Wednesday evening trial at Laidley Library comes to an end

The trial of a late-night service at Laidley Library has concluded, with Council discontinuing the option due to low demand.

Following a review of the low Saturday morning and weekday afternoon patronage throughout 2025, Councillors approved a six-month trial of a Wednesday evening service, taking effect on 1 January 2026.

Libraries and Galleries Portfolio Councillor, Julie Reck said patronage of the late-night Wednesday service was unfortunately, even lower.

“Instead of opening on Saturday mornings, we trialled a Wednesday evening, opening until 6pm, to allow for workers to visit on their way home, or families to visit before dinner.

“Saturday’s hours at the facility really plummeted after the COVID-19 pandemic and sadly, didn’t pick back up.

“We’ve done our best to ensure the facility has after-hours availability, but feedback has shown the vast majority of library users were able to access the service throughout the week.

“For example, the average patronage for Saturday mornings in Laidley (when those were running) was 32 patrons, whereas the average Saturday patronage at Gatton this year is more than 350 visitors per Saturday.

“When we trialled the Wednesday evening service, on seven occasions there was only one family, and four weeks had no visitors at all.

“This trial was always about finding a financially sustainable way to continue offering services the community values but it’s just not viable, both financially and logistically, to continue – the demand isn’t there.

“The community can be assured the Laidley Library will continue to offer access to books, digital resources, community programs, and free Wi-Fi for residents, while remaining a welcoming space for reading, learning, and connecting,” Cr Reck said.

From 1 July 2026, the Laidley Library opening hours will align with the Laidley Customer Contact Centre, being 9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.