Overall: Basic. Nappy change and toilets only. Clean.
Good Points: Clean. Nappy change table. Rubbish bin. Sink, soap and hand dryer. Door locks from the inside.
Bad Points: Hard to find, as there’s no sign on the door to indicate a change table available. Narrow hallway to the toilet, with a narrow doorway leading inside. It’s next to the elevator, past the security gateway, so borrow books first before heading to the loos.
The kids section of the Castle Hill Library is magical. I love going there, sitting in the giant wooden castle with my little one and reading a pile of books together while we lay on cushions. It’s beautiful. However, the same can’t be said for the baby change facilities.
For a start, the toilets aren’t well sign posted, but they’re next to the elevator (just in case you’re wondering). Now before you head to the loos, make sure you’ve borrowed the books in your hands otherwise the alarms will go off, as you have to walk through the security gateway to get to the toilets. That would not make for a fun visit to the library, or the loo.
Once you’ve borrowed what you and your little ones want, head in the direction of the elevator. Once past the security gateway, to the left is a narrow hallway and on the right of this hallway is the disabled toilet. Although it doesn’t have a sign on the front to say so, inside you’ll find the baby change table. It’s pretty clean, and the safety straps are intact. Underneath the table there’s a general rubbish bin for nappy disposal (rather than a proper hygienic nappy disposal bin). The toilet has assistance rails, that will come in handy for little ones who are using the loo. The sink, soap and hand dryer are a bit out of reach of little hands, so some assistance may be required.
That’s pretty much it. For such a fabulous library I had expected more for parents in baby change/parent room facilities. For feeding your little one, I’d suggest finding a nice quiet cosy corner of the library (again, the kids area is gorgeous), or heading to the cafe in the library. The only other alternative is the dodgy parent room down on level 1. The last time we saw that, it was the one of the most horrible, uninviting places we’d been in. So enjoy your visit to the library, but be prepared for not being able to feed in private.