Southbank library opens new two level facility in Boyd precinct transformation

The City of Melbourne Council has celebrated the opening of Southbank's new library as part of the landmark transformation of the city's Boyd precinct. Located behind the library's former home at the Boyd Hub on City Road, the new facility spans a two-level space of 900 square meters.

The new site is nearly double the size of its previous home and houses a 22,000-strong collection of books, which includes 5,000 new titles. Visitors will find dedicated spaces for children and young people, a program room, a large reading lounge area, additional study areas, and infrastructure designed to trial after-hours library use in the future.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece said that great cities need great libraries and that Southbank now has one of its own. He said that libraries are more than just books and that they are places where people come together, share ideas, and feel part of their community. He also said that with more people calling Southbank home, the council is investing in the community spaces and facilities that make it a great place to live.

Community and City Services portfolio head Councillor Gladys Liu said that the modern library marks a new chapter for Southbank by giving locals more space to read, learn, and connect. She said that the collection features 5,000 more books ranging from Spanish and Chinese-language titles to graphic novels and young adult fiction.

A suite of commissioned artworks by Chris Joy and Wurundjeri elder Aunty Kim Wandin from Murrup Biik brings the interior to life with motifs from their picture storybook Weaving Country. Key installations include a pair of bamboo string bag sculptures suspended above the stairwell, floor-to-ceiling window illustrations, and a colourful woven wool rug in the children's area on the ground floor.

The facility is expected to welcome more than 100,000 visitors annually and stands as the first library to open in the city since narrm ngarrgu Library and Family Services opened in 2023.