Castlemaine Library

Mount Alexander's library services operate out of the Castlemaine Library, housed in the historic (1857) Mechanics Institute building facing busy Barker Street, with entry from Mechanics Lane. We proudly acknowledge that our library is on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, and that the Djaara people remain the traditional custodians and are the oldest storytellers in the world.

Castlemaine is a branch of Goldfields Libraries, a regional network whose other branches include Bendigo, Kangaroo Flat, Eaglehawk, Heathcote, Kyneton, Woodend, Gisborne and Romsey. Members of the Castlemaine Library have access to the resources of the entire Goldfields region.

Library membership and borrowing are free of charge. Goldfields Libraries no longer charge fines for overdue returns.

Collection and services

Available for loan is a range of fiction and non-fiction to suit all tastes and ages, as well as magazines, children's picture books, DVDs, talking books, large-print, and adult learning materials. We have book club sets for loan, which are sets of ten books, and there are currently over 300 titles. Also for loan are our Sustainable Home Kits, which include a Power Mate device, and thermal camera, along with resources and guides to help you assess the energy efficiency of your home. Other kits include Birdwatching Kits and Home Astronomy Kits.

Computers are available for public use or bring your own laptop and make use of the library's free wireless internet. Printing and scanning are available (charges apply), as is our remote printing service. Daily and local newspapers are available for browsing and we have a community noticeboard.

Castlemaine Library's collection is especially strong in the areas of art history, arts and crafts, gardening, and sustainable living. An extensive collection of local history resources is available both as reference and for borrowing, and we offer access to the Verey Collection of digitised historical photographs.

Programs and events for children

The library offers a wide range of programs and events for children.

There are three early year literacy sessions per week for young children: Baby Rhyme Time, Toddler Time and Story Time, as well as a host of things to do for kids of all ages including the school holiday program, StoryWalks and lots more.

Visit the Children page on the Goldfields Library website to find out more.

Programs and events for adults

We run several weekly IT help sessions, where anyone can access 1:1 IT Help for free – bookings at the library desk or over the phone.

Castlemaine Library hosts weekly volunteer Justice of the Peace sessions, which allow you to drop in on Thursdays from 1.00pm-3.00pm for document signing, witnessing, statutory declarations and more. Every second Thursday of the month, the JP is available 5pm-6.45 instead.

Castlemaine Library is also home to the Castlemaine Seed Library, allowing anyone the opportunity to borrow free seeds to grow vegetables, herbs, flowers and Indigenous plants.

For more information on programs and events for adults they can be viewed online or collected in hard copy from the library.

Meeting room

Castlemaine Library has a public meeting room that seats 10 people, with access to AV equipment for presentations and online meetings. This is free to book and is accessible during opening hours. We named it the Tammia'long Room, Tammia'long means Quiet in Dja Dja Wurrung language.

We also have a small, one person pod, perfect for online meetings, and a four person pod for small group chats and quiet study groups. Both of these can also be booked by contacting the library directly.