WOULD you like to see the Scone Library move to a new location?
This is just one of the possible options for the future after Upper Hunter Shire Council listed it as a top priority under the Community Strategic Plan 2027.
Every four years, council is required to review proposals for the next decade with community engagement being a key aspect of the process.
General manager Waid Crockett said he believed discussions over the library would largely focus on sustainability.
“We’ll be looking at where the best place for it will be,” he said.
“It might stay where it is, but I think it’ll probably be looking for a new home.
“Council has the view that libraries shouldn’t be just about a place for books, or the storage of books, it needs to be a bit more diversified now.
“We need to look at ways to keep it sustainable, maybe through a coffee shop, a museum of artifacts, or a youth component like music rooms and virtual reality.
“It really needs to cater to all people.
“Some libraries do that well, and with minimal space.
“So, we’re also having a look at what we can do to make sure that space meets the standards of people in the community.
“It may be that we have a connection to a park-type setting so we can get an indoor, outdoor flow.”
Mr Crockett added council was also looking at library services across the entire region in a bid to get the best “value for money”.
“A library, along with other community services, is costly to run,” he said.
“We’ll hopefully finish consultations in early February and then pull together plans before consolidating on them.”
Businessman Jason Brooks, who purchased the Scone Library from council in June last year, said he was happy for it to remain.
“I think it’s a prime location for the library, and it’s nice to see so many of our elderly community members using it,” he said.
“But, on the other hand, if it makes commercial sense to move it, then that shouldn’t be discarded either.”
