New home for the City Library
New Home for the City Library
Our team are busy behind the scenes preparing to move the City Library from Rundle Place to our new home at the State Library on North Terrace.
Until we move at 6 pm on Thursday 25 June, the City Library remains open as usual.
The new North Terrace Library will welcome customers from 10am on Wednesday 1 July.
Our public library service will be co-located with the State Library's Research Library on the 1st floor of the Spence Wing.
In its new setting, City Libraries - North Terrace will maintain its current generous floor space allowance and all our collections, along with some exciting new features.
The State Library is also creating a dedicated children’s library which will include the City Library's children’s collection and borrowing services.
Subscribe to our City of Adelaide Libraries e-newsletter to stay informed about the move and ensure you are among the first to experience our new City Library services on North Terrace.
Sign up for updates
Stay up to date on the latest plans for our move by subscribing to the Adelaide City Libraries e-newsletter.
Frequently asked questions
The City Library in Rundle Place will close at 6 pm on Thursday 25 June to relocate to the State Library on North Terrace. It will be co-located with the State Library’s Research Library on the first floor of the Spence Wing.
The State Library’s Research Library is temporarily closed for upgrade works and to prepare the space to welcome the new City Libraries location, with both scheduled to re-open to the public at 10 am on Wednesday 1 July.
These works will improve the Research Library space through new floor coverings and a reconfigured layout, supporting co‑located services into the future and creating a better experience for researchers and visitors.
All other spaces across the State Library, including Mortlock Chamber, exhibition spaces, Library Café, Institute Building and resident organisations will remain open as usual.
No. The current City Library service hours will be maintained when we make the move to North Terrace.
Monday / Tuesday / Thursday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Wednesday: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Friday: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Public holidays: Closed
Between Friday 26 – Tuesday 30 June we will relocate our staff and 950 linear metres of the collection, comprising approximately 37,000 items (books, DVDs, magazines, music toys, multimedia equipment and more) from Rundle Place to North Terrace.
Our other City Libraries - Hutt Street and Tynte Street will remain open as usual during these five days of relocation:
The State Library of South Australia (Ground Floor Spence Building & Mortlock Wing) will also be available to our customers during this period.
The wider network of more than 130 public libraries across South Australia are also available:
The State Library of South Australia and City of Adelaide partnership supports the State Library’s Future Services Vision and Council’s Strategic Plan 2024-2028, creating a central literary, cultural and community hub, enriching the offerings of both institutions, with enhanced collection and service access, creative and collaborative programming and events, and innovative library experiences under one roof.
The North Terrace Library and the State Library will remain separate entities that are co-located to achieve better leveraged outcomes.
The shared goal of the State Library of South Australia and City of Adelaide is to sustain and enhance community benefit, improve the service offering and access, increase visitation and utilisation of services, and appeal to an even more diverse demographic of city residents, workers, students and visitors.
The State Library’s premises offers a central location for the City Library on North Terrace, the cultural boulevard, adjacent to Rundle Mall with good transport links, ground floor access and activation, enhanced cultural gallery and community hub amenities.
The State Library of South Australia is also creating a dedicated children’s space on the ground floor of the State Library which will be enjoyed by thousands of new families when it opens. It will include the City Library's collection and borrowing services. A feature of this collection will be the City Library’s environmentally friendly music toys, designed to spark joy, inspire creativity, and support skills development, in budding musicians aged 0-5. With this collection we celebrate and contribute to Adelaide’s designation as Australia’s first and only UNESCO City of Music.
No. The City Library will retain its collections when it relocates to the State Library building. This is a complex move, involving the relocation of 950 linear metres of collection comprising approximately 37,000 items (books, DVDs, magazines, music toys, multimedia equipment and more).
No. The City Library will maintain its current generous floor space allowance, just in a different configuration, co-located with the State Library’s Research Library on the 1st floor of the Spence Wing.
Visitors will benefit from the additional amenities on offer at the State Library of South Australia, including the café, gallery, and study spaces in the Mortlock Chamber.
City Library visitors and members will continue to enjoy all existing services, including book and multimedia lending, membership benefits through the One Card Network, access to Justice of the Peace, public PCs, digital technologies, creative programs and more. Customers will also gain seamless access to the State Library’s extensive collections, research services, exhibitions, programs and events.
With so many more presentation possibilities, the inspiring programs, events, workshops, and conversations you know and love will come to life in a variety of spaces.
We received such a positive response to our History Month programming in May presented in partnership with the State Library of South Australia. This was an exciting preview of what is to come when the City Library moves from Rundle Place to North Terrace.
When registering online for City Library events and programs, please note the venue location, as our offerings in June span our current space in Rundle Place and our future address on Adelaide's cultural boulevard. From 1 July, all our City Library events and programs will be held in spaces at the State Library of South Australia.
Our libraries are a connected, city-wide service and the new naming convention brings all locations together under the City Libraries umbrella while recognising each individual location.
The updated location names are:
- North Terrace Library
- Hutt Street Library
- Tynte Street Library
Our social media accounts are now called @cityofadelaidelibraries and our monthly e-newsletter will now be issued as City of Adelaide Libraries.
Alongside the new naming conventions, we are refreshing our branding which will gradually be applied across City Libraries’ digital and physical assets.