We decided to spend a day in Glenelg on what I thought was the coldest / rainiest day we’ve experienced in Adelaide. We took the train to the city and then the tram to Glenelg – a seaside suburb of Adelaide. And lo and behold would you believe that there was a public library there! My poor boys rolling their eyes must have thought ‘here we go again!’

Date of visit: 30 September 2021

Features: Glenelg Public Library is part of the City of Holdfast Libraries and is a member of the South Australian Public Library Network.

My first impression was that this was a small library. As you walked in there was plenty of community information on the noticeboard at the entrance. We collected plenty of pamphlets on bike tracks of Adelaide and its surroundings. We took our bikes on our road trip so they were very handy information!

At the time of the visit there were only 4 public PCs available for use. They had a CD collection but one of the shelves was half-empty. I love the murals in the children’s area and the digital display of information. There were 3 staff on duty and one was very helpful when I enquired about a book’s availability.

Overall Impression: As mentioned above, the library felt small and tight especially where the service/info desk was. Although in some ‘spacious’ areas (quiet and PC areas) the spaces weren’t designed well at all. There was plenty of artificial lighting as there wasn’t enough natural light coming through. Overall though, it’s worth a visit if you’re in the vicinity, picking up some books, or attending one of the childrens’ programs.