This library visit coincided with our first outing to Brisbane city. I also wanted to go to the art gallery but alas my companion (14-year old son) wasn’t keen on it. I was lucky that he agreed to come along to the library visit!

Date of Visit: Monday 6 November 2023.

Features: The State Library of Queensland (SLQ) is situated in South Brisbane – at the Cultural Centre Precinct. Its surroundings include galleries and museums. It is “responsible for collecting and preserving a comprehensive collection of Queensland’s cultural and documentary heritage, providing free access to information for all Queenslanders and for the advancement of public libraries across the State.” [SLQ website]

The 5-level building comprises of:

• Level 1: Reception; Knowledge Walk; Bookshop and Cafe; Infozone; kuril dhagun Indigenous Knowledge Centre; and The Studio
• Level 2: State Reference Library; SLQ Gallery; SLQ Auditoriums; and Queensland Terrace
• Level 3: State Reference Library and The Platform
• Level 4: Heritage Collections; Fellowship Lounge; Volunteers’ Lounge; and Collection Repository
• Level 5: Administration and Collection Repository

The reception on level 1 feels a little disjointed from Infozone, Bookshop and Cafe. It’s seperate from these areas and I would expect it to be the front face of these services as well. I’m not sure what the thinking is behind that design.

Alas, I did not visit all of the floors but I did check out the Purpose Built and the Working Country Exhibitions. I would have loved to check out more but I was pushed for time. Remember I was with a teenager and libraries aren’t his thang!

Overall Impression: This is my first visit to the SLQ and as a state library I was expecting to see a grand old building; you know made out of sandstone and heritag-listed. Who knows the library may have been housed in a heritage building previously but was no longer fit for purpose. Do let me know if this is the case.

This building does feel new and modern with shiny white tiles reminiscent of a newly built apartment bathroom. Maybe I’m just feeling nostalgic and traditional about how state libraries should look and feel. I should get on with the times! The SLQ is indeed quite a modern library. At the time of the visit, I noticed that most of the library users/clients were students. To do research and check out the reference material, no doubt. The state library also houses the Queensland Writers Centre and the Children’s Book Council of Australia.

Please visit this library if you happen to be in the vicinity. It’s worth it. I am sure you will have more time than I have to explore other exhibits and events that it offers. And if time permits, do share your experience in the comments below.