Librarian Katherine Mitchell‘s experience at Parramatta Library from 1960s as a library staff member. Interview was recorded in 2015.
Hello, Katherine once again, a little bit about this building. I started at this library when I was 19 and I had pretty much just finished in high school and I was going to start doing a course. This was a one level building and it had very much a nice community feel but it was really compact compared to how it is today and of course no technology but it had a lovely old, well it had the first automated card library management system where we would use transaction cards which was really time consuming and clumsy - nothing like today - but you know once again it had lovely books, a great collection, and a nice community feel. The end part of the building, it was only one level, was the collection development center, so cataloguing and processing books and you know buying books and down this part of the library was our collection with our customer service, you know, area right in the middle, so there was a reference part of the library so it had everything you needed but you know it was pretty small scale. I know a little bit also about the entrance to the library because I actually worked on that. If you have a look at the indigenous signage or you know the pattern above the library - because up until then you know libraries were very low-key so they didn't really advertise themselves - so you know we decided that we would put a big library sign up so people would actually know that we were here.
Neera Sahni, Research Services Leader, Parramatta Heritage Centre, City of Parramatta 2021