Our finance & Our grants

Ocean Grove Library

Library Coordinator:

Georgia Carter (July – Sept 2020) / Andrew Milne (Sept 2020 – current)

Over the year we adjusted to new ways of connecting with our community: Click & Collect and Click & Deliver continue to provide for the community when we’re closed. The team used readers’ advisory skills to provide the community with targeted borrowing.

The concierge process was tricky for some staff and customers to adapt to, but we’re grateful for everyone’s patience.

Children’s programs and outreach services recommenced with children from Ocean Grove Primary School and local kindergartens visiting regularly.

Another highlight was the booked-out talk with Dorothy Johnston about her Writers’ Mentor program for new and aspiring authors.

Waurn Ponds Library

Library Coordinator: Olivia Simaitis

For Waurn Ponds, one of the most satisfying periods of 2020 was the August/September lockdown knowing that we could provide a Click & Deliver service to our customers even if our doors weren’t open. Together with hold requests, library staff used reader advisory and literary skills to choose materials on behalf of our customers. 591 bundles were collated at Waurn Ponds Library and delivered to homes contact-free. We were so pleased to receive lovely feedback about this service – our community appreciated reading some old favourites, as well as being introduced to new authors and genres.

In subsequent lockdowns, Waurn Ponds provided 1,556 bundles for the Click & Collect service.

Torquay Library

Library Coordinator: Sandi McNeilly

The local community embraced the Click & Deliver and Click & Collect services, and we were grateful for the assistance of the Surf Coast Shire with deliveries to customers.

The easing of restrictions saw the return of many familiar faces to regular programs such as Scrabble Club and Book Chat and lots of new faces with the resumption of Baby Time. We were lucky enough to have some local authors participate in school holiday programs and book launches.

During the year the children and youth areas were rearranged to maximise and improve the use of space – there is room for programs, a lounge space, cosy nook for juniors, and new furniture to create some additional spaces for quiet study time.

Queenscliff Library

Branch Librarian: Hilary Stennett

In December of 2020, after extensive preparations, Queenscliff Library was relocated to small, temporary quarters in ‘The Tavern’ to allow construction to begin on the new Queenscliffe Hub, that will include the library, Visitor Information Centre and Historical Museum. The co-location in our temporary space has been a practice run for the three organisations which will share the Hub. Occasionally people wander in looking for a meal!

A small targeted collection has kept the service operating, and the rest of the collection is stored at the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre and is available on request.