Library brief is prepared
Gosford Council is preparing a brief for expressions of interest from heritage architects to design an extension to Woy Woy library.
This is expected to be ready within the next few weeks.
Consultation with all sections of the community is planned before Council proceeds with any concept or design.
The Council's Library Committee for Woy Woy has made a number of recommendations about requirements for the extensions.
With the extensions, the library will be large enough to service the estimated 19,000 people who are expected to live within the library catchment areas of Woy Woy, the Bays area, Blackwall, Koolewong, Tascott.
According to the guidelines approved by the Library Council of NSW, this means an area of between 911 square metres and 958 square metres.
This should just be possible on the current site.
The Woy Woy Neighbourhood Centre will remain in the old Fire Station.
Information technology will be a major feature of the new library; with its aim to be seen as a major information and educational resource for the community.
Council staff have noticed an increase in the demand for IT.
The community will be given the opportunity to be trained in the use of new technology.
Target groups might include the elderly, the young and school students.
There will be a need to increase staff when the extension is operational.
The extension must be sympathetic to the existing heritage buildings and surrounding landscape but at the same time interesting and inviting.
Disabled people will be well catered for will all areas of the library safe and accessible to all potential users not just the able-bodied.
This will influence the design of every part of the building from disabled parking to appropriate height of furniture and equipment.
The library should be open later on weekdays, say until 7pm.
Small, flexible display areas could be included for local artists and schools to display their work and would also be handy for public exhibition of Council items.
The Spike Milligan Centre will contain Milligan memorabilia: Spikes books and displays.
The present Council office would be incorporated into the new library so that residents could do all their Council business at the one centre.
Lynne Bockholt, July 12