Ipswich Children’s Library: Council opens Australia’s first dedicated public library for kids in CBD

It is one of two new libraries in the redeveloped Ipswich CBD with plenty on offer for kids to explore apart from the usual books and magazines.

Maggie and Max Pacey in the new Ipswich Children's Library.

IPSWICH is now home to Australia’s first dedicated public library for kids.

It was officially opened on Monday and is located on the ground floor of Ipswich City Council’s new $125 million administration building in the redeveloped CBD.

The kids were king, with a big crowd on hand to check out the Ipswich Children’s Library as it opened its doors for the first time in the Nicholas Street Precinct.

Luca Pole and Finnegan Pole in the new Ipswich Children's Library.

The council could not say how much the facility cost, just that it was included in the overall administration building construction.

It is one of two libraries that has been constructed in the overhauled city heart alongside the $17 million Ipswich Central Library.

The organisation has invested heavily in new library facilities in recent years; the CBD’s new library opened late last year, just a few months after the new facility in Rosewood and the Springfield Central library opened in 2018.

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The new kid’s library is fitted out with more than 35,000 items from books and magazines to DVDs and digital resources.

Two life-sized dinosaurs hang from the ceiling and rows of books are joined by hands-on tech and augmented reality facilities.

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said it would prove to be a significant lure to bringing people back to the CBD.

“Libraries are more than just a place to get books,” she said.

“People see them as community spaces. Fun interactive spaces as well.

Ezra Cracknell, Molly McKenzie, Grace Cracknell and Grace Pole.

“We’re leveraging off the popularity of the art gallery, it has some great children’s programs there as well. People can come here with a play group and mums and dads can order their own books and pick them up here.”

Cr Harding said the purpose-built facility would offer an experience unlike any other in Australia with a focus on “interactivity and engagement”.

“This is not like the libraries of yesteryear, the focus is very much on interactivity and engaging our young people as they learn, explore and play,” she said.

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“(It’s) specially designed for children from birth through to age 12.

“Young explorers will be able to feed the resident Plesiosaurs through a pneumatic pipe interactive experience and watch the ‘food’ they give zip around the pipes.

“Augmented reality will bring hand drawings to life, allowing children to colour in a fish or prehistoric creature, scan it, and watch it appear and move on an ocean backdrop.

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding in the new Ipswich Children's Library with Joseph and Jethro Crowe and Ethan Carter.

“There is also a Magic Mirror that children can stand in front of to watch butterflies swarm around them, and even land on them if they stand still enough.

“For children in the early learning years, there is a specially designed multi-touch interactive table with various games and experiences.

“I’m excited to welcome the city’s youngest readers into their new space.”

Read more stories by Lachlan McIvor here.