Ipswich City Council is celebrating a milestone for Australia’s first standalone public library dedicated to children – Ipswich Children’s Library – which has grown at a rapid rate in its first five years.
Mayor, Teresa Harding said the fifth birthday of Ipswich Children’s Library is a reason for the whole city to celebrate, with five days of fun-filled special events planned to mark the milestone.
“Whether it’s hungry caterpillars, pugs behaving badly or underpants-clad superheroes, the wonderful world of literature is brought to life at Ipswich Children’s Library,” Mayor Harding said.
“This award-winning institution is loved by Ipswich children and their families, as well as visitors from outside the city, with more than 778,600 loans from its collection, an average annual attendance of 162,000 and its many fantastic programs drawing about 20,000 attendees each year.
“Ipswich Children’s Library is so much more than a library. As the first standalone public children’s library in Australia, it’s a state-of-the-art space for childhood learning and development in our family-friendly city heart, Nicholas Street Precinct.
“It’s a place of community and connection, for bubs to tweens, their caregivers and everyone in between, where creativity and curiosity are nurtured through storytelling.
“It’s a source of pride of the people of Ipswich and stands as a monument to our city’s innovation and sophistication.
“And for all those wondering, Dana Simpson’s graphic novel Camping with Unicorns: Another Pheobe and Her Unicorn Adventure was the most borrowed book from Ipswich Children’s Library across its first five years.”
Mayor Harding said to mark the milestone, Ipswich Children’s Library will be serving cake and providing activities including birthday hat andcard crafting between Wednesday, 24 June and Sunday, 28 June.
Economic and Cultural Development Committee Deputy Chairperson, Councillor Marnie Doyle said Ipswich Children’s Library had evolved throughout its first five years.
“The library opened in 2021 with a 35,000-item collection. That has surged by almost a third to 44,537 items,” Cr Doyle said.
“Over the years, we have introduced Vox Books which are hardcovers with a built-in audio reader, a Language-other-than-English collection and a popular array of programs such as Toddler Time, Story Time, Baby Rhyme Time and school holiday workshops and sessions.
“The library’s built-in features such as reading nooks, reading tree, pneumatic pipe, Magic Mirror, interactive touch table and animated colouring-in feature complement the library’s wider offerings of books, comics, magazines and DVDs.
“This is a place for young minds to flourish.”
For more information about Ipswich Children’s Library fifth birthday celebration events, visit IpswichLibraries.com.au.
