The City of Melbourne’s narrm ngarrgu Library and Family Services

COVID-19 shelved many projects but for the City of Melbourne, it also provided the opportunity for a timely relocation of its City Library.

To create the new facility, the council project team was guided by three key principles: social inclusion, responding to user needs and embedding Aboriginal culture and wisdom in City of Melbourne libraries. This involved working with numerous individuals and groups, including careful consultation with local Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung elders.

The project team, with the support of City of Melbourne leadership, was able to think ambitiously and expansively about what a community hub could be. The end result – narrm ngarrgu  (meaning ‘Melbourne knowledge’) –  opened in late 2023 opposite the Queen Victoria Market and was lauded for its innovative use of space, materials and resources. It even features a rooftop terrace landscaped to reflect the city’s pre-colonial era.

Written by ANZSOG Research Fellow Marinella Padula, this case provides a useful and instructive example of place-focused policy and design. It also invites consideration of the many roles libraries play in communities, especially as street-front government services increasingly move online.

Scroll down and click on the link to view the case. For copies of the accompanying teaching note, contact caselibrary@anzsog.edu.au