Nambucca Heads Library

1965

Shop 40 River Street Woolgoolga

Initial Woolgoolga Library launched in 1965 in River Street. The library was at Shop 40 that was from the south side of the building; in the north part had been the actual only real barber shop in Woolgoolga – as pretty much everyone visited this store it made for a prime place when it comes to collection. Before this, residents had been utilizing store 40 to relax and play billiards as well as the just collection inside village occured in the RSL Club.

Coffs Harbour Shire President Councillor William H. (Harry) Bailey officially exposed the Woolgoolga Library on Friday, the 27th August 1965. Bellingen hadn't however joined up with the Clarence Regional Library whereas Coffs Harbour Library had currently accompanied and exposed in April 1964. Cr. Bailey described this in the opening message, “Bellingen Shire did not understand what they truly are missing”!

Ald. Mavis McClymont of Grafton City Council plus the Chairperson for the Clarence Regional Library pointed out the passion of Coffs Harbour Shire in collection issues hence the honour of starting the collection must be Cr. Bailey’s.

Whenever Woolgoolga Library unsealed, Clarence local Library had six branches and thirteen deposit channels, Woolgoolga being the past inclusion into deposit channels. During this period, Macksville, Nambucca Heads and Bowraville had additionally joined the Regional Library.

The opening service ended up being preceded by the official luncheon at Woolgoolga RSL Club. The official service attendants included vice-president Cr. Hannaford, Woolgoolga’s regional councillor – Cr. F. Fountain, Regional Librarian – skip M. Seale, Inspector of Schools at Coffs Harbour – Mr E. Gray, and District Inspector of Schools at Grafton – Mr. L. A. Findlay.

Local citizen and ex-Councillor Mr Eric Bennett had been 40 yrs . old after that. He strolled down seriously to the opening along with his spouse Ina Bennett and became the first to enrol when you look at the recently exposed library. Mr Bennett nevertheless visits the library and borrows publications. He commented that although the collection performedn’t will have what one needed, these people were constantly beneficial, “the staff endeavoured to have it for you.”

The library unsealed with a stock of just one, 111 publications. The united states Women’s Association (C.W.A.) members had volunteered to staff the collection when it comes to very first a year.

After the first year, C.W.A. members notified the Council that they could not staff the collection. Mrs M. Elle whom as President for the local C.W.A. department and who had previously been helping during the collection, had been appointed the very first part-time librarian. As Woolgoolga was just open 7 hours weekly, the Regional Librarian skip Seale was very pleased with the number of financial loans. About 1, 200 information publications, over 3, 000 fiction products and 2, 500 junior items was indeed lent, making a complete of over 6, 500 financial loans in 1966. Considering the complete stock was significantly less than 1, 200 publications, they certainly were well used.

The library remained for the reason that place for 14 many years before it closed in 1979 as soon as the decision was made to close Woolgoolga and Sawtell collection deposit programs and begin the bookmobile solution as an alternative.