The Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute has had a reading room for 165 years but today it has just 530 members – and tens of thousands of book lovers are missing out.
I love my local libraries. I adore the staff, the ambience, the facilities and the free wifi. As a freelancer, hot-desking without needing to pay a dime is my cup of tea.
The local government-run library network in Ballarat is made up of three branches and provides a number of outreach programs. It has more than 30,000 members. This is great for ongoing funding, but not so great if you’re burning to read a particular book. Often, when I seek out a popular fiction title, it’s not on the shelf and I’ll have to wait weeks for it to be returned. That some readers, myself included, don’t always return their books on time may also have something to do with this.
Sometimes, I cannot wait. But fortunately, I know something many of my fellow Ballarat bookworms do not.
The other morning I woke up to an urgent message from my sister-in-law in Canada, containing a book title. “Oh my word. Have you read this?!” she asked.
Without asking any questions, I went to place a hold on the book in question – Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy – only to discover there were no copies available and it had to be transferred from another branch.
Not having time for such antics, I headed to Ballarat’s oldest library, the Mechanics’ Institute. They had it on their shelves.
Triumphant, I returned home and told my husband. His reaction: “You’re telling me there’s another library in Ballarat? With all the books you want? And nobody knows about it? That’s preposterous.”
It’s better than preposterous – it’s like being part of a secret club. In contrast to the tens of thousands of members at the City of Ballarat libraries, the Ballaarat (the original spelling of the town taken from the Wadawurrung words for resting place) Mechanics’ Institute currently has about 530 members.
Many of Ballarat’s younger residents either have no idea this library exists, or haven’t stepped foot inside it. Perhaps they think it’s just an exclusive over-60s club, or that it’s just an events hall, or (most likely) they haven’t thought about it all. But they’re missing out.
Mechanics’ Institutes popped up around Australia in the Victorian-era to provide education in technical subjects and trades, especially to working-class men. Back then, mechanics was the umbrella term used to describe all skilled tradespeople.
These institutions were also known as schools of the arts – communal spaces offering lectures and classes in science, industry and the arts, intended to empower the public at a time when training and education was limited. That promotion of community, arts and culture still lives on today – especially through the continuation of the lending library.
Sure, the breadth of literary offerings or facilities isn’t as expansive as a council-operated library. There aren’t any children’s books or a great deal of nonfiction reads. Nor are there computers and free wifi access. The organisation is not-for-profit and relies on memberships, philanthropy, donations and events to stay afloat. But the fact you can stroll in and take your pick of most any fiction title is a bandwagon every book lover needs to jump on.
My favourite authors are almost always on loan at the local library. But now, my to-be-read pile is growing and I’m well on my way to completing my Goodreads goal for the year. And because of the smaller membership pool, if it’s off the shelf, it’ll likely only take a few days to come in rather than a few weeks.
In December, the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute will mark the 165th anniversary of the opening of its first reading room, which now operates as the library. The governor of Victoria, Prof Margaret Gardner AC, recently visited to mark the anniversary.
The building itself is doused in history. The grand rooms, basement and heritage book collection (for browsing only) are a tourism drawcard and the statue of Minerva, the spear-wielding goddess of war, wisdom and poetry who overlooks the city from atop the building, is a beloved part of the city’s skyline. There’s a rich calendar of events, from author talks to concerts, comedy festivals to meditation sessions, junior drama shows to art exhibitions.
But it’s the library that’s stolen my heart. There are many Mechanics’ Institutes still in existence around Australia, but only a handful left have a lending library.
And though I’m relishing in the fact the place is largely undiscovered – meaning I can always nab a place by the heater with a book in hand, or work in the heritage reading room without anyone else in sight – it feels selfish not to share. So to all my fellow bibliophiles, hearken to my call and discover what knowledge lies within these walls – lest Minerva strike us down with her spear for real.
This article was published in The Guardian on Sunday 2 November, written by Dellaram Vreeland
