This library's Custom built

Customs House is a fine old historic building in Circular Quay. I've called in before, but only today did I experience the full majesty of the service it offers.

It's now a City of Sydney public library, but it's the most welcoming library that any visitor or tourist could ever hope for. Especially on a wet summer day like today.



I've browsed the newspaper collection in the past, and it's the best public collection of Australian and international ones in the country. There's now a similarly fine array of magazines, lots of fiction and non-fiction books, and a rather magnificent old reading room.

It's also got a Sydney city scale model under the ground level glass floor.

And better still, all kinds of interesting exhibitions, like the 'India's Disappearing Railways' photographic display, featuring the work of recently deceased photographer Angus McDonald.

For its first 150 years the fine old building housed the Customs Service, and I'm sure it did a good job. It's doing an excellent job too as a drop-in library.