Proposed Changes to Libraries Opening Hours

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Consultation has concluded

Update June 2023

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback in this consultation.

Council endorsed new opening hours on 9 May 2023, which including the following changes from the original proposal in response to community feedback:

  • Gumeracha – changes to the Thursday opening time to 12pm – 5pm and the Saturday opening time to 11am - 2pm to provide more opportunities for families and children to use the library.
  • Woodside – changes to the Thursday opening time to 11am – 7pm to provide more opportunities for people to attend the library after business hours.

Full details of the new opening hours, which will come into effect on 1 July 2023, are available on our website https://www.ahc.sa.gov.au/community/latest-news/new-library-opening-times-from-1-july



We are reviewing the opening hours of our three Libraries in Stirling, Woodside and Gumeracha and would like to know what you think.

Our research shows that there are opportunities to change the opening hours to better suit community demand and improve our service delivery.

  • At Stirling, we are proposing to open on Mondays from 10am to 6pm and close one hour earlier on Thursday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays.

  • At Woodside, we are proposing to change the Thursday opening hours to 10am to 6pm (from 9am to 8pm) and close one hour earlier on Saturdays.

  • At Gumeracha, we are proposing to consolidate the staffed hours to open four days a week rather than six. This would mean we are open on Monday 9am – 2pm, Tuesday 12pm – 5pm, Thursday 9am – 2pm and Saturday 10am – 1pm. We would be open Wednesdays from 9am – 2pm for library self-service.

Check out the document library for the current and proposed opening hours for each branch.


Rationale for Changes

Analysis of library usage across all branches over the last two years shows that some of our current opening hours are quiet and not highly used by the community.

  • At Stirling, the quietest times are Thursday nights from 7-8pm (average of 5 people in) and Saturdays and Sundays from 4-5pm (average of 11 people in on both days)
  • At Woodside, the quietest times are also Thursday nights from 6-8pm (average less than 5 people in) and on Saturdays from 1-2pm (average of 4 people in).

Closing earlier at these quieter times means we could open on Mondays at Stirling within our existing resources. We have received feedback for a number of years that the Stirling Library should be open Mondays, noting that Stirling is our busiest site with approximately 80% of annual loans and visitation.

There are a number of reasons for the proposed changes to the opening hours at Gumeracha.

  • We would like to offer longer staffed periods – rather than the current three hours per day – so that staff can better support customers with library enquiries and services. This is reinforced with analysis of the current opening hours which shows that self-service times are much quieter than staffed periods
  • Aligning the opening hours to the activities and services available at the Gumeracha ‘hub’, for example kindergym on Monday mornings, community centre programs and the History Centre opening hours
  • Analysis shows that usage is much lower during self-service periods
  • Offering self-service on one day – Wednesdays from 9am - 2pm – rather than either side of the staff periods as in the current opening hours

Providing feedback

  • Preferably using the online feedback form below

  • Phoning Jess Charlton, Manager Libraries and Customer Service, 8408 0479

  • Completing a hardcopy feedback from any Library/Service Centre at Stirling, Gumeracha or Woodside

Please provide your feedback by 4pm on Wednesday 19 April.

Update June 2023

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback in this consultation.

Council endorsed new opening hours on 9 May 2023, which including the following changes from the original proposal in response to community feedback:

  • Gumeracha – changes to the Thursday opening time to 12pm – 5pm and the Saturday opening time to 11am - 2pm to provide more opportunities for families and children to use the library.
  • Woodside – changes to the Thursday opening time to 11am – 7pm to provide more opportunities for people to attend the library after business hours.

Full details of the new opening hours, which will come into effect on 1 July 2023, are available on our website https://www.ahc.sa.gov.au/community/latest-news/new-library-opening-times-from-1-july



We are reviewing the opening hours of our three Libraries in Stirling, Woodside and Gumeracha and would like to know what you think.

Our research shows that there are opportunities to change the opening hours to better suit community demand and improve our service delivery.

  • At Stirling, we are proposing to open on Mondays from 10am to 6pm and close one hour earlier on Thursday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays.

  • At Woodside, we are proposing to change the Thursday opening hours to 10am to 6pm (from 9am to 8pm) and close one hour earlier on Saturdays.

  • At Gumeracha, we are proposing to consolidate the staffed hours to open four days a week rather than six. This would mean we are open on Monday 9am – 2pm, Tuesday 12pm – 5pm, Thursday 9am – 2pm and Saturday 10am – 1pm. We would be open Wednesdays from 9am – 2pm for library self-service.

Check out the document library for the current and proposed opening hours for each branch.


Rationale for Changes

Analysis of library usage across all branches over the last two years shows that some of our current opening hours are quiet and not highly used by the community.

  • At Stirling, the quietest times are Thursday nights from 7-8pm (average of 5 people in) and Saturdays and Sundays from 4-5pm (average of 11 people in on both days)
  • At Woodside, the quietest times are also Thursday nights from 6-8pm (average less than 5 people in) and on Saturdays from 1-2pm (average of 4 people in).

Closing earlier at these quieter times means we could open on Mondays at Stirling within our existing resources. We have received feedback for a number of years that the Stirling Library should be open Mondays, noting that Stirling is our busiest site with approximately 80% of annual loans and visitation.

There are a number of reasons for the proposed changes to the opening hours at Gumeracha.

  • We would like to offer longer staffed periods – rather than the current three hours per day – so that staff can better support customers with library enquiries and services. This is reinforced with analysis of the current opening hours which shows that self-service times are much quieter than staffed periods
  • Aligning the opening hours to the activities and services available at the Gumeracha ‘hub’, for example kindergym on Monday mornings, community centre programs and the History Centre opening hours
  • Analysis shows that usage is much lower during self-service periods
  • Offering self-service on one day – Wednesdays from 9am - 2pm – rather than either side of the staff periods as in the current opening hours

Providing feedback

  • Preferably using the online feedback form below

  • Phoning Jess Charlton, Manager Libraries and Customer Service, 8408 0479

  • Completing a hardcopy feedback from any Library/Service Centre at Stirling, Gumeracha or Woodside

Please provide your feedback by 4pm on Wednesday 19 April.