Bassendean Memorial Library
Bassendean Memorial Library in Perth’s eastern suburbs offers a bright children’s section. It features a model Thomas train fans will enjoy as well as a selection of toys.
Out and about recently, we dropped into Bassendean Memorial Library for some quiet time. My daughter loves reading and this was a great place to stop. We found a spacious children’s section at the rear of the library.
On walking in, I had a geek girl moment as we spotted a Tardis in the foyer. An exciting discovery for any Dr Who fan!
The first thing Miss 5 spotted was Thomas the Tank Engine. He’s quite tall for a model, so a staff member has popped a little IKEA step next to him. He has a little seating space at the back where you’d expect a train to have coal. Perhaps this has been used to store books in the past. This is also the perfect size for toddlers and preschoolers to perch and read a book or pose for a photo. Miss 5 was a little too big for it now. Being all legs, she looked more like a spider in a match box sitting in there! It’s lovely to see the train theme of the suburb included here. The library is close to the train station, so you can hear the trains coming and going.
We found a quiet space at the very back with chairs, which I suspect is used for Rhyme Time and Story Time sessions. Here, we found a tub full of blocks suited to small children and another full of soft toys. Miss 5 enjoyed exploring the soft toys especially.
We found tables and chairs along one wall. These would be used as craft tables for Story Time sessions, suited to 2 to 5 year olds, and perhaps LEGO League as well. As our visit was in school holidays, we found they’d recently been used for colouring in, with paper sheets left out for children to fill in.
This children’s space is bright and colourful, as you’d expect for children. Large windows will the rear wall of the library. These allow lots of natural light in addition to lighting in colourful shades. Picture books are abundantly available wooden shelves and bins along the window and the middle of the room.
Board books for toddlers are shelved in another spot to the right with a large comfy arm chair and soft ottomans.
Above this toddler section we found a selection of useful books. These ‘Yellow Dot Books’ cover a range of important subjects such as family relationships, going to school and making friends. Browsing through, I spotted titled on potty training, autism and dealing with emotions such as sadness.
Further along this section of shelving, we found selection of early readers. Great if you’ve for a reading lover you want to encourage. Miss 5 was pleased to see they had a selection of Billie B Brown and Hey Jack books, Dr Seuss and Grug books, some of her favourites. There was even a selection of dyslexia friendly books, which I can’t say I’ve noticed at a library before.
Exploring the children’s section of Bassendean Memorial Library I found an large tweens and teens section. This is set behind the shelving for non-fiction kids books and adjacent to the adults section, so older kids down have to feel like they’re visiting the “babies” section. It’s still close enough you can make sure they’re not up to mischief, but they’ll feel like they have a bit more independence. There was a good range of titles, including some authors I loved (okay, that I still love!) such as Isobelle Carmody and Terry Pratchett for example.
In addition to the books, we found a decent selection of audio books and DVDs to borrow. The audio books in particular would be great to loan for bedtime or long car trips. Likewise, the DVDs would be handy for movie nights or school holiday entertainment. More so if you don’t have the luxury of streaming media like Netflix.
If, for instance, you’re looking at taking your little ones to the library more often, Rhyme Time sessions currently run on Wednesday mornings in school term, while Storytime for 2 to 5 year olds runs on Thursdays. Similarly, LEGO League sessions with BRICKS 4 KIDS will run after school on Mondays. Check the Bassendean Memorial Library events page for more information.
In conclusion of our visit, we were delighted to see more of the vibrant street art of the area. We spotted a cute bunny girl on the wall of the beauty salon across the street. We also found the family dog is also welcome to visit. There is a lovely shady spot around the corner with a big water dish for them to chill out and wait while you swap your books. There’s even some painted pups for company.
Bassendean Memorial Library
Located at 46 Old Perth Road, Bassendean.
Bassendean Memorial Library is open 9am to 8pm Monday and Tuesday, 9am to 6pm Wednesday to Friday, and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. Closed Sundays and public holidays.
Why not combine a trip to the library with coffee for you and ice cream for the kids? Bamb Binos Coffee & Ice Creamery is conveniently across the street. Check out our review here.
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Holly Clark is currently a stay at home mum of one, a self-confessed coffee addict and a baker of sweet treats. She studied Professional Writing and Editing, and occasionally writes on her recipe blog, Lucky Star’s Kitchen
