riverina regional library annual report
2017-2018
bland coolamon cootamundra-gundagai federation greater hume junee lockhart snowy valleys temora wagga wagga
R R L
riverina regional library annual report
2017-2018 1
About Us The Riverina Regional Library (RRL) is the largest regional library services in NSW. It provides library services to approximately 139,508 constituents of 10 local government areas. The service consists of 18 static library branches, 3 deposit stations, and a mobile library that serves 27 communities in 7 Council areas. Riverina Regional Library 2 Galing Place PO Box 5186 WAGGA WAGGA NSW 2650 T: 02 6926 9771 F: 02 6926 9779 E: rrl1@wagga.nsw.gov.au W: www.rrl.nsw.gov.au Acknowledgements Edited, designed and produced by: Karen Wendt, Business & Communications Coordinator, RRL Printed by: Active Design and Print, Wagga Wagga
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Contents RRL Advisory Committee Chairperson Report
4
RRL Advisory Committee
5
RRL Administration Centre Staff
6
RRL Branch Library Staff
7-9
RRL Executive Director Report
10-11
Business and Communications
12
Outreach and Promotions
13
Support and eServices
14
RRL Mobile Library
15
Vision 2020: Maintaining Relevant Libraries
16
eSmart Libraries Accreditation
17
Robert Knight OAM
17
Collection Maintenance
18
Mobile Library
19
RRL Branch Libraries:
20-21
Adelong Library
22-23
Batlow Library
24-25
Bland Shire Library
26-27
Coolamon Library
28-29
Cootamundra Library
30-31
Corowa Library
32-33
Culcairn Library
34-35
Gundagai Library
36-37
Henty Library
38-39
Holbrook Library
40-41
Howlong Library
42-43
Junee Library
44-45
Mulwala Library
46-47
Talbingo Library
48-49
Temora Library
50-51
Tumbarumba Library
52-53
Tumut Library
54-55
Wagga Wagga City Library
56-61
RRL Statistics 2017-2018
62-65 3
RRL Advisory Committee Chairperson Report I am pleased to have the opportunity to provide an introduction to the Riverina Regional Library (RRL) Annual Report for 2017-2018. As RRL enters its 40th year of service, there have been a number of strategic revitalisations to take the organisation into the next stages of library service provision. The current RRL Integrated Planning Strategy was finalised this year and new strategic priorities (build capacity, shape the future, and create connections) were developed alongside organisational objectives that will form the basis of focussed and forward-thinking business activities over the next four years. A comprehensive review of the RRL Deed of Agreement was undertaken, resulting in a number of amendments to better reflect and clarify the various operational changes across the organisation, and Wagga Wagga City Council was re-appointed as Executive Council for a further four years, continuing an exceedingly successful arrangement that has been in place since RRL’s inception in 1978.
RRL has adopted a number of strategic revitalisations to take the organisation into the next stages of library service provision.
RRL jumped on the iCloud bandwagon and transitioned to an offsite Library Management System hosting service which will offer great advantages in security of information as well as technological support and maintenance. RRL staff have responded to the ever-increasing desire for more programs in RRL branch libraries with a two-pronged approach of increasing capacity at branch level by providing training in program delivery, as well as the development of multi-generational programs (prepared by RRL staff ) that can be easily adapted to suit any age group. Congratulations are in order for Robert Knight, who was elected as 2018 Vice President of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Robert will transition to the role of President of the Association in 2019. Robert was also awarded an OAM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for service to the library and information sciences sector. A highly merited honour indeed! Robert’s dedication and passion for library services is supported and shared by the entire RRL team, branch library staff, and member Councils who, together, are an exemplar of service collaboration for the benefit of their communities. The RRL Annual Report tells the story of the many and varied services that RRL Administration Centre and branch library staff have brought to the people of the region and I thoroughly commend it to you. Cr Dallas Tout Chairperson, RRL Advisory Committee
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RRL Advisory Committee Ms Adele Casey (Executive Committee) Cr Jan Wyse (Executive Committee)
Mr Tony Donoghue Cr Kerrilee Logan Ms Courtney Armstrong Mr Allen Dwyer Cr Leigh Bowden Ms Penny Howse
BLAND SHIRE COUNCIL
COOLAMON SHIRE COUNCIL
COOTAMUNDRA-GUNDAGAI REGIONAL COUNCIL
Ms Kristy Kay (Executive Committee) Cr Gail Law Cr Bronwyn Thomas Mr David Smith Cr Denise Osborne Ms Susan Kane Mr James Davis Cr Pam Halliburton (Deputy Chairperson) Mr David Koren
FEDERATION COUNCIL
GREATER HUME SHIRE COUNCIL
JUNEE SHIRE COUNCIL
Mr Peter Veneris Cr Greg Verdon Cr Ian Marston
LOCKHART SHIRE COUNCIL
Ms Kristin Twomey Cr Cate Cross
SNOWY VALLEYS COUNCIL
Mr Steve Firth Cr Dennis Sleigh Cr Max Oliver Mr Peter Thompson Cr Dallas Tout (Chairperson) Cr Dan Hayes Cr Rod Kendall Cr Yvonne Braid (Executive Committee) Cr Vanessa Keenan
TEMORA SHIRE COUNCIL
WAGGA WAGGA CITY COUNCIL
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RRL Administration Centre Staff RIVERINA REGIONAL LIBRARY ORGANISATIONAL CHART July 2017 Executive Director (35 hours)
Support & eServices Coordinator (35 hours)
Business & Communications Coordinator (35 hours)
Support & eServices Officer (35 hours)
Mobile Library Supervisor (35 hours)
Internal Delivery Service Officer (23 hours)
Support & eServices Development Officer (35 hours)
Mobile Library Operator (9 hours)
Internal Delivery Service Officer (17 hours)
Outreach & Promotions Coordinator (35 hours)
Business Support Officer (35 hours)
Children’s & Youth Services Librarian (35 hours)
Outreach & Promotions Development Officer (28 hours)
Outreach & Promotions Officer (35 hours)
Collection Services Officer (35 hours)
Support Services Officer (35 hours)
RIVERINA REGIONAL LIBRARY Robert Knight
Executive Director BUSINESS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Karen Wendt Wendy Callis Kim McLaren Louise Pearce Doug Simpson
Business & Communications Coordinator Business Support Officer Internal Delivery Service Officer - Temporary Internal Delivery Service Officer Internal Delivery Service Officer OUTREACH AND PROMOTIONS
Amy Heap Tracey Luhrs Cynthia Price Sharon Smith
Outreach & Promotions Coordinator Outreach & Promotions Officer Outreach & Promotions Development Officer Children’s & Youth Services Librarian SUPPORT AND ESERVICES
Brian Plummer Howard Atkinson Michael Ellis Garry Forde Helen Graetz Lynn Hackett Clare Morey Kaylene Nisbet
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Support & eServices Coordinator Mobile Library Operator Mobile Library Supervisor Mobile Library Operator - Casual Relief Staff Support & eServices Officer Collection Services Officer Support & eServices Development Officer Support Services Officer
RRL Branch Library Staff ADELONG LIBRARY Jessica Campbell
Library Assistant BATLOW LIBRARY
Robert Beegling
Library Assistant BLAND LIBRARY
Cathy Lange Lisa Thompson Tracey Lees
Senior Library Officer Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff COOLAMON LIBRARY
Helen McLoughlin Laura Higgins Jessica Inch
Library Manager Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff COOTAMUNDRA LIBRARY
Penny Howse Lynne Thorburn Leanne Jones Rochelle Nicholls Kerry Byrne Anne Condon Alison Knagge Paula Shields
Library Manager Library Services Officer Library Assistant Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff
COROWA LIBRARY Louise Parr Kristy Critelli Nicole Raleigh Lyn Ashford Chris Boyd
Library Team Leader Library Assistant Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff CULCAIRN LIBRARY
Susan Kane Emily Jones Tarran Slatter Jenny Whitlock Deborah Cotter Alison Herbst Mitchell O’Keefe Jeanette Ross Andrea Simmons
Library & Youth Services Development Officer Customer Service, Library & Youth Trainee Library Assistant Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff
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RRL Branch Library Staff GUNDAGAI LIBRARY Cindy Smith Robin Horst Leanne Sheahan Linda Wood
Library & Community Services Manager Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff HENTY LIBRARY
Susan Kane Emily Jones Deborah Cotter Alison Herbst Mitchell O’Keefe Jeanette Ross Andrea Simmons Jill Thiele
Library & Youth Services Development Officer Customer Service, Library & Youth Trainee Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff
HOLBROOK LIBRARY Alison Cowie Dominique Heriot
Library Assistant in Charge Library Assistant HOWLONG LIRARY
Nyree-Anne Wiggins Kristy Critelli
Library & Customer Service Officer Casual Relief Staff JUNEE LIBRARY
Kim Richards Matthew Glass Margaret Kanaley Linda Dyer Robyn Futcher Sue Preston Kiara Longmore
Librarian in Charge Library Assistant Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff School Based Trainee
MULWALA LIBRARY Jenny Orr Faye Glover Nicole Raleigh Kristy Critelli
Library & Customer Service Officer Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff TALBINGO LIBRARY
Shirlee Whiting Christina Gould
Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff TEMORA LIBRARY
Eileen England Ros Langford Karin Walker Sharee Steward
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Librarian in Charge Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff
RRL Branch Library Staff TUMBARUMBA LIBRARY Vicki Hulm Kathy Stewart Jacinda Arnold Sarah Rial
Library Team Leader Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff TUMUT LIBRARY
Kristin Twomey Leanne Ballard Sharon Thatcher Rhonda Twomey Wendy Webb
Coordinator Library Services Library Assistant Library Assistant Library Assistant Library Assistant WAGGA WAGGA CITY LIBRARY
Claire Campbell Manager Library Services Circulation & Facilities Team Vacant Information Services Librarian Mahsa Nikzad Team Leader - Information, Literacy & Learning Kate Webber Senior Circulation and Facility Officer Sarah Hofsteede Information Assistant Marc Evans Library Assistant Michelle Lubke Library Assistant Simon Malloy Library Assistant Jenny Mansell Library Assistant Diane New Library Assistant (Language Cafe) Mahsa Nikzad Library Assistant (Language Cafe) Saturday Circulation Team Monique Shephard Team Leader Matt Dombrovski Library Assistant Cassandra Ward Library Assistant Programs, Promotions and Partnerships Team Christine Bolton Team Leader - Programs, Promotions & Partnerships Peter Casey Programs Officer Jeannie Hazell Programs Officer Michael Scutti Programs Officer Wendy Harper Programs Officer Library Casuals Sam Bannister Casual Relief Staff Matthew Griffin Casual Relief Staff Kristin Molloy Casual Relief Staff Diane New Casual Relief Staff Volunteers Friends of the Library - 20 Home Library - 15 Language Cafe - 40 Work for the Dole Placements - 2 Work Experience & Duke of Edinburgh Students - 6
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RRL Executive Director Report As another financial year comes to a close, the largest regional library in NSW enters a new phase of service delivery that focuses on building capacity, creating connections and shaping the future. These strategic objectives form the basis of activities throughout the current year and the Riverina Regional Library (RRL) Integrated Planning Strategy over the next four years. To support these objectives, RRL once again engaged The Customer Connection to conduct a Voice of Our Customers survey during early February 2018. The survey gauged the performance of RRL in various areas of service provision and returned an overall satisfaction rating of 100% (ratings of very good or excellent). An important quality assurance tool, the survey also uncovered a desire for more programs and visits to branch libraries. These opportunities have been included in an action plan for 2018-2019.
Our communities rely on so much more than access to information and leisure reading; as important as those things are.
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The RRL Administration Centre has been giving increasingly closer attention to succession planning over the past 12 months. With an ageing workforce that has an average age of 54 years for permanent staff, it is critical to the future prosperity of the organisation that a plan is in place to ensure that the organisation’s corporate knowledge, skills and experience are captured and retained insofar as possible, and that processes and procedures are shared and documented. The establishment of an effective Staff Succession Plan and the ongoing capacity for organisation-wide adaptability will be critical success factors in ensuring that RRL is well positioned to manage the organisational change associated with the turnover of more than onethird of its staff members over the next five years. After spending a number of years surveying staff and customers, adapting policies and procedures, training staff, and providing cybersafety programs for customers, the final pieces of evidence were submitted, and RRL attained eSmart status. This status (a framework supported by Telstra and the Alannah & Madeline Foundation) acknowledges that RRL is equipped to support its customers to use technology in a smart, safe and responsible way. RRL was pleased to host library design guru, Kevin Hennah, who delivered a presentation at the RRL branch library meeting in April 2018. This was a wonderful opportunity for branch library staff to gain from Kevin’s wealth of knowledge and receive advice on how to maximise productivity of space, improve presentation and maintain relevance for libraries. Kevin also visited five RRL library branches during his time in the region.
A number of branches across the region, as well as the RRL Administration Centre, were awarded activation grants from the Australian Government initiative, Be Connected, to promote digital inclusion for older Australians. These grants were used to purchase new hardware, such as desk top computers, tablets and Virtual Reality equipment, for branch and RRL staff to deliver digital literacy programs to Australians over the age of 50. The importance and popularity of programs for all ages in public libraries continues to grow. Literacy and learning, science, reading related, technology classes and maker style programs are all being provided in our branch libraries. Communities rely on public libraries for so much more than access to information and leisure reading, as important as those things are. The RRL Outreach and Promotions team developed a number of programs this year that are targeted for specific age groups as well as programs that are adaptable for presentation to multiple age groups. Highlights include the group of older men in Cootamundra who learned how to design 3D objects for printing use Tinkercad, as well as the Snowy Mountains people who prepared for Christmas by rolling beeswax candles, marbling paper to wrap them, and decorating jars as gifts. RRL made the transition from an in-house/on premise installation of the Libero Library Management System (LMS), to a cloud based ‘hosted’ environment in June 2018. RRL has been the principal Australian beta-test site for the Libero LMS since 1996 and during this period has played a very active role in shaping the on-going development of the product. As Information Technology becomes more technical and more specific and as new products are adopted and integrated into others, it become less and less viable for RRL to manage these products in-house. The hosted environment provides great advantages from a security perspective and for RRL’s succession planning and future proofing strategy. The RRL Support & eServices team continued its focus on the Collection Maintenance Strategy during 20172018. The main objectives of the strategy are to ensure that the RRL regional collection remains up-to-date, relevant, presented in good condition, and accessible to library members through consistent and judicious application of collection maintenance principles in all libraries across the RRL network. Ongoing attention to this important aspect of library operations is integral to ensuring that members are receiving the highest quality items. Targeted, evidence-based weeding of collections throughout the year has ensured that the objectives for contemporary library collections (as stated above) were applied. It was my great honour to be elected unopposed as 2018 Vice President of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) which will transition into the role of President of the Association in 2019. ALIA is the national professional organisation for the Australian library and information sector and has been representing the interests of members and the community since 1937. The Association continues to foster a vibrant professional culture while providing expert advice to decision-makers on the profession’s behalf. Looking ahead, RRL is gearing up to celebrate its 40th Anniversary in July 2018. Preparations are underway for a fun-filled, nostalgic event, with staff busy gathering some interesting memorabilia from around the time that RRL was launched in 1978 for inclusion in associated promotional material. As always, I acknowledge the enthusiasm and dedication of the RRL Administration Centre staff who continuously go beyond expectations in their roles to deliver outstanding library services for our region. Similarly, the achievements of staff at the 18 libraries across the region are remarkable for the provision of high quality library services to their communities and the broader regional library network. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the commitment of the 10 member Councils and the RRL Advisory Committee whose support and shared focus for the provision of high quality library services is unwavering. Robert Knight OAM Executive Director Riverina Regional Library
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Business and Communications Adm in
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Inter
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The Business and Communications Division provides administrative support and coordinates organisational procedures to achieve RRL strategic goals and objectives.
rvice
RRL
12
Inte
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Deli
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Outreach and Promotions ices v r e hS
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The Outreach and Promotions Division is responsible for the development and implementation of programs and services to RRL branch libraries.
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Child
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13
Support and eServices Infor
mati
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Colle c eRes
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Serv
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ourc es an
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Mob
ile Li
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brar
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The Support and eServices Division provides information technology, collection and eServices support to RRL branch libraries and the Mobile Library.
RRL Mobile Library
The Mobile Library is a unique and high performing unit in the RRL branch library network. The library visits 27 communities in 7 Council areas, and due to limited storage capacity and frequency of visits, has the highest turnover of stock.
29,301Loans
18,043
Library Visits
48,840
kilometres travelled
6,818
1,591
Library Members
27
Service points
The RRL Mobile Library stops here
Collection Items 15
Vision 2020: Maintaining Relevant Libraries We were very excited to be able to bring library design superstar, Kevin Hennah, to the Riverina for our annual branch meeting in April. Kevin’s mantra is “Change is inevitable. Maintaining relevance is a matter of choice.” Kevin wraps his hard truths about tired libraries and library practices in humour, showing us where we need to change, and how we can achieve great results on a tight budget.
Change is inevitable; maintaining relevance is a matter of choice. As well as inspiring staff with news and images of the very best in library design and branding, Kevin was able to provide consultations to five branches, to help them maximise their space, and make their libraries as appealing as possible. This is not about looking good for the sake of it, but about making our collections more attractive so they are always being borrowed, and our spaces more user friendly, and therefore full of people.
Kevin Hennah
Our libraries are places for everyone in the community; places for books and information, but also for social connection. The increasing demand for programs for all age groups, and spaces for community groups to get together, as well as the continued popularity of reading for information, enjoyment and wellbeing, means that libraries need to keep changing to meet these demands. Maintaining relevance is vital, and Kevin Hennah’s presentations and consultations have inspired us all to make RRL libraries all they can be.
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eSmart Libraries Accreditation eSmart Libraries, an initiative of The Alannah and Madeline Foundation and the Telstra Foundation, is a cybersafety framework designed to equip libraries and connect library users with the skills they need for smart, safe and responsible use of technology. The Riverina Regional Library has been on a journey towards becoming eSmart, and in February 2018, we were accredited as an eSmart Library service. The journey involved training staff and library users in cyber safety, adapting policies to include cyber safety elements, marketing, and community connections. The Riverina Regional Library has worked hard to integrate cyber safety in our daily operations, staff development and organisational culture. Being eSmart means knowing how to guard against security and privacy risks online, download content in a legal and ethical way, research and reference information, and manage reputation and relationships in cyberspace. The next step after accreditation is eSmart Membership, which supports libraries to keep up the great work in promoting cyber safety awareness and educating online users in digital literacy across the whole community. By making the online library experience safer for everyone, eSmart Libraries will give more Australians the opportunity to experience the social and economic benefits of new digital technologies.
Robert Knight OAM RRL Executive Director, Robert Knight, was elected unopposed as 2018 Vice President of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). He will transition into the role of President of the Association in 2019. ALIA is the national professional organisation for the Australian library and information sector. The Association seeks to empower the profession in the development, promotion, and delivery of quality library and information services to the nation through leadership, advocacy, and mutual support. ALIA has been representing the interests of members and the community since 1937 and continues to foster a vibrant professional culture while providing expert advice to decision-makers on the profession’s behalf.
Robert Knight OAM
Robert was also awarded a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division, for service to the library and information sciences sector, in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Robert’s contribution to library services over the past 37 years has been extensive and this well-deserved honour follows the conferring of a NSW Public Libraries Association Life Membership Award in 2012 and a State Library of NSW Honorary Fellow Award in 2014.
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Collection Maintenance The RRL regional collection remains up-to-date, relevant, presented in good condition, and accessible to library members, through the consistent and judicious application of collection maintenance principles in all libraries across the RRL network. Ongoing attention to this important aspect of library operations is integral to ensuring that members are receiving the highest quality items that can be easily located on uncrowded, clean and aesthetically pleasing shelves. During 2017-2018, RRL Administration Centre staff undertook 11 collection maintenance visits to 9 of the region’s 19 branch libraries (including the Mobile Library). These visits included targeted evidencebased weeding of collections to ensure that the objectives for contemporary library collections (as stated above) were applied. Every one of the branch libraries from which identified items were removed from the collection had a lower ‘% for weeding’ (ie, collection items not borrowed for more than 3 years) in January 2018, whilst every branch library that did not have identified items removed from the collection, experienced an increase in ‘% for weeding’ (except Wagga Wagga where library staff undertake an ongoing weeding program). The associated increase in un-borrowed items means that the percentage of shelf space taken up by redundant items continues to grow for every year that collections are not properly maintained.
Ongoing collection maintenance is integral to ensuring that members are receiving the highest quality items that can be easily located on uncrowded, clean and aesthetically pleasing shelves. The Mobile Library is a good example of a well-considered and highly utilised collection. With a collection of only 5,000 items that is required to meet the needs of the full demographic range of 27 communities, there is simply no room for redundant items. Targeted, ongoing, collection maintenance by the Mobile Library Operator, supported by the RRL Administration Centre staff, has resulted in 0% of items not borrowed in the last 3 years. In addition, the Mobile Library has the highest rotation of collection items of all RRL branches. Every item was borrowed 4.9 times against an average of 2.9 across all RRL libraries, or 41% higher than the region-wide average. Collection Maintenance visits to branch libraries do not just consist of removing inactive and damaged stock from the collection. Other tasks that are undertaken include: • • • •
Advising and assisting branch staff with improvements to library layout. Collection re-arrangement to optimise collection use and access. Identification of stock in poor physical condition caused by heavy usage so that replacement copies are purchased. Giving a ‘second life’ to stock that is still in good physical condition but not being used at one branch by transferring it to another location.
Whilst there has been, at times, adverse reactions from a minority of library borrowers to the removal of collection items from branch libraries, the fact remains that our libraries are not museums. And from a purely logical perspective, given that the annual RRL collections budget is around $450,000 per year, and the shelves at some branch libraries are at (or close to) capacity, at least one item needs to be withdrawn for every new item that is added.
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RRL Reading Buddy Program
Mobile Library The mobile library rewarded its loyal members with a free coffee voucher from participating local outlets on the mobile library route. Participating service points included Ardlethan, Jindera, Khancoban and Lockhart. The purpose of this initative was to show appreciation to regular borrowers for their patronage. Travelling around the Riverina, the Mobile Library Operator is fortunate to view some of the beautiful rural landscapes during the changing seasons and often takes the opportunity to compile a collection of photographs that have been used for RRL promotional material and the RRL Annual Report. The Reading Buddy program has been a great success with the mobile library and, on many occasions, all the toys have been out on loan. When returned, they are re-loaned to other school aged children to encourage reading. Similarly, the Library Bingo initiative has also been a success, with most of the competition entries coming from mobile library members. Entrants are required to complete a number of library activities, eg borrow an eBook, as outlined on a bingo card.
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RRL Branch Libraries Adelong Batlow Bland Coolamon Cootamundra Corowa Culcairn Gundagai Henty
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RRL Branch Libraries Holbrook Howlong Junee Mulwala Talbingo Temora Tumbarumba Tumut Wagga Wagga
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Adelong School Borrowing Scheme The Group Borrowing Scheme has continued with St Joseph’s Catholic School. Each month the school bulk borrows picture and chapter books, which remain in classrooms, as a means of supplementing their own library. The service has resulted in an increase in children visiting the library and has created positive talk about Adelong Library within the school community. Each term, students from the two local primary schools, along with the preschool, attend the library for a special Storytime/author visit/health promotion session. These activities have not only been fun but have also resulted in greater patronage by the younger borrowers. Collaborating with local nutritionists who read books and deliver healthy food talks during these sessions, has been a positive addition to the school program. School Holiday Programs School holiday programs continue to be popular with local kids. The Bubble Muffin program was a new one for 2018 and was an interesting take on the healthy eating message. The LEGO school holiday program has proven very popular with local kids. The SVC LEGO kit and LEGO colouring-in sheets formed the basis of the program and are again a fantastic example of what wonderful, engaging and continuously evolving places libraries are in today’s society. Storytime A fabulous Storytime session was facilitated by Riverina Regional Library’s, Sharon Smith. Sharon presented a fantastic Storytime sessions with interactive and fun content which engaged the children. It was fantastic to provide this session to our local families and Pre School. Jessica Campbell Library Assistant Adelong Library
Storytime
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Bubble Muffin Program
813
142
Library Visits
1,978 Loans
Adelong Library Tumut Street ADELONG NSW 2729 02 6946 2270
Library Members
2,349
Collection Items
Snowy Valleys Council Network of Libraries Adelong Batlow Talbingo Tumbarumba Tumut
Opening Hours: Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm (closed for lunch 12:00pm - 1:00pm)
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Batlow New Batlow Library Member for Wagga Wagga, Daryl Maguire, announced during February 2018 that Snowy Valleys Council would receive one million dollars for the New Batlow Library project from the $200 million Stronger Country Communities Fund. Commencing on 9 April 2018, Snowy Valleys Council staff undertook an extensive community consultation program connecting with key library user groups to gain their feedback on the concept plans, as well as holding a public meeting and a pop-up at the current Batlow Library. With the finalisation of consultation on the new Batlow Library, feedback from the community unearthed a number of key changes that needed to be made to the original concept plans to ensure it works cohesively with the Literary Institute Building and for the future of the Batlow community. The new Batlow Library is set to be open to the community in February 2020. Storytime Storytime at Batlow Library continues to go from strength to strength. Regular Storytime sessions are held once a month on Wednesdays, drawing a consistent crowd of enthusiastic families. Individual Storytime sessions are also held during school term for specific school groups as an opportunity to engage with the library environment. Community Involvement Community involvement is a huge part of the Batlow Library’s day to day activities, which includes the very active Knit With Love group - 8 blankets so far this year! Links to the schools, Apple Tree Early Learning Centre and the Batlow Multi-Purpose Service/Hospital, enable the provision of materials for some of our sight impaired members. The library provides information to a the large number of seasonal workers as well as access to Department of Human Services, Medicare, Centrelink and visitor information services. The library also functions as a branch office of the Snowy Valleys Council. Robert Beegling Library Assistant Batlow Library
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Christmas Storytime
14,805
482
Library Visits
6,345 Loans
Batlow Library Pioneer Street BATLOW NSW 2730 02 6949 1315
Library Members
5,432
Collection Items
Snowy Valleys Council Network of Libraries Adelong Batlow Talbingo Tumbarumba Tumut
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm (closed for lunch 1:00pm - 2:00pm)
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Bland Adult Programs Over the past 12 months, Bland Shire Library has continued to promote, coordinate and actively support a variety of adult programs including its Day Book Club, Knit and Knatter knitting group, Needle and Thread needlework group and Pals of the Pen writers group. The library also hosted a variety of events including a number of author visits, touring exhibitions, technology-based information workshops and community fund-raisers. Bland Shire Library prides itself on forming cohesive partnerships within the local community. Hence, staff were thrilled to receive from Evolution Mining a donation of books on grief, which were gratefully accepted. As testimony to the great programs Bland Shire Library provides for its seniors, Bland Shire Council was announced at the NSW Public Libraries Association annual conference (held at Penrith in November), the MAPLs 2017 Winner of the Category: Population Under 10,000 for its project Our Community Our People. However, perhaps the greatest highlight of 2017-18 was the announcement that Bland Shire Council would receive a Government funded grant totalling $200,000 for the purpose of refurbishing the library - promising a bright and fresh future for library staff and library users. Children’s & Youth Programs Bland Shire Library continually endeavours to deliver fun educational programs to its younger members. However, in 2017-18 the library’s school holiday programs had a science based focus. Using a variety of recycled material, common household goods and chemicals (under strict supervision), the children participated in a variety of simple experiments including making elephant toothpaste, lava lamps, slime, hovercrafts, and much more. The library held a successful Children’s Book Week program with some 500 children visiting the library to participate in a variety of activities including the much anticipated Amazing Race; annual author visit by John Heffernan; after-school Christmas craft session and Summer Reading Club program. The library also relaunched its monthly kids draw. While Bland Shire Library continually engages with the community through the delivery of programs for children including Baby Bounce; Storytime; additional Storytime sessions for various preschool and day care groups; as well as regular school group visits, the library also supports the local high school’s volunteer work placement program with year 10, 11 and 12 students volunteering their time at the library. Bland Shire Library also received a Cowal Partnering grant to assist with next year’s author visit and Summer Reading Club program. Legal Studies Students A group of Year 11 students, currently completing Legal Studies at the West Wyalong High School, visited Bland Shire Library in May 2018. The aim of the visit was to highlight the library’s onsite legal information collection and online law resources. Local police officer, Katherine Carey, was a guest speaker on the day. Ms Carey discussed a variety of topics relating to young people and the law. In particular, she spoke about drink driving and staying safe on our roads. Ms Carey spoke candidly about some of her experiences as a police officer, specifically those while attending motor vehicle accidents. She also provided some staggering statistics, which clearly affected some students. Ms Carey also spoke about law enforcement as a career. As part of the program, the students participated in a variety of practical exercises including a ‘Know Your Standards’ activity (kit provided by RRL). Cathy Lange Senior Library Officer Bland Shire Library
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Evolution Mining Book Donation
46,643
1,601
Library Visits
27,639 Loans
Bland Shire Library 6 Shire Street WEST WYALONG NSW 2671 02 6979 0272
Library Members
17,787
Collection Items
Deposit Stations: Barmedman Ungarie Weethalle
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm Saturday 9:30am - 12:00pm
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Coolamon Coolamon Library Celebrates Coolamon Library celebrated 10 years of library service! The library opened its doors to the public for the very first time on 19 December 2007 with over 700 residents visiting and discovering what a great community asset they have in the library. To celebrate this milestone, the library held several special events. A special Storytime was held with General Manager, Tony Donoghue, reading the book, Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons, written by Eric Litwin. It was agreed that Tony did a fantastic job with audience involvement in the book. The morning was finished off with everyone enjoying morning tea and a celebratory cake. Throughout the week, there were visits from two different schools with children displaying ‘What we love about our library’ signs. It was great to see community members supporting their library and the impact it has had. Here’s to another 10 years! Lego Club Lego Club began in October 2017 and it has proven to be very popular. The program was offered on Wednesday afternoons, and following a request for more, it was held on Saturday mornings also. The aim of the Lego Club program is for children to have fun, learn to communicate with others and to develop problem-solving skills. Library membership is a requirement of participation and Lego Club is FREE. It is offered to children aged from 5 to 15 years of age and parents are most welcome to join in too! Lego challenges are also held throughout the term as an incentive to build creativity and self-esteem. The library purchased the lego following a very generous donation provided by Intereach Services in Wagga Wagga. Community Garden Storytime The library held a Storytime session at the Community Garden in Coolamon which was established in 2015 and is maintained by volunteers. Holding a Storytime session in the Community Garden was a wonderful opportunity for children to connect with the garden. The session was held in October 2017 to coincide with Children’s Week. A series of books were read and a variety of songs were sung. To finish up, the children were able to plant some flowers in the garden beds and walk around the garden exploring and discovering the fruit and vegetables. The Coolamon Pre School and the Coolamon Daycare Centre were involved in the day. It was a great experience and very educational for the children. Helen McLoughlin Library Manager Coolamon Library Lego Club
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Celebrating 10 Years of Service
25,367
1,280
Library Visits
18,511 Loans
Coolamon Library 129 Cowabbie Street COOLAMON NSW 2701 02 6927 2492
Library Members
7,544
Collection Items
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm Saturday 9:00am - 12:00pm
29
Cootamundra Book Club and Adult Programs Cootamundra Library currently has eight Book Clubs. To celebrate ten years of Book Club, Tracey Luhrs and Amy Heap hosted the movie, A Walk in the Woods while members enjoyed finger food, literary mocktails and some lively discussion about Bill Bryson’s book, A Walk in the Woods. Hilda and Laurie, first generation Italians from the Yarra Valley, have written a book, Wow! It’s Italian. They shared their pasta making skills and family recipes with a group of would-be chefs in September. Local craft enthusiasts enjoyed the RRL Sustainability Programs that have been designed by the Outreach and Promotions team. Following the training day at Temora, library staff and volunteers have run Book Art and Beeswax Wraps sessions, both of which were well patronised. The Friday craft group have also participated in Japanese Marbling and Sashiko Stars. A very practical 3D Printing workshop for adults was held in January where participants had the opportunity to both create and print their 3D designs. The 3D printer was loaned to the library for the duration of the school holidays for all patrons to utilise under staff supervision. Stig Rocks Cootamundra Readers Stig Wemyss, the self-described “rockstar of kids’ literature”, was enthusiastically welcomed in November 2017. Stig had Cootamundra’s youth rolling in the aisles with his outrageous literary humour as he brought his Stig in the Library tour to town. The man who launched Just Disgusting and What Bumosaur is That? onto Australian stereos played host to more than 300 students from EA Southee Public School, Cootamundra Public School , Wallendbeen Public School, Elouera School and members of the Elouera Day Centre at the Town Hall. The ensuing hour of story-telling and silliness reminded kids how fantastically fun books can be. The reaction to Stig’s visit was unprecedented. The enthusiasm and energy he brought to the community was such a positive, and he made books and reading so exciting for the children. At this event, the Elouera School were congratulated for their 100% record of library membership of all their students. It was hoped that the visit would inspire young people (and their families) to join the library and experience the great programs and services on offer. Playing @ the Pond With its tranquil surrounds, soft green lawns, and a pair of doors opening into the main library, the Cootamundra Library fishpond hosted a new initiative in 2018 to attract library members and raise money for charity. Playing @ The Pond is an ongoing series of free fortnightly concerts featuring local musical talent. From rock, soul, folk and country music to concert band, Playing @ The Pond is a showcase for both up-andcoming and established artists in the Cootamundra-Gundagai region. The soothing environment of the fishpond is also an idyllic location for a midday picnic, attracting corporate lunch-goers, families and music lovers to sprawl on the lawns, nibble sushi and sandwiches, and enjoy the entertainment. At the conclusion of each concert, a collection is taken and the proceeds donated to a charity of the performer’s choice. Charities receiving donations in 2018 include the Red Cross, CanAssist, and Multiple Sclerosis research. These events have attracted many new library members to the Cootamundra branch, and the initiative will continue in the warmer weather. Penny Howse Library Manager Cootamundra Library
30
Playing @ the Pond
79,767
3,043
Library Visits
47,755 Loans
Cootamundra Library Wallendoon Street COOTAMUNDRA NSW 2590 02 6940 2200
Library Members
15,112
Collection Items
CootamundraGundagai Regional Council Network of Libraries Cootamundra Gundagai
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 9:30am - 5:30pm (winter close at 5:00pm) Saturday 9:30am - 12:00pm
31
Corowa Library and Information Week The Library and Information Week theme this year was Find Yourself in a Library, and it was a successful week traveling across the Federation Council area with Oliver Phommavanh, a children’s author, comedian and teacher. A mix of author talks and writing workshops was held over four days which was an opportunity to discover the pleasures of creating exciting stories, becoming a better writer and having fun with words. All schools in Federation Council area were invited to attend, with over 600 children meeting Oliver, who was engaging, humorous and had the kids in hysterics. There was loads of positive feedback from the children, parents and teachers. Love Your Library The Federation Council marketing campaign to promote our three branch libraries and mobile library was launched on Library Lovers Day. This was made possbile with funding from the Merger Implementation Fund. The launch included a library video, bookmarks, banners, flags, library bags and chocolates. Publicity was provided through the Council web site, newspapers, Facebook, community newsletters and branch libraries. Members and visitors went into a draw for a chance to win one of four hampers and were invited to write a love letter to their library. Many beautiful letters from young and not so young were received containing positive affirmations in appreciation of the libraries and staff members. Popular Adult and Children’s Programs Tech Savvy Seniors classes and Looking Into Trove were two popular programs that enhanced on-line learning and provided computing skills to embrace socialising, accessing important services and conducting personal business. The Book Club movie and discussion night, celebrating the RRL Book Club 10th Anniversary was attended by 45 people for the screening of the movie Light Between Oceans. Tears flowed at the end of movie but it was a great night with finger foods and mocktails. Schools and Preschools visited throughout the year for library orientation and for special events such as National Simultaneous Storytime and Children’s Book Week. Sharon Smith, RRL Children’s and Youth Services Librarian, presented a 3D design and printing basics session at Oaklands School during Children’s Book Week and visited the Corowa and Howlong Pre Schools for a special Storytime. Popular school holiday program activities included Chinese Dragons, Dreamcatchers and Bubble Muffin.
Tech Savvy Seniors
32
Louise Parr Library Team Leader Corowa Library
National Simultaneous Storytime
20,648
1,706
Library Visits
30,027 Loans
Corowa Library Civic Centre 100 Edward Street Ball Park COROWA NSW 2646 02 6033 8941
Library Members
10,453
Collection Items
Federation Council Network of Libraries Corowa Howlong Mulwala
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm Saturday 9:30am - 12:00pm
33
Culcairn Stig Wemyss - Live @ Culcairn Greater Hume Libraries were invited by RRL to host a visit by the extremely entertaining, Stig Wemyss. Stig is one of Australia’s most loved narrators of audio books for children and young adults. The event was to be held at the Culcairn Library however, due to high demand, the venue was relocated to the Culcairn Memorial Hall. In total, over 150 students attended with schools including Henty Public, Culcairn Public and St Josephs Primary. Stig was his usual charismatic self enthralling students and teachers from beginning to end of the hour long presentation. Students were squealing loudly in excitement as Stig undertook a range of fast moving games with both students and teaching staff included. This event provided the children living in our rural communities with a rare cultural experience. Adrian Beck Author Visit For the past ten years, Greater Hume Libraries have been provided with funding to host popular author visits. These visits provide an opportunity for young people living in our rural communities to have the experience of interacting with an author and, at the same time, learn a little about the writing process. This year’s author was Adrian Beck, who is the co-author (with AFL Hall of Fame Inductee, Shane Crawford) of the best-selling kids series, Kick It To Nick. Part-time TV producer and part-time writer, Adrian uses both skill sets to entertain with lively, humorous and interactive sessions on writing, working in television and footy. Adrian was a fantastic presenter and a great role model for young people providing them with the belief that anything you want to do in life is possible if you are willing to work for it. Cup Cakes October at Culcairn Library was all about who could decorate the most dazzling, scrumptious, edible cup cake. The cup cakes were supplied by the Culcairn Red Cross and tasted quite delicious, however, the children felt that a little colour was needed - so sprinkles, choc buds, lollies and other assorted sweets were added to a mixture of coloured icing. The finished products were outstanding and a credit to all the little pastry chefs. When everyone had completed their masterpieces at the end of the program, the children sat down for a picnic in the library. The program highlighted the wonderful places libraries have become by transforming into lively spaces for information sharing, learning and creativity. Susan Kane Library & Youth Services Development Officer Culcairn Library
34
Adrian Beck Author Visit
20,605
584
Library Visits
7,944 Loans
Culcairn Library 40 Balfour Street CULCAIRN NSW 2660 02 6029 8588
Library Members
3,742
Collection Items
Greater Hume Shire Council Network of Libraries Culcairn Henty Holbrook
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm Saturday 10:00am-12:30pm
35
Gundagai Newspaper Fundraiser In 2015 Gundagai’s long standing newspaper editor, Patrick ‘Scoop’ Sullivan, the last in a long line of Sullivans to print the Gundagai Independent newspaper, passed away. In 2017, Patrick’s wife donated his collection of newspapers to the library for the community. The newspapers varied in condition and the CSU Regional Archives & University Art Collection Team were called to assess the collection. The team came and spent a morning going through the newspapers, with many being marked for disposal. The remaining newspapers ranged in date from 1914 to 2008 and were in reasonable condition, but as they were already on microfilm it was decided that the best way they could serve the community was to be sold. After discussions with the Sullivan family, it was agreed that this was indeed what would happen and that the money raised would go towards digitising the editions of the Gundagai Independent that were not yet available on Trove. The project launched late in 2017 and is continuing with not only the hopes of raising more funds for digitising, but also giving the public the opportunity to purchase newspapers as keepsakes for weddings, births and other auspicious occasions. Core Customers Often overlooked in an effort to woo a wider range of library users, it was felt that services to our core customers, the very young and the very old, needed highlighting. This year, the library focused efforts on strengthening and growing both of these. For the young, the library introduced Baby Massage, held on Thursday mornings for six weeks as an introduction to the library for new babies and mums. The idea was to foster a comfortable relationship between new mums and the library - helping to grow one of our strongest library user groups, the under fives, and a favourite service, Storytime! Mums learnt basic baby massage techniques and then enjoyed a story with their babies. Another favourite was Music Fun, especially popular with the 0-3 years age group, who enjoyed the freedom of moving around to songs and music. While our older patrons would probably enjoy this as well, this year the library chose to concentrate on making sure that those who wished to take on technology had the support and access necessary to make it as easy as possible with Techno-seniors and the Be Connected program, which allowed a more individualised, self paced and problem specific solution. Community Causes Libraries are the big heart of small communities in rural and regional towns, and Gundagai Library is no exception. Being part of these communities means not only providing access to a wide range of services for an even wider range of patrons but also participating in and providing for the many community causes throughout the year. This year, as well as Wrap With Love, the library also continued to support Handbags for the Homeless. The Gundagai community collected over 65 bags filled with items for those women living rough. This year the library also supported the Greatest Shave with one of our brave Storytime mums shaving her locks for this cause at a special ‘hair’ Storytime that her children will never forget! A lot of the support is small, such as staff dashing out to buy cakes and slices for the Biggest Morning Tea or selling Lions Club mints, however it is the little things combined, which might not seem like much, but in a small community make a big difference. Cindy Smith Library & Community Services Manager Gundagai Library
36
Handbags for the Homeless
11,556
761
Library Visits
8,990 Loans
Gundagai Library 245 Sheridan Street GUNDAGAI NSW 2722 02 6944 0270
Library Members
9,695
Collection Items
CootamundraGundagai Regional Council Network of Libraries Cootamundra Gundagai
Opening Hours: Monday, Wednesday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm (closed for lunch 12:30pm - 1:30pm) Tuesday 1:30pm - 5:00pm Saturday 9:00am - 12:30pm 37
Henty Little Book Nooks In today’s society, libraries play a key role in creating literate environments and promoting literacy by offering relevant and attractive reading material for all ages. They embrace the social responsibility to offer services that bridge social and economic barriers, and traditionally make a special effort to extend their services to everyone in the community. Greater Hume Shire Libraries’ aim is to encourage literacy in young children and of course encourage more residents to become members of the libraries. One of the programs launched in Henty is the placing of ‘Book Nooks’ in local businesses. The Book Nook program is a partnership between Greater Hume Shire Libraries and local businesses to increase literacy in the community. The program consists of a shelf of library books placed in a business such as a hairdresser or café where children can access them while their parents or carers are conducting business. The books are loaned to the business and used by customers of the business on the premises. Families are encouraged to read the titles and make a valuable connection with the library services provided. Each business promotes the program partnership with the library by way of flyers and the distribution of bookmarks. Book Borrowing Extravaganza Henty Library invited all schools and pre schools in Henty to participate in the Book Borrowing Extravaganza. Charts were hung on the library walls and school class groups made regular excursions to the Henty Library to borrow books or DVD’s. Every time a student borrowed, they were provided with a star to place on their respective school charts. The program was not limited to school visits, but extended to families who attended the library. The program was extremely successful with over four hundred stars placed on the charts. Grandparents Day - Connect Across the Generations A successful Greater Hume Shire Council grant enabled the Henty Library staff to travel to Jindera Community Hub for an outreach visit. The Grandparents Day was an exciting intergenerational event organised by the Greater Hume Shire Council. The event included a themed Grandparents Storytime session facilitated by RRL Children’s & Youth Services Librarian, Sharon Smith. Following the Storytime session, everyone had access to a photo booth which captured the morning forever as a wonderful memory. The morning concluded with a scrumptious morning tea and a small gift for all of the grandparents. NSW Grandparents Day celebrates the contributions grandparents and older people make to their families and communities. It was a day to celebrate all the great things our seniors have done, and continue to do. It was also a special day to spend with loved ones and connect across generations. Susan Kane Library & Youth Services Development Officer Henty Library
38
Library Lovers Day Competition Winner
16,627
634
Library Visits
9,310 Loans
Henty Library 30 Sladen Street HENTY NSW 2658 02 6929 3770
Library Members
4,211
Collection Items
Greater Hume Shire Council Network of Libraries Culcairn Henty Holbrook
Opening Hours: Monday 1:00pm - 5:30pm Tuesday 10:00am - 2:30pm Wednesday & Friday 10:00am - 5:30pm (closed for lunch 1:00pm -2:00pm) Saturday 10:00am-12:30pm 39
Holbrook Storytime Storytime continued to grow with more and more parents and babies attending. This was due to a lot of babies being born in Holbrook this year and news spreading amongst these young families about the fun and value of the Storytime program. It has become a much-loved event due to the program’s inclusiveness. The main focus is to make each family feel very welcome and involved in the sessions. Whilst Storytime has been well attended, many families would leave without borrowing. To encourage families to borrow before or after Storytime, the library developed Star Boards. Each time the family borrowed five items, the children would put a star sticker in one of the boxes. The children enjoyed this simple idea and book borrowing has very much increased. It has been really satisfying to see the children leave with a big pile of books and a lot of fun watching their determination and fine motor skills as little fingers manage to stick the stars into the boxes. Children’s Book Week For the last few years, Holbrook Library has put a lot of effort into the Book Week display and this year was no exception. The ‘Escape to Everywhere’ themed display was borrowed from Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. The library was fortunate to borrow a small rowboat which was placed in a ‘forest’ where the children could sit and read. Max and one of the wild things were very skilfully painted on some large voting booths and used in a competition for children to have their picture taken as one of the characters. Lots of children enjoyed the fun of the photo booth! Children’s Book Week is a great opportunity to create another world in the library. The displays fully engaged the children in the children’s area and the result was a busier library. Outreach and Promotions An outreach highlight this year was a partnership with the local Aged Care Hostel and Holbrook Hospital where the Storytime children visited for Music Fun. This program was well received by residents and families alike. Percussion instruments were brought along for the residents and children to play along to recorded music. Songs were sung and stories told. A local indigenous elder with a didgeridoo and a talented Storytime dad playing the violin, have also taken part in these sessions. Library staff have also started a regular book review column in our local free newsletter, The Holbrook Happenings. This newsletter is delivered to all households in the post code area and it is hoped, that by putting the library in the public eye and sharing a love of reading, more residents will be encouraged to give the library and borrowing a try. Reviews were also posted on the library and RRL facebook pages where they are enjoyed by a wide audience. Alison Cowie Library Assistant in Charge Holbrook Library
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Children’s Book Week
9,608
620
Library Visits
9,759 Loans
Holbrook Library Bowler Street HOLBROOK NSW 2644 02 6036 3262
Library Members
5,370
Collection Items
Greater Hume Shire Council Network of Libraries Culcairn Henty Holbrook
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11:00am - 5:30pm (closed for lunch 1:00pm - 2:00pm) Saturday 9:30am - 12:30pm
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Howlong Library Volunteer Training Howlong Library and Council Office delivers a dual service to both library patrons and shire residents, which makes for a very busy facility. This year Howlong Library has focused on providing volunteers with formal professional training in relation to their library volunteer duties, covering areas such as work health and safety, customer interaction, and library work processes. It is important that volunteers feel respected, supported and able to fulfil a greatly needed role through their dedicated volunteer duties, which also adds value to the library service. Library Progams The Bubble Muffin activity held in April catered for the school holiday period and participants thoroughly enjoyed themselves. ANZAC Day lead up proved to be popular once again, with many people calling in to the library to view and photograph the historic collection of ANZAC themed biscuit tins. It seems that people, near and far, have heard about this collection. The Library and Information Week visit in May by Oliver Phommavanh was a huge success with Oliver visiting the Howlong Public School and entertaining 80 children for the session. Storytime now has a permanent story teller who has committed to the long term running of a monthly session. These sessions include stories, song and dance, and movement. The library is very fortunate to have a professional early childhood expert volunteer for this activity. Nyree-Anne Wiggins Library & Customer Service Officer Howlong Library
Student using public access computer
42
Bubble Muffin Program
6,050
483
Library Visits
10,017 Loans
Howlong Library 59 Hawkins Street HOWLONG NSW 2643 02 6026 5055
Library Members
4,313
Collection Items
Federation Council Network of Libraries Corowa Howlong Mulwala
Opening Hours: Tuesday & Wednesday 10:00am - 5:00pm (closed for lunch 1:00pm - 2:00pm) Thursday & Friday 10:00am - 1:00pm Saturday 9:00am - 11:30am 43
Junee Junee Special Collection A new and wonderful collection of ‘things’ is now available at the Junee Library and the items have proven to be popular with borrowers. The collection includes tennis racquets, a hole punch, a set of binoculars, a sewing machine, a food dehydrator, indoor and outdoor games, craft and cooking tools, and children’s soft toys. Local Priority Grant funding was used to purchase the items which were carefully selected based on their durability, usefulness, ease of packaging and traceability. In total there are 39 new kit items in the Junee Special Collection. Young Diggers During the April school holidays, Junee Library presented an activity that combined a children’s holiday activity with a community group of knitters, called Young Diggers. The group of knitters have been regular visitors to the library coming together each fortnight to knit for the 2018 Australian War Memorial Remembrance Day 62,000 Poppies. After the children had finished baking ANZAC biscuits and playing some ANZAC games, the group of knitters taught the children how to make poppies for the local ANZAC Day celebrations. Together the two groups enjoyed eating the ANZAC biscuits for morning tea, and worked hand in hand to make the memory of the ANZACs live on. Movie of the Month Having struggled throughout 2017 to attract a regular crowd, the Movie of the Month now draws a steady group of keen adults and seniors. Once each month, a group of between six to ten adults come together on Thursday afternoon to watch and discuss a movie together. During a short intermission the group are treated to a free afternoon tea with time to talk about the first half of the film. The movies are played on a large screen television using a DVD player and in accordance with the Roadshow Public Performance Licence. The Movie of the Month has been a wonderful means of drawing together members of the community from varying ages and backgrounds who would not normally come together in other social channels. Kim Richards Librarian in Charge Junee Library
Junee Special Collection
44
Young Diggers
27,727
1,464
Library Visits
22,024 Loans
Junee Library 92 Lorne Street JUNEE NSW 2663 02 6924 2111
Library Members
12,887
Collection Items
Opening Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9:30am - 5:30pm Wednesday 9:30am-6:00pm Saturday 9:00am-12:00pm
45
Mulwala Tech Savvy Seniors Tech Savvy Seniors continued to be well attended by those wanting to become more informed about the internet and other things digital. Coordinator, Rhonda Wheeler, continued to present a high quality engaging program suited to the needs of our seniors within the locality. An information session on Trove, presented by Amy Heap, was also enjoyed by our local history group and other visitors from across the river. Library Programs Snowflake Ballerinas and Suminagashi (Japanese paper marbling) were successful programs to kick off 2018. Children and carers alike had lots of fun creating glamorous, sparkling, feathery ballerinas. The Japanese Marbling was also quite creative and the production of tiny notepads was a real winner out of the hot summer sun. Oliver Phommavanh A visit during Library and Information Week from Oliver Phommavanh was enormous fun for the children of Mulwala Public School. Squeals of laughter and tears of true joy in the childrens’ area floated over to those adults who just could not help joining in to this wonderful treat. An excellent and engaging performance left everyone exhausted and primed to go and write their own amazing stories to share. Jenny Orr Library & Customer Service Officer Mulwala Library
Oliver Phommavanh
46
Suminagashi (japanse paper marbling)
4,249
580
Library Visits
5,307 Loans
Mulwala Library 71 Melbourne Street MULWALA NSW 2647 03 5744 3439
Library Members
4,023
Collection Items
Federation Council Network of Libraries Corowa Howlong Mulwala
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 10:00am - 5:00pm (closed for lunch 1:00pm - 2:00pm) Saturday 10:00am-12:00pm
47
Talbingo Daffodil Day Talbingo Library has been supporting Daffodil Day for the last seven years by holding a morning tea for members and guests. It is well received and raises much needed funding for Cancer Council. This year’s event hosted 15 guests and raised $92.00, which made it a lovely morning. For such a small library, this was a very pleasing result. Lego Fun Lego Fun was held this year as a school holiday program. Four children and one adult attended for the activity. The children had a great time making different things, ranging from a radio, a stork, a star to a space station and a space craft. The children had a wonderful time and stayed on long after the session ended. Card Craft This lovely group of 4-6 ladies attended the library every Tuesday morning for ten weeks to make cards for our servicemen and women serving overseas. Cards were made for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, and baby celebrations. These were then sent to Sydney where they were despatched to our service personnel. They could then send back to their loved ones at home. This was a very enjoyable morning for the ladies and for the library. Shirlee Whiting Library Assistant Talbingo Library
Spiders Storytime
48
Lego Fun
954
95
Library Visits
2,291 Loans
Talbingo Library Lampe Street TALBINGO NSW 2720 02 6949 5344
Library Members
3,754
Collection Items
Snowy Valleys Council Network of Libraries Adelong Batlow Talbingo Tumbarumba Tumut
Opening Hours: Tuesday 9:00am - 5:00pm (closed for lunch 12:30pm - 1:30pm)
49
Temora Wrap With Love The Wrap with Love project started in 1992 with the mission of helping as many people as possible around the world by giving them a blanket to ward off the cold. Beautiful handmade wraps are lovingly crafted by volunteers throughout Australia. Each blanket goes to an individual in need and offers not only protection from the cold but also love from another. More than 414,000 blankets, knitted or crocheted and sewn together by Australian women, men and children, have been sent to people in over 75 countries, including Australia. Ladies met on the first and third Thursday of the month at Temora Library to knit and enjoy a cuppa and a chat. Author Visits Two author visits were hosted by the library this year. Scott Whitaker, author of Railway Hotels of Australia: New South Wales, entralled the audience with his wealth of information on the history of railways and hotels that trade or once traded in New South Wales. Noel Braun, author of The Day Was Made for Walking, spoke about his journey through the Camino, the ancient pilgrimage route that leads across France and Spain. School Holiday Programs The Temora Library hosted a range of school holiday programs throughout the year including, Spinners, No Sew Caterpillars, Christmas Capers and Recycled Art. All programs were very well attended. Eileen England Librarian in Charge Temora Library
Christmas Capers
50
Wrap With Love
22,783
1,298
Library Visits
24,048 Loans
Temora Library 294 Hoskins Street TEMORA NSW 2666 02 6977 1781
Library Members
13,322
Collection Items
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am - 5:30pm Saturday 10:00am -12:00pm
51
Tumbarumba School Holiday Programs School holiday programs attendance has increased at Tumbarumba Library. Programs for this year included Christmas Craft, Paper Flowers, Tweet Treats and Step by Step Drawing - just to name a few. The Fairy Wand and Tiaras program was a huge success with the library bursting with tulle and ribbons. Parents had to work closely with their children as the craft was quite involved. Children enjoyed a picnic on the deck after decorating a fairy cake while library staff set up a photo booth for children and their parents. Community Reading Day The Community Reading Day held during March at the Tumbarumba Library and surrounding Bicentennial Gardens, celebrated its 15th annual event. The schools in Tumbarumba, Rosewood, Khancoban and Humula were invited to attend the event along with Carcoola Children’s Centre and the Tumbarumba Playgroup. This year’s theme was celebration, and all books and activities coincided with the selected theme. Each year Rotary and the Lions Club supports the event by cooking a BBQ lunch. The event provides an opportunity for the small schools in the area to come together with other children their own age and to promote literacy in the community. Friends of Tumbarumba Library Friends of Tumbarumba Library (FOTL)have been busy this year with a variety of fundraising activities and events. The yearly reading challenge was well received in the community and this year the FOTL held a summer reading challenge for children of various ages and reading ability. At the conclusion, FOTL held a party for participants. The Tumbarumba Tastebuds weekend provided an opportunity to raise funds at one of the open gardens, boosting the funds and reputation of the committee. A Barefoot Bowls fundraising event was held at the local bowling club next to the Library - a thoroughly enjoyable event for families. Each year the FOTL provides financial support by way of a Library Award to the local schools at Tumbarumba, Rosewood and Khancoban for their annual presentation evenings. The awards are given to students in recognition for literacy achievements. Vicki Hulm Library Team Leader Tumbarumba Library
Friends of the Library Presentation
52
Fairies and Tiaras
21,590
824
Library Visits
16,623 Loans
Tumbarumba Library Prince Street TUMBARUMBA NSW 2653 02 6948 2725
Library Members
7,399
Collection Items
Snowy Valleys Council Network of Libraries Adelong Batlow Talbingo Tumbarumba Tumut
Winter Opening Hours: Monday 2:00pm - 5:00pm Tuesday 1:00pm - 5:00pm Wednesday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm (closed for lunch 1:30pm - 2:00pm) Saturday 10:00am -12:00pm 53
Tumut Cooks, Books and Produce The Cooks, Books and Produce evening showcased the library as an integral community hub and provided an alternative event that would draw people in who may have lost touch with the library. The library was transformed into a farmers market, showcasing a number of local producers and their products with a variety of stalls, sampler stations and information booths. The farmers market provided the support framework to the two cooking demos for the evening. Master Chef 2016 winner, Elena Duggan, was a special guest for the evening. Using locally grown lamb, fruit and vegetables, Elena cooked up a storm in the library and delivered a new age twist on the traditional staple of ‘meat and three veg’. Throughout the demonstration, Elena referred to the local producers who were on hand as part of the farmers market and asked for their input and information regarding their produce. Hilda and Laurie Inglese, first generation Italians, gave a demonstration on authentic Italian pasta making. As part of their demonstration, they showcased their family homes in Italy and the development of their cooking style which culminated in the publishing of their book, Wow! It’s Italian. Children’s Section Redevelopment The Tumut Library undertook a complete redevelopment of the children’s section. Award winning children’s illustrator and author, Stephen Michael King was commissioned to design and paint a mural which is now the main feature of the space, wrapping around the entire area and showcasing some of his most popular characters. New shelving was installed which aimed to display more of the collection and to work in with the mural. The dynamic of the space has changed significantly and it is warmly welcoming to everyone. Awards and Finalists Tumut Library was awarded a NSWPLA Marketing Award as part of the NSWPLA Switch Conference held at Penrith for the Cooks, Books and Produce event held in August. The event was also a finalist in the Service Delivery Initiative for Population under 60,000. Whilst unsuccessful in securing the top gong, it was once again a wonderful opportunity to showcase the changing role of libraries in their communities. Coordinator Library Services, Kristin Twomey, was named as a judge for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards in the Eve Pownall category for Information Books. Kristin was also named a finalist as part of the Ministers’ Awards for Women in Local Government 2018 awards ceremony held at NSW Parliament in March. Kristin’s work in raising the profile and dynamic of libraries in their communities was the feature of her nomination.
Kristin Twomey - Women in Local Government Award finalist
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Kristin Twomey Coordinator Library Services Tumut Library
Mural in Children’s Section
53,234
2,105
Library Visits
42,819 Loans
Tumut Library 169 Wynyard Street TUMUT NSW 2720 02 6941 2541
Library Members
14,454
Collection Items
Snowy Valleys Council Network of Libraries Adelong Batlow Talbingo Tumbarumba Tumut
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am - 6:00pm Saturday 9:00am - 12:00pm
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Wagga Wagga Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Programming The Language Café English conversation classes reached its first anniversary with over 1,000 visits and 40 community volunteers. The Saturday Volunteers also won the 2018 RRL Reading Culture Award – in appreciation of your contributions to the reading culture of our region and enriching the lives of people in your community through literacy. Originally started to activate the English as a Second Language Collection, the Language Café grew to be a highly successful social engagement program that resulted in many positive outcomes including new friendships, greater cross cultural understanding and improved literacy skills. The first Language Café, in July 2017, had 13 people from nine language backgrounds with five volunteers. The participants came from more than 30 countries of origin such as Syria, Iraq, Iran, Korea, China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Spain, Afghanistan, Mexico, Pakistan, Indonesia and Columbia. Language Café is held three days per week across the year and expanded into more CALD programming including Arabic language classes for children held on Saturdays; Tech Savvy Senior computer classes in Mandarin and Dari; and a Persian Language Book Club. Language Café received a Highly Commended Multicultural Award at the NSW Public Libraries Association Conference. The library also has a Community Languages Collection of more than 2600 books from the State Library of NSW, featuring adult and children’s books in 14 different languages - Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Sinhalese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan, Hindi, Tamil, Tagalog, Burmese, Urdu, Croatian, Serbian and Kurdish. LIVE Events Date Night was celebrated across the Library, Art Gallery, Theatre and Museum on Library Lovers Day in February. All cultural facilities stayed open late and there were bars and live music spread across all venues. The Library was set up like a cosy night club with Peter Casey playing music, ‘blind date’ books were available for free, and a Tinder projection of literary profiles for participants to imagine swiping left or right! Featured potential literary dates were: Scarlet O’Hara, Jo March, Heathcliff, Jane Eyre, Mr Darcy, and Elizabeth Bennet. State Librarian Dr John Vallance worked with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra to facilitate the live streaming of Verdi’s Requiem into Wagga Wagga City Library and other NSW public libraries on World Live Music Day. The event was fully subscribed and had a waiting list, with over 80 people enjoying fine music and refreshments on the night. The feedback was universally positive.
Date Night Literary Profiles
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Language Cafe
171,733
18,310
Library Visits
264,651 Loans
Wagga Wagga City Library Civic Centre Cnr Baylis & Morrow Sts WAGGA WAGGA NSW 2650
Library Members
78,030
Collection Items
Opening Hours: Monday 11:00am - 6:00pm Tuesday - Friday 10:00am - 6:00pm Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm
02 6926 9700 57
Wagga Wagga Sydney Writers Festival Live Streaming The library livestreamed the Sydney Writers Festival into the Civic Centre during May to the delight of local reading enthusiasts. Some of the authors interviewed over the three days were: Jane Harper – Force of Nature; Gareth Evans – Incorrigible Optimist; Peter Greste – The First Casualty; Masha Gessen – The Future is History; Angela Saini – Inferior – How Science Got Women Wrong; Sarah Ferguson – On Mother; Tayari Jones – An American Marriage; and Emily Wilson – Translating The Odyssey. Guests enjoyed the fascinating conversations with erudite presenters like Jennifer Byrne, Kerry O’Brien, Hugh Rimmington, Richard Fidler, Julia Zemiro, Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales. Feedback from the 300 guests reflected on how much they enjoyed the stimulating program and also how thankful they were to have the opportunity to be at the festival without having to travel to Sydney and line up in long queues.
Felt Making
Lifelong Learning Technology classes, Makers Spaces activities and information sessions were very popular with the community. Tech Savvy Seniors and Be Connected classes attracted regular bookings at the Friday morning timeslots. Topics included social media, email, online shopping, banking and travel. There were also Multicultural Language Tech Savvy sessions delivered in Mandarin and Dari. Makers Space activities included Silk Painting, Felt Making, Digital Photography and regular Knit-Ins. Information sessions were also popular and covered topics as diverse as the CWA Poland Information session, My Health Record sessions, Piano Forte – a Law Week event on elder abuse, the Red Cross Asylum Seekers talk, a talk on Living with Autism; and Tapped – a film marking National Water Week in partnership with Sustainable Wagga.
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Wagga Wagga
Fish Weaving
STEAM ( Science, Technology, Education, Arts and Maths) The 4th Annual Riverina Science Festival was presented by the library during National Science Week in August and was funded by a Federal Government Inspiring Australia Grant. There were three Indigenous components: Fish Weaving using Lomandra leaves with local Aboriginal Elders to celebrate the Fishing With The Moon story; a two storey high digital projection of the animated Wiradjuri Sky Stories as told by local Elders and illustrated by renowned digital artist Yenny Huber; and the National Indigenous Science Education Program (NISEP). The NISEP Community Day combined modern science with the science of the First Australians. Year 9 Indigenous students from Mount Austin High School and Kooringal High School shared practical science activities with primary school students and the community with help from NISEP teachers, Charles Sturt University scientists, the Office of Environment and Heritage officers, and Peter Ingram, local Wiradjuri man. The night sky theme was extended through Starr’s Pop-Up Planetarium which was a popular destination with schools and family groups booking out all sessions. Other activities held during the festival included Kitchen Science Storytime sessions, the microscopic fun of Closer, and a fermentation workshop at the Museum of the Riverina. The library also secured Inspiring Australia NSW funding for Nerd Nite Wagga at the Union Hotel in August. Three brainy presenters: Peter Casey, Dean Narramore and Scott Howie, shared their passion on three arcane topics. The topics were the Australian Top 40 1990-2009, storm chasing in tornado alley USA, and the Hermit of Scenic Hill near Griffith. The NSW funding was also used to offer three Sustainability Workshops on Happy Chooks, Edible Gardening and Backyard Bees. One Book One Wagga During February to May over 800 people and RRL Book Club members read the 2018 One Book One Wagga (OBOW) title, The Life to Come by Michelle de Krester. This novel was shortlisted for both the 2018 Stella Prize and the Miles Franklin Award. At the fifth annual OBOW Gala Dinner over 100 people listened to Amy Heap interview the author and then engaged in a Q&A session afterwards. Michelle is a fantastically gifted writer. She has written six novels and won a number of awards including the 2013 Miles Franklin Award for her novel, Questions of Travel. OBOW is a stellar literary event on Wagga Wagga’s cultural calendar, with Mayor, Greg Conkey and General Manager, Peter Thompson, officiating. Thanks are due to the hard work and passion of all the staff who make this an ongoing success.
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Wagga Wagga
Storytime
Children’s Early Literacy Programs and School Holiday Treats Storytime sessions were well attended by the children and parents who love the experience - the stories, the jokes, the singing and craft, plus the high calibre of the presentations. Over 4,000 attend these sessions each year and the Storytime facebook traffic is the busiest for any library program with high numbers of ‘likes’ and ‘shares’. Popular themes this year included: making pizzas; sharks; dragons; trains; the circus; robots; gardens; and Mother’s Day. The library also worked with partners to value add to the Storytime program and to the participants’ experience by co-presenting a range of activities. These included Kitchen Science Storytime during National Science Week; Multicultural Storytime and the Fusion Multicultural Festival; CPR lessons for parents with small children; Centacare Stronger Families Stronger Communities Storytime sessions; and the annual Peri Natal Depression Association Information Session and Morning Tea. Library programs for older children included live performances like Stig Wemyss at the Civic Theatre, Travel Bugs, and the Vegetable Plot Show which attracted 120 participants. Free Family Movie Wednesday was introduced as a regular school holiday program this year and proved to be a great success. Having ceiling speakers, black out blinds and an updated projector, the library staff created a full cinema experience (without the expense) for local families. In addition, Book Week and school tours in general brought over 2,000 Wagga Wagga school children to the library where they enjoyed Dewin’ the Dewey activities, stories and craft, and a take home goodies bag. This year for the first time a community member also started regular Arabic language classes for children on Saturday afternoons.
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Wagga Wagga Bus Shelters Promotions Reaching new audiences beyond the library walls is more important than ever. The library has a fortnightly newspaper column in the Daily Advertiser, a monthly radio spot and provides a steady flow of social media posts from Wagga Wagga City Library, Storytime and the Riverina Science Hub facebook pages. A few years ago, TV advertisements were created and they still run on the library’s TV screens. This year the library decided to create large scale bus shelter promotions for passing traffic or those waiting inside the bus shelter. There are six themed promotions that occupy strategic locations across the city. Using the It’s your library! tagline each site has a different image and message: Free to join! The library has books in multiple languages, DVDs and magazines to borrow at no cost. Stream free! Download books, movies and music from the library at no cost. Go green! Borrowing from the library is sustainable and a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Here to help! Tech classes, free wifi and friendly staff at the library to help with computers and devices. Learn and Grow! Free storytime, workshops, classes and programs for lifelong learning. Join and get connected. Meet and connect! Visit the library, enjoy the free wifi, join the community. Land of W Writers Workshops and the Booranga Writers 4W Annual Launch Katrien Pickles from the Land of W, presented a fully subscribed writers workshop for budding young authors aged ten years and over. The resulting work was displayed at Eastern Riverina Arts in a Land Of W exhibition. The workshop was funded by a Wagga Wagga City Council CROW grant in partnership with the library. For adult writers the annual Booranga Writers Centre 4W Book Launch was held in the library in November with eighty people in attendance. The Booranga and library partnership has resulted in many annual launches and an ongoing commitment to cross promote literary events.
Jeremy Scott Author Talk
Literary Programs and Events This year over 16,000 people attended library programs and events which represents 24% of Wagga Wagga’s population. Readers attended a suite of literary delights across the year including author talks, livestreaming events and workshops. Author talks included: Bernard Sullivan and Dr Stan Grant - Yindyamarra Yambuwan; Marlo Wild - My Squares and Triangles: Looking at the World through the eyes of Autism; Hilda and Laurie Inglese - WOW It’s Italian; Jane Carter - Prodigal Daughter; Sophie Green - The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club; Heather Ward - Fat Bob and The Blonde; Jeremy Scott - The Long Road From a Broken Heart; Acacia Class Sturt Public School - Rad Reece to the Rescue; and David Dufty - The Secret Codebreakers of Central Bureau: How Australia’s Signals-Intelligence Network Helped Shorten the Pacific War.
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RRL Statistics 2017-2018 26,799
collection items purchased
563,738
250 Book Club titles
circulated to 85 Book Clubs
3,298
donated items received
38,853
total RRL members
visits to RRL branch libraries
586,567
RRL items loaned
Collection item
purchases and discards
26,799 IN
31,591 OUT
62
13,219
Internal Delivery Service tubs distributed around RRL branch libraries
RRL Statistics 2017-2018
755
Most popular eMagazine title
ancestry.com sessions
24,302
Story Box Library views
7,699
eBook loans
eMagazine
41,503
3,609
RRL website visits
111 IN
1,966
downloads
Beamafilm and Story Box Library views
205 OUT
29,114
eAudio loans
5,215
Freegal music downloads
Inter Library Loans 63
RRL Statistics 2017-2018
New stock by Local Government Area
Member Council populations and contributions
Total stock by Local Government Area
64
Council Bland Coolamon Cootamundra-Gundagai Federation Greater Hume Junee Lockhart Snowy Valleys Temora Wagga Wagga
%
pop.
5,959 4,342 11,461 12,629 10,378 6,230 3,025 14,994 6,071 63,428 138,517
4.30 3.13 8.27 9.12 7.49 4.50 2.18 10.82 4.38 45.79 100.00
$
119,474 105,826 208,629 285,813 269,508 113,407 118,329 311,502 123,972 1,350,415 3,006,874
Membership as percent of population by LGA
RRL Statistics 2017-2018
Loans by Local Government Area
Loans per capita by Local Government Area
65
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Oh, the places you’ll go! Tooma Valley on a foggy June morning viewed from the Mobile Library
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2017-2018
rrl.nsw.gov.au