New La Trobe library opens its doors

THE community will have access to La Trobe University’s new library following its official opening last Friday.

The building was the final piece of the institution’s Campus Transformation Project worth $50 million and vice-chancellor Professor John Dewar AO said it will benefit university students, staff and members of the wider public.

“This impressive new library will play an important role in nurturing collaboration, research and learning not only for our staff and students, but also the local community,” he said.

“It will offer the latest in technology and flexible learning spaces but it will also be a place where people can gather, relax, explore ideas, have a coffee and enjoy artwork and events.

“We encourage the Bendigo community to come to the campus and see it for themselves.”

Among the augmented and virtual reality teaching labs, local Indigenous artworks and a 460-square-metre events space also sits the Sandhurst collection, an assortment of 2500 novels, periodicals, biographies, histories and memoirs from the mid-19th century.

Bendigo campus director Dr Julie Rudner said the historic collection will be safely housed in the new library thanks to the support of two local philanthropists.

“We are grateful to local couple, Dr William and Mrs Carol Holsworth, for their generous contribution to the development of a permanent home for the Sandhurst collection,” she said.

“Thanks to their foresight and generosity, this important collection that provides insight into the literary culture of mid-19th century Bendigo, is now protected.”

Member for Bendigo East and university alumni Jacinta Allan said the campus transformation will also expand opportunities for the wider northern Victorian population to pursue higher education in a regional setting.

“Universities in regional centres like La Trobe provides an equality of access to tertiary education. It expands horizons through learning and encouragement for critical thinking,” she said.

“This is not just true for Bendigo students… it means families right across northern Victoria can look to a university education for their children because it’s in their geographic reach.

“It’s accessible, it’s affordable and it has the breadth and depth of course offerings that means students can go and explore their passions and go on and have their careers back in their own regional communities.”

For information on community library membership visit latrobe.edu.au/library/borrowing/borrowing-at-la-trobe/join-the-library.