Update

On 2 April 2024, a report was made to Council's Finance, Community & Services Committee recommending that Woollahra Libraries trial additional unstaffed community access hours at Watsons Bay Library, based on community consultation held in late 2023. The recommendation was accepted, and we will now be installing security improvements and infrastructure upgrades that will enable Library customers to visit Watsons Bay Library outside of existing staff opening hours.

Tell us what you think about Watsons Bay Library

In late 2023, we conducted a community engagement process to gather your feedback, including the survey below and pop-up events. Your responses were overall incredibly positive, expressing a strong desire for extended library opening hours, especially on weekends and weekday mornings.

Based on this feedback, we are excited to announce that we will soon be trialling an additional 19 hours of unstaffed community access per week at Watsons Bay Library. This includes opening the library on Saturdays and extending hours on weekdays, bringing the total opening hours to 48 per week. This initiative aligns with our commitment to better serve your diverse schedules and preferences. We will be installing security infrastructure before the trial to ensure all safety concerns are addressed and managed effectively.

When the trial begins later this year, we will assess the effectiveness of the extended hours system, gathering more feedback from you to inform our decisions moving forward. A report will be prepared for Council at the end of the trial period, summarising the outcomes and user feedback.