Since opening in 1991, almost 7.5 million people have walked through the doors of HJ Daley Library, and nearly 11 million items have been loaned.
More than 3,000 preschool story time sessions have been held, with many residents who attended story time as children, now bringing their own families to participate.
No wonder the library, which is as popular as ever, is putting on a party to celebrate a quarter of a century of being a vital part of our community.
Residents are invited to join the party on Wednesday, March 23, when Campbelltown’s HJ Daley Library on Hurley Street celebrates 25 years of service to the local community.
From 10.30am to noon, there will be a birthday themed story time for children, as well as free gifts and a birthday cake.
Visitors can step back in time with a display chronicling the library’s history, and C91.3FM will visit for a live cross and giveaways from 3.30pm.
Mayor of Campbelltown, Cr Paul Hawker, acknowledged the important role that the HJ Daley Library had played in inspiring and educating the local community for the past 25 years, since moving to the Hurley Street site.
“From projects that document local history to programs to engage young children with books, right through to providing study support for students or helping older residents to embrace new technology – the HJ Daley Library continues to provide a valuable service to the residents of Campbelltown,” Cr Hawker said.
“At the time, there was considerable opposition to the site of the new library because of its ‘remote location’, but the availability of space for parking, possible future expansion and for a single level building of 2540 square metres, saw the project go ahead.
“Now, 25 years on, we can acknowledge it was a good decision.
“More than providing books and technology, the library is a meeting place for the community, a space where residents gather to explore, interact, and imagine,” Cr Hawker said.
Named in honour of the long-serving Campbelltown Town Clerk, Harley James Daley, the library was officially opened on 23 March 1991, replacing the original HJ Daley Library which had been located at the Civic Centre, on Queen Street, Campbelltown, since 1971.[ Town Clerk is what we call these days general manager or chief executive officer]
Work on the building, designed by architects Grenfell & Frazer, began in June 1989, and was completed and ready for occupation on December 1, 1990.
The move was an opportunity for staff to complete a stocktake of resources, relocating 140,000 items in the library’s collection.
Today, the library’s catalogue has changed considerably, with online and e-resources, e-books, and even downloadable music, making up a considerable part of the collection.
When the library first opened, junior non-fiction books were the most used resource, and the busiest area was the information desk in the afternoon, where staff would assist queues of children with school assignments. The technology available to customers included typewriters, video cassette recorders (VCRs) and cassette players.
In 1997, HJ Daley Library was the first in the region to open an Information Technology Centre, providing public access to six computers, two of which were connected to the internet.
Today, the library’s technology capacity has grown to 19 computers, providing access to the internet and software, as well as WiFi for personal devices – all provided free to customers.
The last 25 years have seen some dramatic changes in the way customers use the library.
In earlier years, people would visit HJ Daley Library expressly to find and borrow items – now customers visit for longer periods of time, participating in programs and accessing free WiFi.
Which is not a bad way to start your second quarter of a century.
For more details on the 25th birthday celebrations and other library events, visit council’s library website link.
campbelltown.nsw.gov.au/WhatsOnAtTheLibrary
