Work set to commence on Wangi Library and Creative Hub

Published on 08 December 2020

Work is set to begin this month on the new innovative creativity hub for Wangi Wangi that will improve community access and participation with the facility.

The redevelopment, funded partly by Round Two of the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund, will create a new flexible layout offering a greater range of options for existing library users and to attract new members of the community to join.

Lake Macquarie Mayor Cr Kay Fraser said the new facility is the result of community engagement that highlighted key user priorities.

 “This is a great outcome for the Wangi Wangi community who wanted to see a collaborative space that offered meaningful community experiences and opportunities for lifelong learning. I’m looking forward to watching work get underway on the creative hub and I’m sure the community is too,” Cr Fraser said.

The refurbishment will include new amenities, refreshed interior and browsing collections, extended all-weather balcony, include an Art Studio wet space and new self-service technologies.

Lake Macquarie City Council Manager Arts, Culture and Tourism Jacqui Hemsley said the refurbishment will improve access to the cultural facility.

“The key reason for this refresh is to improve the existing facilities to provide more diverse experiences. We’re really excited by the potential opportunities we will have to rejuvenate our book collections, utilise our spaces better to support new activities and accommodate for current and future programming,” Ms Hemsley said.

The library will close from Monday 21 December, and is expected to re-open in April 2021.

While the library is closed The Rover will visit Dobell Memorial Park from Tuesday 5 January 2021 each week to provide the community with access to library services including public wi-fi.

This project is funded by the NSW Government and Council.