By Jeremy Cook
After almost two years and an extensive renovation, Stanthorpe Library proved too cool to stay away from for some of the town’s youngest bookworms on its first day back in business.
The library swung open its doors on Monday, 8 July for the first time since August 2022 when Southern Downs Regional Council embarked on a multimillion dollar upgrade of the building.
Excitement reached a high for some who ventured in.
One young reader said he was so excited to have the library open again that he’d been waiting the entire school holidays.
The expanded facility opened with more space, capacity for improved services and a larger area for the library’s extensive $1 million book collection.
Total costs to revamp the building which also houses Stanthorpe’s Regional Art Gallery topped about $8.5 million, the council confirmed in June.
The art gallery will celebrate its official reopening with a month-long exhibition showcasing a carefully curated selection of artworks from its extensive public art collection.
Gallery director Mary Findlay will welcome the public back inside at an opening night on 26 July.
The exhibition will then run for four weeks to Sunday 25 August.
“We’ve tried really hard to support the council in this new build … it’s not an indisposed money box,” Ms Findlay told Warwick Stanthorpe Today in June.
“I hope they [council] are proud of it and they use it for a very long time,” she said.
Stanthorpe Library opening hours:
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday: 10am – 5pm
Thursday: 10am – 6pm
Friday: 9am – 5pm,
Saturday: 9am-12pm
