brick building finished with an elegant interior timber roof entirely fitting in with the character of Eltham.
Then the complex business of settling in a new library, design of shelving, student areas, multi-purpose rooms and a café opening out onto a veranda, gave extra character to the place. Then computers arrived, and with them came email and all the wonderful uses of IT for the users of the library. With the computers came the kids games. In the beginning there was a bit of a shambles. More kids than the computers could manage. They were wagging it from school to make sure they had a turn and things weren’t satisfactory at all. Out of this a club was organized and presently order was restored. In fact, the kids themselves were in charge of timetables and general usage so at last order prevailed.
Upstairs there is a warm place of good lighting and desks. This is for study purposes and before VCE exams begin a steady trail of students head there for communal study. Debbie, one of the librarians said that she finds them really happy up there, hard at work with sharing their studies and in a place of no interruptions that they would probably have at home.
How about babies of a few weeks joining the library? Yes it happens. Mothers and babies from neighbourhood Health Centres come along for sessions. The babies hear nursery rhymes, play finger games and hear the stories that have been passed down for many generations. For the mothers there is that getting together and sharing the thoughts of what is happening in this important part of their life. Of course story time continues until these children too are upstairs in the VCE study room. And so their young lives have been a part of this library for most of their formative years.
The foyer has a large gallery supporting local artists which further acknowledges the talent there is in this community. This is changed regularly and we are able to admire woodwork, paintings, photographs and pottery.
This is a beautiful place, with librarians who have become friends over the years and without whom I would not have been able to receive books, unusual, new, expensive and not forgetting my ten magazines a week. What would I do without it?
Sheila Dixon
Eltham Library is a branch of Yarra Plenty Regional Library
