Mitchelton Library

Libraries and I go way back. In primary school they were my introverted-self’s safe haven at lunch time where I managed to immerse myself in the lives of The Baby Sitters Club and in year 7 proudly become a library monitor. #nerdalert. So it’s no surprise as an adult they still play a part in my life. Thankfully, Brisbane City has a network of libraries that are often overlooked.
The Mitchelton library is smaller than other inner-​city libraries in the network and also has the addition of a café on the balcony run by local Valentina Café. It creates a welcoming environment to order a coffee and read the latest magazines or book you’ve checked out.
That said, it’s definitely a library that caters to families. I don’t say this as a negative but just as a preface that if you’re coming here to hunker down on some study, work or solitude this may not be the place for you. It’s certainly not the kind of library where a stern looking librarian raises her finger to her lips to «Shhh!» you. In fact, on my visit, it seemed that giggles from kids running around, two gents having a lively debate about Indonesia on the balcony and general liveliness were encouraged in this suburban library.
Still, with solid WiFi, coffee on-​site and an array of reading material, it’s still getting a thumbs up from me.