The changes to opening hours follow the Independent Working Group Report into Libraries. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
ACT libraries will no longer open until late or on Sundays, with some suburban branches not opening at all on weekends.
The ACT Government issued a statement last Friday afternoon ahead of the long weekend.
It says the changes to opening hours follow the Independent Working Group (IWG) Report into Libraries ACT, delivered in 2025, and reflect when libraries are being used most.
Town centre libraries (Belconnen, Woden, Dickson, Gungahlin, Tuggeranong) will open earlier at 9 am but close at 5 pm Monday to Saturdays instead of 5:30 or 8 pm at certain branches on certain days.
The earlier opening time will be welcomed by library users but the new closing times won’t please day workers.
Community branches at Civic, Erindale, and Kippax will only open 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, while the Kingston branch will open 9 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
One comment on the Libraries ACT Facebook page lamented the loss of Sundays: “I can’t believe Australia’s capital city won’t have a public library open on a Sunday. These are vital services for access to digital services, literacy, community, connection and social cohesion as well as hot/cold respite during harsh weather. This is deeply disappointing.”
Another said: “Sunday is the only day of the week that our family can access our local library. I’m deeply concerned about this new development for our libraries and the knock on affects it will have in so many ways for our communities. I’d rather have properly staffed and fully funded public libraries than light rail. Once again the government prioritises the wrong thing and the community suffers. Solidarity to our hard working library staff.”
The government says every Libraries ACT branch will continue to operate, core services will continue and library programs are unaffected.
City and Government Services Minister Tara Cheyne said the report’s recommendations would strengthen library services.
“Operations have stabilised, staff have been moved onto more secure ongoing arrangements across branches, service delivery has been enhanced and a clear vision and direction have been set,” she said.
“The next step is ensuring our opening hours reflect the times Canberrans use their libraries most.”
The government says Libraries ACT visit data shows demand is concentrated on weekdays and Saturdays and more than 96 per cent of all weekday library visits happen during standard business hours.
This is why hours will be shifted from the lower-use periods of Sundays and late-nights into earlier weekday access across all branches, as well as full-day Saturday opening hours at town centre branches and at Kingston neighbourhood branch.
Civic, Erindale and Kippax will lose Saturdays altogether.
Borrowing, collections, digital services, room bookings and regular library programs will continue. Branches will remain available to respond to community need, including activation as heat refuges when called on by the Chief Health Officer.
Late-night sessions largely served people collecting reserved items, so options are being explored to allow reserved items to be picked up any time at key branches.
In Woden, the government is examining co-locating library and Access Canberra services to create a single community hub, as previously had been the case.
Ms Cheyne said redistributing hours to match peak community use rather than spreading them across lower-use periods meant hours and services were aligned with the community’s needs.
The new arrangements will be introduced in the coming weeks.