ALC leaves campus, new library opens

Australian Lutheran College’s (ALC) library has reopened at its new Adelaide CBD premises at 22 Pulteney Street.

The relocation of the huge ALC collection is a result of the sale of the North Adelaide ALC campus and LCANZ Churchwide Office (CWO) buildings. College and CWO staff will relocate to the new Church House at 139 Frome Street, Adelaide, this year. However, the Frome Street building, like most in the Adelaide CBD, is not constructed to carry the weight of large library collections, which necessitated finding an alternative site for the library.

Moving the library to the new premises began in May and was completed by the end of June. The new site, located above Target on the corner of Pulteney and Rundle streets, opened to visitors on 1 July. Information on how to find the library, opening times, public transport and parking options for visitors is available from the ALC website at https://alc.edu.au/assets/library/ALC-library-flyer.pdf

Sadly, ALC’s Director of Library Services over the past 10 years, Shaun Lancaster, did not have the chance to be part of the reopening, as he died suddenly on 24 June.

Meanwhile, following months of planning and preparation, ALC staff have completed their move off of the North Adelaide campus, handing the property encompassing Hebart Hall, Graebner Hall, Hamann Hall and the Lohe Memorial Library back to the LCANZ on 30 June, in preparation for its change to new private ownership on 1 July.

Due to settlement arrangements, the remainder of the campus, including the student centre, squash courts and townhouses on Archer Street, will be maintained by ALC for a further 12 months.

After a century of Lutheran theological education at the North Adelaide site, ALC staff ramped up the clearing out of campus offices and rooms in May. Surplus items were collected and taken away for repurposing, with many church groups benefitting from ALC’s need to downsize. Musical instruments, including five pianos and a chamber organ, were removed from the campus and rehomed.

A small group of current and former ALC staff gathered on the ‘Sacred Lawn’ at the North Adelaide campus, on 26 June, for a final time of reflection and a brief service of thanksgiving for the years at the site, led by ALC Principal, Rev Dr Tim Stringer.

ALC staff will work remotely until the fit-out of Church House is complete, with the new library being used as a temporary ‘home base’ to supplement working-from-home arrangements.