Getting to the Library

Parking

• We have 8 accessible parking spaces in the car park off Parkes Place West. Signage and road markers indicate these areas.

Taxi pick up /drop off

• A pick up/set down area for taxis and private vehicles is off Parkes Place West.

Ramps

• You can access the building by the ramp on the south side of the building. Alternatively, to arrange entry from Lower Ground Floor 2, off Parkes Place, you can contact security on 02 6262 1376.

Entrance

• There are 15 stone steps leading to the front entrance. The steps have handrails that are lit at night.
• Automatic doors provide access to the Foyer, Main Reading Room and exhibition galleries.
• All other Ground Floor areas, including the Bookshop and Bookplate café, are accessible through open doorways.

At the Library

Mobility

• Wheelchairs are available free of charge from the information desk.
• Accessible toilets are located on the Ground Floor and Lower Ground Floor.
• Height adjustable desks are available in all reading rooms and computing areas.
• Various seating options are available in each space of the library.

Lifts

• Lifts are located behind the information desk and access all public areas.

Facilities

• We have a dedicated parents room on the Lower Ground Floor equipped with a feeding chair, microwave, nappy vending machine and sink.
• Public lockers are located on the Lower Ground Floor.
• Drinks and snacks vending machines are available on the Lower Ground Floor.
• Water fountains are available in the Foyer, Forecourt and Cafés.
• Public pay phones are located on the Lower Ground Floor.

Visual aids

In the Main Reading Room, you can use:

• Optelec Clearview C video magnifier for magnifying images onto a computer screen
• JAWS screen-reading software (available on one computer) - due to the complexity of JAWS prior knowledge is needed
• Trackball mouse
• On screen magnification
• 2 Vision Australia keyboards for use by people with low vision
• 2 sit/stand desks.

Hearing aids

If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, please contact us through one of the following methods:

• National Relay Service TTY: 133 677
• National Relay Service Chat Call
• National Relay Service Captions Call
• Speak and Listen: 1300 555 727.

The Theatre on the Lower Ground Floor is fitted with a hearing induction loop for improved sound quality for visitors with hearing aids.

Hearing loops are also available in the Conference Room and the Ferguson Room.

BindiMaps Navigation

We've made getting around the library easier for everyone. BindiMaps is an indoor navigation app designed to help people who are blind or have low vision to move around the building safely and independently. It also makes navigation simple for wheelchair users, people with mobility aids and those using prams.

BindiMaps is a mobile-phone app that guides you to your destination with audio direction. It also offers visual maps and is compatible with screen-readers, making it accessible to all users.

200 Bluetooth beacons are installed throughout the Library's public areas to help BindiMaps guide you to exactly where you want to go.

Download the BindiMaps app

Website accessibility

Our website is designed to meet the Australian Government standards for accessibility, including to Level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 (WCAG 2.1).

We regularly test our website against these guidelines, and all new contracts include accessibility as a key performance measure. In 2022, Vision Australia audited our website, confirming it meets all Level A and Level AA criteria of the WCAG 2.1 standards.

If you find anything on our site that isn't accessible or if you have trouble accessing our content, please let us know.