Warrnambool Library and Learning Centre
The Warrnambool Library and Learning Centre is an impressive three-storey public library and community learning space located within the South West TAFE Warrnambool campus. The award-winning building combines a contemporary library with Warrnambool's heritage-listed 1868 Gun and Orderly Room.
The library provides spaces for children, teenagers, families, students and other visitors. Membership is free, but visitors do not need to be members to enter the library, read, relax, visit the café or attend many public activities.
The ground floor includes a dedicated children's area designed for games, reading and learning, together with an outdoor children's garden and play area. Families can attend regular early-literacy sessions and school-holiday activities.
Features include:
- Large collection of children's books, picture books and junior fiction
- Dedicated children's library area
- Outdoor children's garden and play area
- Baby-change facilities
- Dedicated youth area
- Gaming and digital-media zone
- In-house games
- Books, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers and DVDs
- eBooks, digital audiobooks, online magazines and learning resources
- Public computers and free Wi-Fi
- Makerspace with creative technology
- Recording and design studio
- Printing, photocopying and scanning services
- Quiet reading areas and comfortable reading nooks
- Individual and group study spaces
- Meeting rooms
- Local-history and family-history resources
- Exhibition and display spaces
- Agora staircase which can accommodate talks and performances
- Top-floor reading area with views towards Lake Pertobe and the Southern Ocean
- Indoor-outdoor library café
- Gardens and outdoor seating
- After-hours locker for collecting reserved items
Activities for Children:
The library presents regular programs designed to introduce young children to books, language, rhythm and storytelling.
- Baby Rhymetime with songs, rhymes and repetition for babies
- Toddler Time incorporating stories, movement and early-literacy activities
- Preschool Storytime
- Rocking Rhymetime music and movement sessions
- Children's craft and creative activities
- School-holiday programs
- Author visits and storytelling events
- Children's Book Week activities
- Occasional coding, gaming and technology workshops
- Special family events and performances
Program times, recommended ages and booking requirements vary. Check the Warrnambool Library events calendar before visiting. Some free activities require advance bookings.
Makerspace and Technology:
The library's technology facilities provide opportunities for digital creativity, learning and media production. Facilities include a makerspace, recording and design studio, public computers, large screens, workspaces and a gaming wall.
Makerspace equipment and recording facilities may require an induction or advance booking. The library's Book a Library Pro sessions provide individual assistance with technology, online services, research and creative equipment.
Library Café:
The Library Café serves coffee, hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, cakes and other refreshments. Indoor and outdoor seating is available. Café opening hours may differ from library hours, so check the library's social-media pages before visiting specifically for the café.
Accessibility:
The Kepler Street entrance has a ramp leading to the main double doors. Lifts provide access to the first and second floors, and the bookshelves are spaced to improve wheelchair and mobility-device access.
Accessible facilities include:
- Step-free entrance from Kepler Street
- Lift access to every public floor
- Wide spaces between bookshelves
- Accessible toilets
- Baby-change facilities
- Seating and study spaces throughout the building
Opening Hours:
Opening hours can change during public holidays and the Christmas period. Check the official Warrnambool Library website or the library's Facebook page for current hours.
Cost:
Entry and library membership are free.
Most early-literacy sessions and community programs are free, although bookings may be required. Charges apply to printing, photocopying and some specialised services or workshops.
The library is located within the South West TAFE Warrnambool campus. The main public entrance is accessed from Kepler Street.
Location
8 Kepler Street, Warrnambool 3280 View Map
✆ (03) 5559 4990
Email Enquiry
Web Links
→ library.warrnambool.vic.gov.au
→ Warrnambool Library on Instagram
