State Librarian loves Macksville Library’s makeover
Published on 05 August 2026
State Library of New South Wales representatives visited Macksville Library on Wednesday 29 July to see its refurbished spaces and officially re-open the library.
Nambucca Valley Mayor Gary Lee attended the event and he said the library’s improved spaces, floor coverings, and new furniture gave the library a modern feel.
“Today marks an important milestone of our community as we celebrate the completion of a significant improvement to the Macksville Library,” he said.
“On behalf of Nambucca Valley Council, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for this investment from the State Library of New South Wales.
“This funding has enabled us to create a more modern, accessible and welcoming library that will continue to serve the people of the Nambucca Valley and surrounding communities for years to come.”
Macksville Library was closed for the refurbishment from late December 2025 until mid-February 2026. The library was refurbished through a $346,224 Public Library Infrastructure Grant from the State Library of New South Wales and upgrading its interior met the objective of improving community infrastructure and promoting connectedness and well-being in Council’s Delivery Program and Operational Plan.
State Librarian, Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon, congratulated the library team for delivering the excellent refurbishment.
“I congratulate the library team and Council for making these great improvements and for creating an even more engaging, welcoming space for members and the community to visit,” she said.
“A library card, in my opinion, is the best and the coolest type of membership card you can have in NSW and it is well funded by the State and Local Governments.
“Libraries provide warmth, they provide friendliness and they are an oasis for people, in what is sometimes a fractured world…we know libraries are the centre-piece of our social and democratic lives and we have done a piece of research recently, which provided the data to prove this.
“The report launched by the NSW Treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, titled Balancing the Books: The value of the State Library of NSW and NSW public libraries showed that over half of NSW residents (59%) have engaged with their public library in the last 12 months.”
Stay up-to-date on Nambucca Libraries events by following their pages on Facebook and Instagram. You can also learn what’s on from Council’s website.
The report Balancing the Books: The value of the State Library of NSW and NSW public libraries is available here.
ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES TO:
Mr David Moloney
ACTING GENERAL MANAGER
02 6568 2555
DATE: 8 August 2026