City of Melbourne Council has celebrated the opening of Southbank’s new library as part of the landmark transformation of the city’s Boyd precinct.
Located behind the library’s former home at the Boyd Hub on City Road, the new two-level space spans a vast 900 m2 – making it nearly double the size of its previous home.
The library’s shelves are packed with a 22,000-strong collection of books, including 5,000 new titles. The space also features dedicated spaces for children and young people, a program room, large reading lounge area, more study areas, and infrastructure to trial after-hours library use in the future.
“Great cities need great libraries – and Southbank now has one of its own,” said Lord Mayor, Nick Reece.
“Libraries are more than just books. They’re places where people come together, share ideas and feel part of their community.”
“With more people calling Southbank home, we’re investing in the community spaces and facilities that make it a great place to live.”
A suite of commissioned artworks by Chris Joy and Wurundjeri elder Aunty Kim Wandin from Murrup Biik will also bring the library to life – several of which feature the same motifs from their award-winning picture storybook Weaving Country (illustrated by Ashleigh Pugh).
Key artworks include Two Bilang 2026 (Woi-wurrung for ‘string bag’), a pair of bamboo string bag sculptures suspended above the stairwell, floor-to-ceiling window illustrations, and a colourful woven wool rug in the children’s area on Ground Floor.
Expected to welcome more than 100,000 visitors annually, Southbank Library is the first library to open in the city since narrm ngarrgu Library and Family Services in 2023.
“This modern library marks a new chapter for Southbank – giving locals more space to read, learn and connect,” said Community and City Services portfolio head Councillor, Gladys Liu.
“With 5,000 more books, from Spanish and Chinese-language titles to graphic novels and young adult fiction, there’s something for everyone.”
The new Southbank Library project received $550,000 in funding from the Victorian Government Living Libraries Infrastructure Program.
With the new library open, the Council says works on the new Boyd Community Hub can begin. The Hub, set to open in late 2027, will expand into the former Southbank Library space, and mark the final stage of the multi-year Boyd precinct transformation.
