Thousands of people find themselves in public libraries across Australia every day. Last year, there were about 34 million visits to public libraries across NSW. Closer to home 179,084 peopled visited the Wagga Wagga City Library in 2016-17.

Our community comes to the library to relax, learn, engage with public programs, borrow from our collections, or to access the internet on free library computers or Wi-Fi. Libraries are vibrant social spaces that offer a wide range of leisure and educational pursuits, and Wagga Wagga City Library is no exception.

It offers a diverse range of programs and activities for the whole community. One-off events such as the Sydney Writers’ Festival live streaming and One Book One Wagga provide opportunities for book lovers to come together and celebrate a shared reading experience, while enhancing our sense of community and adding to the city’s cultural landscape.

Also, 46 book clubs meet monthly in members’ homes, clubs, cafes and parks.

The library also participates in many partnerships, allowing community and professional groups such as the Wagga Wagga Shakespeare Club, Wrapt with Love Knitting Group, University of the Third Age and speech pathologists from NSW Health to meet, run classes and provide specialised services.

The library prides itself on providing an outstanding lending and information service for all members of the community. It provides an extensive paper-based collection as well as databases including Britannica Online, the HSC study lab and the science reference centre.

Library members who enjoy more recreational pursuits may be interested in databases such as the hobbies & crafts reference centre, story box and Ancestry.com library edition, as well as the eLibrary, which contains digital books, magazines music, movies and audiobooks.

As part of National Library and Information Week, the library will host more than 500 primary school students on orientation tours, and join with schools, preschools and libraries across the country in celebrating National Simultaneous Storytime.

For those of you who are not yet library members, visit and join.

After all, it’s your library and membership is free.