The re-opening of the library was an exciting moment for staff, Bathurst Regional Council and the NSW Government, who together put $600,000 into the project. 

Mayor Graeme Hanger said the library had been looking “tired” and needed to be updated for its users. 

“[For] people who haven’t been here before who didn’t see the old one, the furniture and the shelving and the fixtures were tired and they’d been here for many years,” he said. “The state government and council got together and got a grant and we refurbished the library.”

As part of the works, the space received new carpet, updated electrical fixtures, new shelving and furniture.

The layout is also more welcoming and functional for patrons. 

“There’s so many different nooks and crannies in this place now; it is just so different,” Cr Hanger said. 

Member for Bathurst Paul Toole, along with Cr Hanger, toured the library on Tuesday and said he was very impressed with the changes.

“It looks absolutely fantastic. We walk into, it’s colourful, it’s bright and it’s very welcoming for all of the community in this area,” he said. 

Mr Toole went on to say that the entire atmosphere of libraries had changed over the years and now the Bathurst facility was part of that change.

“Libraries in the past used to be a place where people would walk in, the librarian would be walking around telling people to be quiet,” he said.

“They’ve changed very much from that today. They are interactive, they are inviting, they are for people of all ages.

“People aren’t just coming in to borrow books. They’re coming in to do study, they’re coming in to use the computers, they’re coming in to borrow CDs, use the eBooks that are available, so it’s really important that we continue to invest in and upgrade our libraries to keep up with the changing world.” 

On Tuesday, Bathurst mum Olivia Geraghty visited the library with her four-year-old son Ryan Caffey. 

Her family regularly used the library prior to the refurbishment and she said the facility had really improved. 

“It’s more comfortable, the books are more accessible for children and because of the amount of comfortable sitting areas, it’s more likely I’ll also get to look at books,” Ms Geraghty said. 

She said story time at the library will improve as well, as the open space is much bigger and more flexible. 

“It was getting really cramped and you couldn’t really hear the story because you were sitting so far back, whereas this is going to be a lot better,” she said.