Flickr: Blue Mountains Library

We are the free public library service for the City of Blue Mountains Local Government Area, NSW Australia, find us at :
www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/yourcommunity/library

This site is maintained by John Merriman, Local Studies Librarian, who also takes most of the photos, contact : jmerriman@bmcc.nsw.gov.au

We believe all images of children are displayed here with parent/guardian consent, if this is not the case and you would like them removed, please let us know.

Our Local Studies flickr site is: www.flickr.com/photos/blue_mountains_library_-_local_stud...

The Local Studies blog is: bmlocalstudies.blogspot.com/

See our staff blog : bluemtslibstaff.wordpress.com/

And check out our readers' advice blog: readersinthemist.blogspot.com/

My men's reading blog - Good Oil from the Shed is here: jackos-shed.blogspot.com/

My contemporary Blue Mountains images are at - www.flickr.com/photos/merryjack/

Brief History of the Blue Mountains City Library Service

In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, Schools of Arts, Literary Institutes and Mechanics’ Institutes were established in many of the small towns in the Blue Mountains. These generally provided the functions of a community hall, a subscription library and other recreational facilities such as billiard rooms. These libraries were usually staffed by women with some clerical or teaching education, who worked for low wages. Training for professional librarians did not exist at that time.

Although a Public Library Act was adopted in England in 1850, it was not until 1939 that a similar Act was passed in NSW. This followed a strong public movement, similar to that in Britain and the US, in favour of publicly funded library services able to provide free access to information for education, information and recreation. Carnegie Trust funding was instrumental in the movement.

The Library Act of 1939 enabled local councils to provide and regulate free, rate supported library services, appoint librarians and receive a subsidy towards operating costs from the State Government. The Act was adopted by a majority of NSW country councils by 1947 and by most metropolitan councils by 1957.

In 1963 following community pressure, the Blue Mountains City Council commissioned a report from the Library Board of NSW on the establishment of a free public library service. This was presented to Council 28 January 1964, where it was resolved not to adopt the Library Act due to the cost of providing the service.

The report recommended a central library with administration at Katoomba and a full time branch at Springwood with part time branches at Lawson, Blackheath, and Wentworth Falls with a bookmobile service to outlying areas. Operating costs were based on a State Government subsidy of 3/- per capita and a Council contribution of 9/- per capita dropping to 7/- per capita in the third year of operation. Average library operating costs in NSW at the time were ₤0/10/4 per capita (10/- = $1.00, ₤1/0/0 = $2.00).

So the status quo continued in the Blue Mountains, the public demand for library services was supplied by the various township literary institute libraries and by a number of small commercial subscription libraries.

The Blue Mountains City Council paid an annual subsidy to a number of the Schools of Arts libraries to cover running costs and wages. Finally after protracted debate and lobbying, in 1967 council adopted the Library Act and quickly came to an agreement with the remaining management committees to take over full operational responsibility for all public library services across the city.

Timeline
1960s - Blue Mountains Library Promotion Council formed, Hon. Sec. Mrs M. ‘Tibby” Whalan, Ald Thelma Murphy, others.
1967 - Blue Mountains City Council resolved to adopt the Library Act and appoint a library management committee.
1972 - a library special rate of $2.50 was introduced.
1974 - the position of Chief Librarian was advertised.
1974 - The City's first Chief Librarian Mrs Gay Baker was appointed in June 1974, followed soon after by a cataloguer, two library assistants and a clerk-typist. The headquarters of the library was located in historic 'Braemar House' in Macquarie Road, Springwood, recently purchased by the Council.
1977 - Hugo Orro appointed Chief Librarian, Reference Librarian appointed
1984 - Drusilla Wendoloski – Chief Librarian, Library Manager
1989 - John Merriman - Manager Library and Community Services, responsibility for Aquatic Centres (1996)
1999 - Marie Jackson Acting Manager
1999 - 2001 David Linden – Manager Library and Community Services
1999 - 2001 Janice Biggin - Library Co-ordinator
2001 – Janice Biggin – Library Manager
2004 - Dallas Curry - Manager Library and Family Day Care, Upper and Lower Branch Co-ordinators appointed.
2006 - Vicki Edmunds - Manager Library and Family Day Care
- Manager Library and Community Services (2008)

Services
By the end of 1975, branches were operating in Springwood, Katoomba, Blaxland, Lawson, Blackheath and Mount Victoria and the library had registered 16,033 borrowers from a population of just over 47,000.

Only one central card catalogue existed until simplified author, title and subject print-outs were introduced to all branches in1976, a Microfiche catalogue became available in 1978. The Book Plus library management system was adopted in 1982, an online public access catalogue was introduced in 1985. Public access PCs with dial-up Internet were introduced in 1998, this was later expanded to broadband connection. The current Horizon Information Management System was introduced in 2003.

In 2007, this has changed to fulltime branches operating in Springwood, Katoomba, Blaxland, part time branches at Lawson, Blackheath and Wentworth Falls. The library had 40,000 registered borrowers out of a population of 77,000 and a per capita expenditure of $31.00 versus the average of $43.00 and on this measure ranked 79 of the 97 public library services in the state.

The Branches

Springwood – full time branch
Previously, Springwood Branch Library was housed in a ‘Braemar’ close the shopping centre and next to the Council and Civic Centre. Fiction, Non-Fiction, Junior and Reference sections were all in separate rooms with some overflow in the hallway between rooms. Library headquarters occupied the kitchen and servants rooms at the rear from June 1974.

On 14 August 1976 the new Springwood Central Branch Library at the rear of Braemar was officially opened by the Hon. R. J. Mulock MLA. Library headquarters and Springwood council offices occupied the lower ground floor.

In 1982 a fire set by vandals severely damaged the lower floor occupied by library HQ, which moved into Braemar.

In 1983 a full time Local Studies Librarian was appointed and in 1988 the Local Studies collection occupied part of historic Braemar following a Bicentennial restoration project.

Katoomba – full time branch
Katoomba had a School of Arts Library in Katoomba Street from 1896 with a librarian and oversight from a library committee and membership was by subscription. Management was taken over by a committee of Blue Mountains City Council when the old School of Arts building was demolished in the early 1970s.

The Library was moved temporarily to a house in Parke St where the Flemings supermarket now stands. In September 1975, after Council commenced a public library service under the Library Act, the branch was moved to a shop front in Katoomba St. on the corner of Waratah St. The present library and community centre in Katoomba St. was opened in 1978. In 2007 Council approved tenders for a new library and art gallery in Park St. on the old primary school site, for which funding was secured, designs were finalised in 2010. Construction is due to commence in 2011.

Blaxland – full time branch
There had been a School of Arts library at nearby Glenbrook in the old theatre building but it had fallen into disuse in the 1960s. Blaxland was the first new branch to be opened by the newly appointed Chief Librarian, Mrs Gay Baker. The township had not formerly had a library, so the new branch was housed in a cottage close to the shopping area. It consisted of a small reference section, adult fiction, large print and non-fiction collections and a separate junior room. The present branch library was opened in the new Community Centre built 1977.

Lawson – part time branch
Lawson Branch Library is a continuation of a former School of Arts Library in the Lawson Mechanics Institute opened 1896. Taken over by Council in 1974 it moved from the Mechanic’s Institute to a shop front on the Great Western Highway in November 1976 opening 21½ hours weekly. It moved again in 1984 to rooms in the old Blue Mountains Shire Council Building opened 1915. Part time days increased in 2001 to include seven hours on Wednesday.

Blackheath – part time branch
Blackheath Branch Library is also a continuation of a former School of Arts Library, opened 10 November 1906. The original library room was refurbished and restocked in 1975 and expanded to incorporate an adjoining room in 1986. It was again renovated in 2008 with the addition of air conditioning, improved lighting, carpets and paint scheme.

Mt Victoria community library
There was also a branch library at Mt. Victoria which was very different to the other branches. The property, a former butcher’ shop in Station St., was bought by a local resident who made it available for a library in 1975, as well as for local meetings, art groups and other functions.

Local residents renovated the building and Council provided the books and furniture. The library was staffed by volunteers, and local resident Mrs Betty Thompson received an honorarium to oversee operations. Books were checked out under an honour system. In 1996 it moved to the basement of the Mt Vic Flicks in Harley Ave and eventually closed in 1990 as a result of budget constraints.

Wentworth Falls – part time branch
The original Wentworth Falls School of Arts Library opened 1915 but had fallen into disuse by the 1970s. The community successfully lobbied Council - and Wentworth Falls Branch Library was the last to be opened in 1985. It first occupied premises in the shopping centre, before moving back to its original home in the School of Arts in 1988 as part of the Bicentennial renovation of the building. The branch was again refurbished in 2007 with the installation of air conditioning and improved lighting.

John Merriman
Local Studies Librarian, 2011