This library is part of Yarra Plenty Regional Library which means once you join you will have…read moreaccess to 8 libraries worth of cataloge! Yes, get excited! You will have access to all the free events the library likes to organize which is also an awesome reason to join up. Thomastown is a much smaller and quieter sister library to nearby Lalor, so if you want a bit of shhhh head on over. Thomastown also have a computer lab which means your more likely to get a turn on the public computers. The staff are great and happy to help you with any questions from where is the nearest bottle-shop to what is the meaning of quantum physics. Give this place a miss on weekends. For one, its only open for three hours on Saturday and secondly the car park and surrounding area will be buzzing with Saturday sport activities. Lots of parking and a location next to the new Thomastown Leisure Centre makes it a handy place to stop of to satisfy your library craving.

After a years absence I returned to this library on the weekend and I was shocked! They managed to…read moreredesign it in the image of my perfect library. Thanks guys. Eltham Library suits the bush setting it is located in. Lots of wood and curving verandas on the outside and a huge cavernous space yet also intimate inside. The complex is also home to a cafe and gallery space so if you need a study break you can grab a coffee or some inspiration. The futuristic returns machine greets you as you head in. It takes getting used to but is a novelty for now. Then there is the fantastic magazine area complete with tables and a fire! The large and slightly segregated children's area flows out to a courtyard space with an arty vibe and great for warmer weather. The large teen space is where you should head to play the Wii or like, chillax. There are plenty of public computers and if you head up to the mezzanine their is a quiet study area which is a great place to head with your laptop, or overlook Shillinglaw Cottage down the back of the main level. As part of Yarra Plenty Library they have a great range of books, magazines and audio visual items and they do a fantastic events program that reflects the artistic community. The staff are fabulous and friendly so head in and say hello!

It is difficult to know how to rate this library. As Sophie L says, the selection of books is…read morelimited and the interior is nothing to write home about. There is a toilet (good) but it is pretty ordinary (not so good). On the other hand, the staff are great and the children's story time has got to be the best in the world. Yes, I'm serious, the best in the world. Compulsory for all local(ish) parents. Get there early if you want to be anywhere near the book - it is popular.

The Albert Park branch of the Port Phillip Library really isn't anything to write home about…read more The selection of books is pretty limited. The only genre that seems to be well stocked is the teen section, so if you're looking for Sweet Valley High or Goosebumps then you're good to go. Otherwise, not so much. However, there is something quite cozy and cute about this place. So if you want to curl up with a (potentially) good book, go and check it out.

Borrow a book and return it, or pop another in its place. That is the only rule to using this cute…read morelittle free public library, located inside Melbourne Central. It's a cute use of a space too small to fit another retailer in. Obviously you wont find the dewey decimal system in place like a real library, since it's all public donation - although it was very orderly considering. A friend suggested some poor OCD person was probably tidying them up for everyone else. If you have some books collecting dust on your shelf, it's worth popping by to swap it for something fresh if you're passing through.

One of my favourite little hide aways when I am in Melbourne Central and want to have a break from…read morethe hustle and bustle. When browsing the books you never know what you will find to read on the way home on the train from work! But don't forget to return or donate a book or two too. This is a great initiative as I always wonder about the fate of books since the introduction of tablets.

Sorry, but I love it here. They have just about everything or they can get you everything. And I…read moremean everything. Who cares the building is sort of worn down, right? And that it's packed most of the time. But I liked the spring morning ground floor view of the golden wattle in bloom. And for this I can forgive a lot! :) Oh, but what sucks is their policy for accessing journals.

I would say that this library is great whether you're a Melbourne Uni student or not. I believe…read moreit's recently renovated (I do recall about a year ago walking by this library and it was always closed off due to construction). Atmosphere: The place is relatively clean and very spacious. Also, as most libraries are, they are decently quiet so you can get decent peaceful studying in. Unfortunately, I warn you about the 1st and 2nd floor bathrooms. For some reason they smell horrible - every time I have to go to the restroom I always end up gagging. Utilities: ~ They have plenty of computers available for use. I do recommend booking ahead though. During a busy period, if you do not book a computer, you would get kicked off it if a student who has booked it comes by. ~ Plenty of learning centers as well which are private rooms. Study groups rejoice! ~ They have quite a few printers, but unfortunately not many scanners or copy machines. Sometimes you can get lucky, but at other times all the computers that are attached to scanners will be taken and you need to prepare to wait. I do believe that you need a Melbourne Uni Student Card to print because you load up money onto it. Staff: The staff are friendly and try their best, but some of them are clueless - especially just the volunteers who aren't actual librarians. I asked this woman if there was a stapler and she made a 20 minute dash around the library trying to procure one. I felt bad sending her on this massive quest so I can staple a few papers together. --- Overall, you can't really fault this library. It isn't jaw-droppingly amazing. But it does its job and it does it well.

Really good fun, driver had a good sense of humor and you could tell he loved his boat…read more Maybe a tad on the pricey side for only 20 minutes.

Our group recently stopped atthe State Library of Victoria where the story of Ned Kelly and Redmond…read moreBarry was brought to life in the now infamous bullet proof armor permanently on exhibit. The La Trobe reading room (a tourist attraction in its own right) was packed with students on a Public holiday nonetheless. Stunning! Opened in 1913, this magnificent octagonal reading room is six stores high and can house 32,000 books and 320 readers at its desks. When it was built, the enormous reinforced-concrete structure was the largest in the world. Known as the Domed Reading Room until it was refurbished and reopened in 2003, the building is an architectural feat.

My wife and I had heard about the State Library, and was interested in seeing what this looked like…read moreand ... there's no comparison with the libraries that we've been to. There is a big section of town where the trams are free to ride, and if you catch one of the 2 right trams, you can visit many of the attractions. We rode to the State Library - it was quite awesome to see how big it was, how many people - including many students - were using the facilities. There was also an interesting Children's Section. Interesting were also the various statues in front, including that "no-good" St. George that killed those poor innocent cute little dragons! Sob!

It possible that even locals don't know it's there. You have to search for it to find it, and even…read morethen it's a challenge! Located down a residential street behind the new council redevelopment I shouldn't judge too harshly. After all it is a make shift location until the new library is completed. The Doncaster library makes the most of a pretty dire situation. They are located in something akin to a scout hall or portable classroom. However once you get past that (literally, and are inside) things aren't so bad. There are study desks with power points to take advantage of the free wifi as well as large tables to spread out newspapers and magazines. As part of the Whitehorse-Manningham library system they have a wide collection of books, magazines and audiovisual. they have a children's area, Greek collection and Genealogy section. It may be compact and temporary, but unfortunately I have visited worse libraries. I look forward to visiting the new development. For now Doncaster library 'makes do' with what it can. The staff need something to do, so feel free to go in and ask for help!

The first thing you'll notice when you see the library is the amazing design of the building. Since…read morethe Manningham Council Square was only very recently built, it was a nice modernist look to it. But that's not it though, as the interior also has a striking look. The library takes up the first floor of the building, with these sections: the computers, the magazines, the books, the DVD/CDs, the Wii, the tables and the children's section. There are approximately 12 to 15 computers that runs Windows 8 and have touch-screen monitors, 2 USB ports, a disc drive, a microphone jack and an earphone jack. The magazine section consists of many publications, and even some recent newspapers. Just for the photography genre I counted 3 publications, with each of them having around 15 to 20 issues. In the book section there are a lot of shelves, with 'Young Adults', 'Non-Fiction', 'Fantasy','Travel', 'Architecture' and many other labels attached to them. There's a catalogue computer if you need assistance. There is one shelf of DVDs, and one shelf of CDs. I didn't pay much attention to the CD section, but the DVDs consist of movies, documentaries and tv series (including anime). And yes, there is a Wii! In fact, two of them. They each have one different game disc inserted. To play, you need to borrow a remote from the staff. As for the tables, there are around 5 very long tables, for those who want to bring out their own tablet or laptop to work or play. The children's section: I have never been there, but I do know that there are quite a few children books, and parents often gather there to organise activities. Finally, the books, magazines, DVDs and CDs often get transferred to and fro amongst other Manningham libraries, and you can ask to reserve and/or transfer these for free.