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Saturday, October 24, 2015

Another BCC Library...

I recently wrote a post about my visit to the Grange City Council Library. There is another Northside library which has been a favourite of mine for quite a few years and not just for borrowing books! And that is Chermside Library.
There were even parking spots for seniors near the library steps...and seniors in this case meant 55+!

It was one of the first libraries to open on a Sunday and I have spent many a Sunday afternoon there, browsing the shelves or sitting in a comfortable chair looking through quilting mags while I sip a cappuccino. Yes, this library had a coffee shop!
After I retired I started going to Sisters of Stitch; a group who meet fortnightly in a meeting room in this library.
I once wrote a post about a visitor who came to Sisters of Stitch. Bob had taken up tapestry when he retired and he stitched his own designs.
This 90 year old charmed us,and we all loved his work especially his Tewkesbury Cathedral tapestry which had won a first prize in show.
I've been to an author talk in this library as well.
William McInnes
Then early this year I found out that the library was going to be demolished and a new 'you beaut' multi level building would replace it. There would be 2 levels of car parking, the library and also Council Offices/Business centre. This is all predicted to take 18 months. The library closed on July 19. Until the new library and Business Centre is built, there is a temporary Chermside library in some council offices on Gympie Rd,just past Chermside Shopping Centre. 
The temporary Chermside Library is inside this council offices building
Luckily Sisters of Stitch were allocated a meeting room in this temporary library accommodation. I've only made it to 1 SoS afternoon so far, and the new meeting room was fine, but I've heard that finding a park has become a bit of a problem. 
Yesterday I went to check out what was happening at the redevelopment site on Hamilton Rd...
The library building is well and truly gone now...and there is a huge hole. 
 While I was there, trucks kept leaving the site filled with dirt.
Very dusty!
The Chermside Pool Complex is still operating so the roadway is there for patrons to access the car park. 
Here is an artist's impression of what the finished Library/Business centre will look like by the end of 2016.

Just hope the cafe comes back! :-)

4 comments:

Una said...

Great post. I work in a library on a Sunday. Sadly, they are not as well supported here as in your country. We have had lots of library closures and more to come next year. The local library was my bolthole and lifeline when I was at school. I was so grateful for it. When I finally retire, I will have a long journey to find a library that is still open. Very sad.

Dorothy said...

Wow that new library looks pretty good .... any sign of Brad ?

Sue said...

Very interesting, Maria. I learn all sorts of things about the local area from your Blog. :-)

doodles n daydreams said...

I used to spend a lot of time in the library as a kid, these days it seems to be in and out with my books. I too hope your coffee shop comes back :) That's a nice touch.

Diana