On my visit to the beautiful city of Melbourne, I was pleasantly surprised to know that, I had free access to the internet and a treasure of reading material at the magnificent, State Library of Victoria. No membership is needed, and no registration is required. The library is in the heart of Melbourne’s busy, Central Business District. Everyone is welcome to use the library. Not just books, the library has a vast collection of manuscripts, paintings, maps, photographs and newspapers. Free access to thousands and thousands of books, magazines and newspaper archives. The visitors can enjoy coffee and sandwiches at discounted student rates, in the designated hall inside the library.

The State Library of Victoria (SLV) was established in 1854 in Melbourne and is Australia’s oldest public library. It is one of the first free libraries in the world. The State Library of Victoria is Australia’s busiest public library and the third busiest in the world.

The lawn in front of the library’s main entrance on Swanston Street is a popular lunch-spot for the city’s workers and students.

Sculptures featuring children’s book characters are installed in the Library forecourt.

This domed reading room is six stories high. Its octagonal space was designed to hold over a million books and up to 600 readers. The area under the dome is called the La Trobe Reading Room. The dome is also home to the Victorian Indigenous Research Centre.

Beautiful spiral staircase inside the library.

An exhibition on 40 years of A radio station was held at the library in 2017. Clicked this picture during my last visit to the library.

At a time when people are struggling with issues of severe polarisation and mistrust, public libraries if managed well, can help bring people together. They can play a role in fostering happiness and human connection. Libraries allow us to be in shared environments and can act as, an antidote to loneliness.

Photos and content by Prerna Jain