Our new library was named a few weeks ago. It will be “The Grove:
Leading, Learning, Living”. There was a lot of public debate in the months leading up to this, after the community rejected the original consultant’s suggestion that it be called “The Very Clever Library”. It is currently the “Cottesloe-Peppermint Grove-Mosman Park Library”, so it will be much easier to answer the phone.

The move is at the start of August. Doors close for a couple of weeks, then open to the public a light, open, welcoming space over twice the size of the current building.

The building houses the library, Child Health Clinic, large Community Meeting Rooms and the Peppermint Grove Shire Offices. Features include solar panels, a thermal maze, storm water reuse, waterless urinals, solar passive orientation, bio filtering and rainwater tanks. Inside will be a cafe, separate children’s storytime room, free wifi, public access computers, four large screens with over 40 cable TV channels and video displays, four spaces for presentations with dataprojectors and screens, a quiet study area, adaptive technology for people with disabilities, community history space, sustainability information, lots and lots of books, dvds, talking books, graphic novels and magazines plus community education classes and friendly, knowledgable welcoming staff.

The slideshow below shows photos from our site visit at the start of June, explaining what will go where. If it doesn’t show on your computer, you can see it here, New building May 2010. The Grove. Leading, learning, living .