I joined the oldest and most overlooked library in my town – and it feels like being part of a secret club

‘There are many Mechanics’ Institutes still in existence around Australia, but only a handful left have a lending library,’ writes Dellaram Vreeland. Photograph: Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop

I love my local libraries. I adore the staff, the ambience, the facilities and the free wifi. As a freelancer, hot-desking without needing to pay a dime is my cup of tea.

The local government-run library network in Ballarat is made up of three branches and provides a number of outreach programs. It has more than 30,000 members. This is great for ongoing funding, but not so great if you’re burning to read a particular book. Often, when I seek out a popular fiction title, it’s not on the shelf and I’ll have to wait weeks for it to be returned. That some readers, myself included, don’t always return their books on time may also have something to do with this.