In 2015, Australia’s oldest public library, the State Library Victoria in Melbourne, announced an AU$88.1 million redevelopment of its spaces and services.

This report, produced by researchers at the University of Melbourne, in partnership with State Library Victoria, examines the redevelopment at its inception – after it has been imagined and planned, but before it has been implemented.

The research situates the State Library’s redevelopment within the broader economic and cultural shifts shaping the public life of cities and citizens globally in a digital era. Drawing on interviews with professional staff and users of the State Library, as well as an online user survey, this report highlights how these broad shifts are impacting upon the Library and reshaping its public role.