riverina regional library annual report
2016-2017 1
About Us The Riverina Regional Library (RRL) is the largest regional library services in NSW. It provides library services to approximately 138,517 constituents of 10 local government areas. The service consists of 18 static library branches, 3 deposit stations, and a mobile library that serves 28 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 Cover Page: RRL Book Club Logo - Celebrating 10th Anniversary Year 2017
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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
Erin Hulm Donation
16
RRL Book Club Celebrates 10 Years
16
3D Printing Comes to Town
17
New RRL Administration Centre
18
RRL Administration Centre Official Opening and Open Day
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 2016-2017
62-67 3
RRL Advisory Committee Chairperson Report We have once again reached the end of a financial year, providing me with the opportunity to report on the outstanding achievements of Riverina Regional Library (RRL) overall. Libraries across NSW are getting busier, and the demand for diversity of services is expanding. RRL has, through its collaborative and innovative approach to service delivery, continued to provide exemplary library services to member Councils again this year. There has been clear progress in outreach and program services across RRL branch libraries. This is a fast growing service area that is as diverse as the libraries that provide them and the communities they serve. There has also been continued growth in demand for eResources, which has been driven by both the quality of content and improved user experience.
Cr Dallas Tout Chairperson RRL Advisory Committee
The strength of the business structure and model of RRL were put to the test this year when Robert Knight, Executive Director, took up a secondment with the Executive Council as General Manager for the better part of 2017. Without any interruption to RRL service delivery, the organisational and management skills of Acting Executive Director, Karen Wendt, were put into action and, together with the support of the RRL management team and staff, the continued smooth running of the organisation was ensured. I would like to particularly thank the member Councils for their support during this period and personally thank all RRL Advisory Committee delegates, RRL staff and member Council library staff, for their assistance and understanding during this period. It was my great pleasure to attend the official opening of the new RRL Administration Centre at Galing Place on 30 November 2016. The renovation project was a tremendous success and has provided RRL staff with a practical and inspiring work-space for many years to come. I would like to offer my congratulations to RRL staff for their extra efforts associated with the move to Galing Place, while at the same time meeting the growing demands for library services throughout the year. I commend the 2016-2017 RRL Annual Report to you. It is a delightfully pictorial and informative compilation of the many accomplishments of the RRL team and RRL branch libraries, that I am sure you will enjoy reading. Cr Dallas Tout Chairperson RRL Advisory Committee
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RRL Advisory Committee Bland Shire Council
Temora Shire Council
Ms Adele Casey (Executive Committee) Cr Jan Wyse (Executive Committee)
Coolamon Shire Council
Mr Tony Donoghue Cr Kerrillee Logan Ms Courtney Armstrong
Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council
Mr Ken Trethewey (Executive Committee) Ms Rosalind Wight Mr Doug Phillips
Mr Steve Firth Cr Dennis Sleigh Cr Max Oliver
Wagga Wagga City Council
Mr Alan Eldridge Cr Dallas Tout (Chairperson) Cr Dan Hayes Cr Rod Kendall Cr Yvonne Braid (Executive Committee) Cr Vanessa Keenan
Federation Council
Ms Kristy Kay Ms Louise Parr
Greater Hume Shire Council
Mr David Smith Cr Annette Schilg Cr Heather Wilton
Junee Shire Council
Mr James Davis Cr Pam Halliburton (Deputy Chairperson) Mr David Koren
Lockhart Shire Council
Mr Peter Veneris Cr Greg Verdon Cr Ian Marston
Snowy Valleys Council
Ms Kristin Twomey Ms Sue Fletcher Ms Margaret Isselmann
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RRL Administration Centre Staff Riverina Regional Library
Robert Knight
Executive Director
Business and Communications Division Karen Wendt Business & Communications Coordinator Wendy Callis Business Support Officer Outreach and Promotions Division Amy Heap Outreach & Promotions Coordinator Tracey Luhrs Outreach & Promotions Officer Kim McLaren Outreach Officer - Casual Relief Staff Louise Pearce Outreach Officer (Delivery Service) Cynthia Price Outreach & Promotions Development Officer Doug Simpson Outreach Officer (Delivery Service) Sharon Smith Children’s & Youth Services Librarian Support and eServices Division Brian Plummer Support & eServices Coordinator Howard Atkinson Mobile Library Operator Michael Ellis Mobile Library Supervisor Garry Forde Mobile Library Operator - Casual Relief Staff Helen Graetz Support & eServices Officer Lynn Hackett Collection Services Officer RIVERINA LIBRARY Officer Clare Morey Support REGIONAL & eServices Development ORGANISATIONAL CHART Kaylene Nisbet Support Services Officer Executive Director (35 hours)
Support & eServices Coordinator (35 hours)
Business & Communications Coordinator (35 hours)
Support & eServices Officer (35 hours)
Mobile Library Supervisor (35 hours)
Collection Services Officer (35 hours)
Support & eServices Development Officer (35 hours)
Mobile Library Operator (9 hours)
Support Services Officer (35 hours)
Business Support Officer (35 hours)
Outreach & Promotions Coordinator (35 hours)
Children’s & Youth Services Librarian (35 hours)
Outreach Services Officer (Delivery Service) (17 hours)
Outreach & Promotions Development Officer (28 hours)
Outreach Services Officer (Delivery Service) (23 hours)
Outreach & Promotions Officer (35 hours)
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RRL Branch Library Staff Adelong Library Kirsty Roche
Library Assistant
Batlow Library Robert Beegling Bland Library Cathy Lange Brooke Healey-Vrana Lisa Thompson Tracey Lees
Senior Library Assistant Library Assistant Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff
Coolamon Library Helen McLoughlin Laura Higgins Jessica Inch
Officer in Charge Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff
Cootamundra Library Penny Howse Leanne Jones Rochelle Nicholls Lynne Thorburn Lyn Angus Kerry Byrne Alison Knagge Corowa Library Louise Parr Nicole Raleigh Lisa Raschke Christine Simmons Culcairn Library Susan Kane Jenny Rogan Tarran Slatter Jenny Whitlock Deborah Cotter Jeanette Ross Andrea Simmons Gundagai Library Cindy Smith Robin Horst Leanne Sheahan Ellen Tozer
Library Assistant
Library Manager Library Assistant Library Assistant Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Library Team Leader Library Assistant Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Library & Youth Services Development Officer Library Assistant Library Assistant Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Library & Community Services Manager Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff
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RRL Branch Library Staff Henty Library Susan Kane Hannah Daniell Jill Thiele Andrea Simmons Deborah Cotter Jeanette Ross Tarran Slatter Holbrook Library Alison Cowie Dominique Heriot Leonie Hibberson Howlong Library Nyree-Anne Terry Nicki Raleigh Junee Library Kim Richards Margaret Kanaley Linda Dyer Robyn Futcher Matthew Glass Kellie Holmes Mulwala Library Jenny Orr Faye Glover Nicki Raleigh Lisa Raschke Talbingo Library Shirlee Whiting Christina Gould
Library & Youth Services Development Officer Library, Youth & Communications Officer Library Assistant Library Assistant Library Assistant Library Assistant Library Assistant Library Coordinator Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Library & Customer Service Officer Casual Relief Staff Librarian in Charge Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Library & Customer Service Officer Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff
Temora Library Eileen England Ros Langford Karin Walker
Librarian in Charge Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff
Tumbarumba Library Vicki Hulm Regina Brunsdon Jacinda Arnold Sarah Rial
Library Team Leader Library Assistant Casual Relief Staff Casual Relief Staff
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RRL Branch Library Staff Tumut Library Kristin Twomey Leanne Ballard Sharon Thatcher Rhonda Twomey Wendy Webb
Librarian in Charge Library Assistant Library Assistant Library Assistant Library Assistant
Wagga Wagga City Library Claire Campbell Manager Library Services Information Services/Circulation Team Margot Lumley Information Services Librarian 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 Saturday Circulation Team Monique Shephard Team Leader Matt Dombrovski Library Assistant Cassandra Ward Library Assistant Programs, Promotions and Partnerships Team Christine Bolton Team Leader 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 Deirdre Coggan Work Placement Volunteers Home Library - 15 Friends of the Library - 20 Language Cafe - 22 Work for the Dole Placements - 5 Work Experience & Duke of Edinburgh Students - 6 RRL Mobile Library Michael Ellis Howard Atkinson Garry Forde
Mobile Library Supervisor Mobile Library Operator Casual Relief Staff
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RRL Executive Director Report The 2016-2017 year for Riverina Regional Library (RRL) has been full of activity, particularly in the areas of flexible library programming, collection maintenance and regional collaboration. As the largest regional library service in NSW, RRL provides centralised library services to 138,517 constituents in 10 Council areas covering a geographic area of 47,917km2 through a network of 18 branch libraries, 3 deposit stations and a mobile library that visits 28 communities. With much anticipation and excitement, the RRL Administration Centre moved into newly refurbished premises at 2 Galing Place on 29 August 2016. The RRL Administration Centre Relocation Project was a major success that delivered a significantly larger and more functional administration building that will enable the organisation to provide continued service excellence to the libraries of its member Councils for many years to come.
Robert Knight Executive Director Riverina Regional Library
RRL was also fortunate to be included in the NSW Department of Justice Community Service Order (CSO) Program, which provided skills and labour for a variety of outdoor jobs including landscaping, paving, painting and ongoing maintenance. The CSO group continues to visit the RRL Administration Centre on a fortnightly basis, and the tasks undertaken to date have made a remarkable improvement to the presentation and appearance of the property. The State Library of NSW Indigenous Spaces in Library Places strategy was adopted in March 2016 to encourage libraries to build greater awareness, support and engagement of Indigenous peoples and communities. In accordance with this strategy and in partnership with Eastern Riverina Arts, RRL branch libraries have enjoyed an exhibition of contemporary Aboriginal art throughout 2016. Giilanggalang, Wiradjuri for “many stories�, shares artwork by 20 Aboriginal artists from the Eastern Riverina. The artists created miniature works that fit inside the drawers of two card catalogue boxes. The works range from weaving and painting to carving and installation. This wide range shows the versatility of contemporary Aboriginal art while celebrating traditional methods. Giilanggalang toured RRL branch libraries and gave an opportunity for members of the public and school groups to interact with the art works and to use library resources to learn more about Aboriginal culture and history. Public libraries have long played a part in providing their communities with access to new technologies. In recent times, as part of the Makerspace movement (where libraries provide space and resources for creative learning opportunities), public libraries have been working with 3D printers. In November 2016, the Riverina Regional Library purchased two UP Mini2 3D printers from a local supplier.
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The printers made their debut at Wagga Wagga City Library in early January, demonstrating their ability to print practical, creative and whimsical items. Community members of all ages were fascinated with the technology and its potential, as the printers made their way around the region. The Outreach and Promotions team designed a suite of programs for the community this year, which were developed under a health and wellness theme called Active Minds. Designed to require low preparation from branch staff, the programs could be adapted to suit many ages. Programs include brain games, suminagashi (marbling), sashiko (simple Japanese embroidery technique), fabric stars, silk painting and weaving. These programs enabled participants to learn new skills, to exercise their minds and creativity and to make social connections. Programs also provided branch staff with the opportunity to engage with community members and promote their resources and services. In accordance with the organisation’s Build Capacity strategic objective, the Volunteer Attraction and Training Strategy was adopted at the RRL Advisory Committee in March 2017. This strategy was developed to encourage and assist branch libraries to instigate or expand existing volunteer programs to facilitate the expansion of program delivery. The RRL Book Club has had another great year, with 85 clubs registered across the region. This level of participation means that 900 people were using the library to improve their quality of life through reading and social connection. The RRL Book Club celebrating its tenth year in 2017, a milestone worthy of acknowledgement. To celebrate the occasion, all Book Club members received a key ring with a special 10 years logo and a range of celebratory events were held across the region. February and March 2017 saw a number of branch libraries focus on membership. Eleven branch libraries received posters and flyers, promoting all that they have to offer, for distribution within their respective communities. Branch libraries sent out membership forms with council newsletters, held special events and displayed a tree in their library with new members’ names attached as leaves. Vouchers for local cafÊs were offered for new and existing members who visited the library and borrowed during March. Statistics indicated an increase in new member numbers for February, compared to the previous month. The increase continued throughout 2017 and boosted library awareness within the community. RRL continued to lead the way across the NSW public library network and the South-West Zone in 20162017. As administrators for the South-West Zone Digital Library (SWZDL), RRL developed SWZDL Phase 2 Agreements offering the current SWZDL of 23 NSW Councils a further 5 years membership.. This option was taken up by all previous NSW members of the SWZDL. The SWZDL consortium was established in 2012 as a mechanism to provide access to eBooks, eAudio books and eMagazines to the 315,000 constituents of participating Councils. The SWZDL continues to be an outstanding success with the collection growing significantly since its inception. It is an inspiring example of local government collaboration across a wide geographic area to bring equal access for constituents across multiple local government areas to library resources that would otherwise be individually unaffordable in many libraries. It is largely due to the dedication and engagement of its staff that RRL is recognised as a regional and state leader in many of its initiatives and innovations. None of the success of RRL would be achieved without the dedication, commitment and enthusiasm of the RRL Administration Centre staff, whose contribution is gratefully acknowledged. Similarly, the achievements and high level of community engagement of the staff at the 18 branch libraries across the region is remarkable, and provides the 138,517 residents in the RRL network with an enviable level of collections, programs and services. I wish to also recognise the commitment and support of the 10 member Councils and the RRL Advisory Committee for the provision of valuable and high quality library services for their communities. Together, we have again delivered outstanding library services for our region. Robert Knight Executive Director Riverina Regional Library
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Business and Communications
The Business and Communications Division provides administrative support and coordinates organisational procedures to achieve RRL strategic goals and objectives.
The Business and Communications Team Karen Wendt Business and Communications Coordinator Wendy Callis Business Support Officer
Strategic Reporting Administration and Finance Policy Development Work Health & Safety 12
Outreach and Promotions
The Outreach and Promotions Division is responsible for the development and implementation of programs and services to RRL branch libraries.
The Outreach and Promotions Team Amy Heap Outreach and Promotions Coordinator Tracey Luhrs Outreach and Promotions Officer Kim McLaren Outreach Officer - Casual Relief Staff Louise Pearce Outreach Officer (Delivery Service) Cynthia Price Outreach and Promotions Development Officer Doug Simpson Outreach Officer (Delivery Service) Sharon Smith Children’s and Youth Services Librarian
Outreach Services Promotions Children’s & Youth Services Internal Delivery Service 13
Support and eServices
The Support and eServices Division provides information technology, collection and eServices support to RRL branch libraries and the Mobile Library.
The Support and eServices Team Brian Plummer Support and eServices Coordinator Howard Atkinson Mobile Library Operator Michael Ellis Mobile Library Supervisor Garry Forde Mobile Library Operator - Casual Relief Staff Helen Graetz Support and eServices Officer Lynn Hackett Collection Services Officer Clare Morey Support and eServices Development Officer Kaylene Nisbet Support Services Officer
Information Technology Collection Services eResources and eServices Mobile Library Operations
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Mobile Library The Mobile Library is a unique and high performing unit in the RRL branch library network. The library visits 28 communities in 7 Council areas, and due to limited storage capacity and frequency of visits, has the highest turnover of stock. A proposal to allocate $20,000 in additional funding for the Mobile Library collection was endorsed by the RRL Advisory Committee on 30 November 2016. This additional funding, divided amongst user member Councils, will ensure equitable and long term access to a continually revitalized collection for Mobile Library borrowers.
Library Visits
26,625
30,861 Loans
48,840
kilometres travelled
6,362
Collection Items
1,501
Library Members
28
service points
The RRL Mobile Library stops here
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Erin Hulm Donation The doorbell at 2 Galing Place rang on Monday 17 October 2016, and one of our lovely neighbours, Erin Hulm, introduced herself to RRL staff members. Erin advised that she owned an online book store but had decided to close her business, and kindly offered to donate the surplus stock to RRL. RRL staff arranged a visit to Erin’s home the very next day to view the books on offer. Staff were amazed to be greeted by a pristine collection of almost 600 new paperback and hardback books, including classics, popular fiction and non-fiction titles. Staff wasted no time in collecting the books from Erin’s home using the RRL work vehicles, and transformed the meeting room into a processing centre. A great team effort saw the boxes unpacked and sorted alphabetically by author into 112 separate titles. Holdings and loan histories of the donated titles at RRL’s 19 branch libraries were checked, and allocation of the books proceeded. The books were allocated as follows: 218 were used as replacement titles for copies already held at RRL libraries. This gave branches the chance to spend their budgets on new titles, rather than having to spend it on replacing this popular, well borrowed stock; nearly 60 titles were used as replacements for the RRL Book Club; and every branch, including our smallest libraries, received the remaining titles. RRL was extremely grateful to have received this generous donation from Erin. We really couldn’t thank her enough. Erin was acknowledged on behalf of RRL, our member Councils and 19 libraries across the region at the official opening of the RRL Administration Centre in November 2016, and presented with a beautiful arrangement of flowers.
Almost 600 new books, in pristine condition, were donated to RRL and distributed to all 19 branch libraries.
10 Years of RRL Book Club In 2007, two Wagga Wagga City Library staff members had a dream to start a book club service. With some solid research, clever ideas and lots of preparation, the RRL Book Club was launched in 2008, and sixteen clubs joined. It was a wonderful year of reading and social connection, and the service has grown enormously since the beginning, thanks to the sustainable model and, of course, the power of reading with others. To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the RRL Book Club, each member of the 85 clubs received a key ring with a special 10th Anniversary logo. Each month, the clubs have been sent a recipe for a celebratory cake, with recipes suggested by club members.
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In order to celebrate with the club members in person, RRL Outreach and Promotions team members, Amy Heap and Tracey Luhrs, organised four gatherings across the region. Literary mocktails or a glass of wine were enjoyed with some delicious food, and a film version of one of the RRL Book Club books was shown, before chatting about books and movies over a piece of cake. With 85 clubs across the region, it is clear that the RRL Book Club continues to meet a great need within the community, and we look forward to the next ten years of reading and friendship.
3D Printing Comes to Town 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, has been around since the 1980s. These days, it has moved on from being solely the domain of large scale manufacturing, and can now be found in schools, homes and libraries! The 3D printing process turns a whole object into thousands of tiny little slices, then makes it from the bottom-up, slice by slice. Those tiny layers stick together to form a solid object. Each layer can be very complex, meaning 3D printers can create moving parts like hinges and wheels as part of the same object. 3D Printers can use a wide range of materials, including plastics, resins, metals, ceramics and even food! The affordability and local availability of 3D printers, led the RRL Outreach and Promotions team to purchase two UP Mini2 3D printers from a Wagga Wagga company called Edukits, for the purpose of giving the community an opportunity to see this technology in action, and to gain skills in using it. The printers are compact, which has enabled them to be easily transported across the region, and set up temporarily in the branch libraries. The printers use ABS plastic in a range of colours, and can be used to print useful, decorative, creative, whimsical and fun objects. The Outreach and Promotions team have held demonstrations across the region, showing communities what 3D printers can do, and allowing people to bring in files for printing. Cord protectors, cotton tip holders and replacement parts were among the practical items printed. Robots, pianos and many PokĂŠmon figures were also in high demand. RRL Administration Centre and branch library staff alike have learned a great deal about this new technology, and have gained new skills, especially in problem solving! RRL is looking forward to exploring the possibilities of 3D printing and design with our community.
3D printing has moved from large scale manufacturing to schools, homes and libraries!
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New RRL Administration Centre
Located on a tranquil, out-of-the-way slope on the banks of the Murrumbigee River, RRL Administration Centre was delighted to call 2 Galing Place its new home in August 2016. While RRL had been able to incorporate the unexpected expansion of the organisation in recent years, the same could not be said for the Administration Centre building at 99 Peter Street in central Wagga Wagga which was bursting at the seams! Increases in staffing and operational activity, associated with the growth of the organisation, put enormous strain on the available space. The Galing Place building had been, for the most part, unoccupied for a number of years, before Riverina Regional Library accepted the challenge to transform the somewhat disheveled facility into a practical and ample working space. The project was funded by a contribution of $120,000 from Riverina Regional Library; $120,000 from Wagga Wagga City Council; and a grant of $100,000 from the inaugural Public Library Infrastructure Grants Program (State Library of NSW). Plans for the refurbishment of the building were drawn up and included additional offices, storage spaces, extra restrooms, and a garage for the Internal Delivery Service vehicle – all of which were lacking in the previous building. Plans also included a generous program development/meeting room area able to accommodate up to 60 people. The project was a tremendous success and has provided Riverina Regional Library with a significantly larger and more functional Administration Centre. We gratefully acknowledge our project partners for their contribution to the success of the Riverina Regional Library Administration Centre refurbishment and relocation project. So here we are, at 2 Galing Place - a peaceful yet vibrant location conducive to an innovative and cheerful working environment away from the ‘hustle and bustle’ of the Wagga Wagga CBD. The staff of the Riverina Regional Library Administration Centre are thrilled to call this building their workplace and to celebrate the longevity and success of the Riverina Regional Library. The newly refurbished building provides an inspiring work space that will contribute to the sustainability of the organisation for many years to come.
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RRL Administration Centre
Official Opening and Open Day The new RRL Administration Centre was officially opened on 30 November 2016 by Wagga Wagga City Council Mayor, Cr Greg Conkey and RRL Chairperson, Cr Dallas Tout.
A Neighbourhood Open Day was held on 11 May 2017. Residents of Galing Place enjoyed morning tea with a tour of the new Administration Centre and Mobile Library.
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RRL Branch Libraries START
Adelong
Batlow
Junee
Howlong
Holbrook
Temora
Tumbarumba
Mulwala
Talbingo 20
RRL Branch Libraries Bland
Coolamon
Cootamundra
Corowa TU C
X KER BO
Henty
Gundagai
Culcairn
Tumut
Wagga Wagga
FINISH 21
Adelong School Visits Adelong Library has enjoyed a wonderfully supportive relationship with both the local Primary Schools and the Pre School again this year. Each term, the library hosts Pre School, Kindergarten and Year 1 and 2 Classes for fun, interactive story and craft mornings. Creative finger animal puppets were wiggling on the children’s fingers as they left the library following participation in the National Simultaneous Storytime, which was followed by a morning tea on the library’s lawn. Holiday Fun School holiday programs have been well supported in Adelong with the Creepy Crawly Educational Show, a huge hit among the local children. Welcoming bugs, spiders and magnificent stick insects into the library, the enthusiastic participants were able to hold, pat and view the most interesting specimens. Bringing Health Books to Life An emerging initiative at the Adelong Library is the shared educational living food get together sessions. Sharing their love of cooking, gardening and health, and feeding off the Batlow CiderFest’s Living Food for Longer Life Conference, local ladies have been meeting, swapping recipes and teaching each other the techniques associated with making one’s own kombucha, kefir and sour dough. Future monthly forums over home produced goodies are planned for the ensuing year ahead. Kirsty Roche Library Assistant Adelong Library
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Adelong Library Tumut Street ADELONG NSW 2729 02 6946 2270
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)
131
Library Members
2,856
Collection Items Library Visits
925
2,093 Loans
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Batlow Reach Out Program Batlow Library and Rural Transaction Centre has been providing a delivery service for the local MultiPurpose Service (MPS) in Batlow. A number of residents and patients of the facility are regularly provided with a variety of audio book materials from the region-wide collection. On fine days, the MPS Reach Out Program Coordinator will accompany some of the residents to the library for book selection and pickup. The outing provides residents with the opporunity to discuss the type of materials they would like. These items are also available for patrons with impaired vision. The audio book collection is supplemented with audio readings of the local Tumut and Adelong Times and Batlow District newspapers, narrated by volunteers at the Tumut Anglican Church offices. Patrons and residents of the MPS greatly appreciate this service. It is just one of the many community links the Batlow Library has established. Wrap With Love Each year the Batlow Library runs a knitting program coordinated by the ABC and RRL. This service is provided by the volunteer organisation, Wrap With Love. The Batlow knitting group meets each week during July and participants enjoy a warm environment, friendly chat and morning tea while they knit. Participants knit squares to form much needed blankets for winter. Some residents continue to knit at home and then bring the completed squares to the group meeting. Our experienced knitters willingly passed on their knitting skills to beginner knitters who wanted to contribute and join the group. Storytime Every second Wednesday of the month, Batlow Library conducts Storytime. We are very grateful to Rhonda Twomey and the staff of Tumut Library who assist us with this service. Our young visitors and their parents/carers responded very enthusiastically to the animated story readings and are always very eager to participate in the associated craft activities. Depending on the weather, there may be between 5 to 25 eager little participants, who leave the library, delighted with their creations and the stories they have heard. This program is seen as a step in the right direction for children’s literacy skill development that encourages a love for reading. Robert Beegling Library Assistant Batlow Library
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Batlow Library Pioneer Street BATLOW NSW 2730 02 6949 1315
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)
448
Library Members
4,960
Collection Items Library Visits
16,647
7,079 Loans
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Bland Basic Computer Training for Seniors With the decline of vocational education in many rural areas and an increase in senior members of the community seeking assistance with using a computer, Bland Shire Library chose Library and Information Week to launch a six week Basic Computer Training for Seniors program. The program was specifically designed to give seniors with no or very limited computer experience some basic computer knowledge and skills. The program, which was capped at twenty people, was fully booked. The program ran for two hours every Tuesday over a six week period, covering topics such as different types of computers, their advantages and disadvantages, hardware and software, and the internet. It is hoped that the library’s Basic Computer Training for Seniors program will enable those who attended to come to future computer training programs with a greater understanding of computers. In general, the feedback for this program was very positive with many participants agreeing that the greatest fear is not knowing, but with knowledge and skill comes confidence and power – so watch out grandkids! Creative Writers’ Group Bland Shire Library actively supports a writers group, aptly named Pals of the Pen. The group meets every second Friday in the library (with tea and coffee provided by library staff ). The group, which was started in 2012, by then library manager Joanne Russo, under the name of Wordsworth, has continued to flourish under the guidance of Senior Library Officer, Cathy Lange. While the group operates independently, organising their own meetings and writing challenges, the library provides a neutral environment that nurtures new and developing writers. With much lively discussion, laughter, and on occasion heartfelt tears, group members support and encourage each other in their creative writing. While the group can claim several successes with writing competitions and published works, perhaps their greatest achievement is their friendship, which is harnessed by a desire to each tell a story in their own words. From the library’s perspective, the additional support it provides by holding workshops with visiting authors, sourcing writing competitions and arranging events, which allows the group to engage with new people and extend their social network, it is the perfect platform for building community. Baby Bounce Booms! Bland Shire Library is rejoicing in the fact that 2017 has seen a renewed interest in its Baby Bounce program - possibly due to a baby BOOM! The program which went into hiatus late last year due to a lack of attendees was reinvented and reintroduced in February, and now has a regular group of mothers attending with their babies with a few additional toddlers in tow. The program, which is held every second Friday during school term, caters for babies aged 12 months and younger. The program is promoted as a fun morning for everyone; a way of introducing baby to reading and literacy through rhymes, songs, interactive play and books - in a safe, comfortable, friendly environment. The program is free to attend with coffee and tea provided. Dads and grandparents are encouraged to attend also. Interestingly, a trial was undertaken using technology to present several Baby Bounce sessions. However, the trial was deemed unsuccessful. Lesson learned: What may work for one library doesn’t necessarily mean that it will work for every library. Cathy Lange Senior Library Officer Bland Shire Library
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Bland Shire Library 6 Shire Street
Deposit Stations:
WEST WYALONG NSW 2671
Barmedman Ungarie Weethalle
02 6979 0272
Opening Hours: Friday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm Saturday 9:30am - 12:00pm
1,544
Library Members
20,349
Collection Items Library Visits
60,788
35,055 Loans
27
Coolamon Membership Drive Coolamon Library was keen to undertake a membership drive to try to increase members and to showcase the library. With the help of the RRL Outreach & Promotions Team, the membership drive was a great success. The promotion was held over two months in February and March of this year. The first plan was to develop a flyer which was specific to Coolamon Library with member benefits and details about the library. These flyers, together with the membership form, were distributed to every household within the shire. They were also distributed to Pre Schools, Schools and Daycare Centres to encourage students and parents to join the library. Advertising was placed in School and Council newsletters and on social media, such as Facebook. A competition was held during March to win vouchers to the local cafes. Both new and long standing members had a chance to win. This was a great incentive for our borrowers. The library also held a presentation called It’s Your Library: Come and discover/explore the library. Over the two month period, more than 50 new members were registered and over 30 members were re-registered. A very worthwhile initiative! Book Walk The Coolamon Library held a very successful ‘Book Walk’ program in March this year. A Book Walk is a way to encourage children to be involved in a story. It’s a new program which was introduced to the library through RRL Children’s & Youth Services Librarian, Sharon Smith. One of the local Primary Schools was invited to participate and the feedback was very positive. The response from the teachers and students was amazing. The book chosen for the program was Between the Pages, written by Joan van Loon. Each page of the story was laminated and put on a stand throughout the library. Children were encouraged to physically move through the book by walking from page to page. Each board was numbered in sequence to help guide the children and teachers. Along the way, the story was read aloud as the children collected different items at each post that were relevant to the story. The items they collected were then used as props to assist in retelling the story later. I highly recommend this program as it is something a little bit different, and builds on a child’s narrative and memory skills. Storytime: “Teeth” The library held a very special Storytime session, themed ‘Teeth’, in October 2016. Students from the Charles Sturt University Dental Clinic were invited to take part in the session. They read several books to the children including Your Smile Counts, and provided some valuable dental hygiene information to both children and parents. Tooth Brush Kits were then handed out to the students. The library has built a great partnership with the CSU Dental Clinic. It is a great reminder to our community of how our Storytime sessions can be so important and educational to our young audience. Helen McLoughlin Officer in Charge Coolamon Library
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Coolamon Library 129 Cowabbie Street COOLAMON NSW 2701 02 6927 2492
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm Saturday 9:00am - 12:00pm
1,246
Library Members
8,203
Collection Items Library Visits
25,479
19,145 Loans
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Cootamundra Children’s Events Popular children’s authors, Jane Godwin and Davina Bell, visited EA Southee Public School to promote their latest book, Hattie Helps Out. An audience of 80 students took part in the hour long session which focused on several aspects of the writing process. This activity was organised though the Cootamundra Library in conjunction with RRL. Activities such as this help to strengthen the libraries partnerships with the local schools network. A highlight of Book Week this year was a presentation from Crocodile Encounters. Over 90 people packed the Stephen Ward rooms for the show. The aim of Crocodile Encounters is to allow young children to experience live animals up close, in a safe and controlled environment, whilst conveying a positive message about these sometimes misunderstood animals. All students of Elouera Special School and Premier Learning Centre were in attendance. Adult Events There are a total of six RRL Book Clubs in Cootamundra. One of the groups is an all men’s group who meet at the library once a month for a coffee and catch-up. Last year, students from Sacred Heart School participated in a Youth Book Club trial, facilitated by Teacher/Librarian, Pam Gehrig, which saw the group read one title every two months. A highlight of the year was the annual Christmas Trivia Party where Book Clubs compete against each other for the glory of ‘Brainiest Book Club’. Other popular events included Ancestry lessons and Book Face competition. Over 50 adults attended an author talk with Leonard Janiszewski and Effy Alexakis about their book, Greek Cafes and Milk Bars of Australia. A great photo of a popular café in Cootamundra features on the cover of their book. Leonard’s talk was a great trip down memory lane for members of the audience. Technology and Collection Hundreds of large print books were weeded from the collection and given to RRL for distribution to other branch libraries. Talking books are as popular as ever with library patrons and there is quite an extensive range on offer. The collection is regularly supplemented with MP3s and audio CDs from the State Library. Increasingly, patrons are also accessing Borrow Box and Ulverscroft for audio material. DVDs continue to be in high demand. Local Priority Grant funding has enabled us to purchase the latest in TV series and movies. A number of seniors participated in Tech Savvy Seniors classes in May, lead very capably by tutor, Kerry Byrne. These sessions are funded by State Library of NSW. Amy Heap, from RRL, presented a very practical 3D printing workshop in June. Both adults and children enjoyed having the opportunity to print their 3D designs. We look forward to delivering more of these very popular workshops. Cootamundra Library staff were in attendance at the Local Business Awards this year where the Cootamundra Library was presented with the Community Service Award. Penny Howse Library Manager Cootamundra Library
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Cootamundra Library Wallendoon Street COOTAMUNDRA NSW 2590
02 6940 2200
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
3,137
Library Members
15,803
Collection Items Library Visits
67,454
50,341 Loans
31
Corowa Tech Savvy Seniors The Tech Savvy Seniors program for 2016/17 was successful and assisted many senior people with navigating the frustrating experience of owning and operating technology. These programs offered introductory computing skills to attendees by developing the confidence and skills necessary to embrace the technologies for socialising, accessing important services, conducting personal business and staying safe online. Learning a new technology can be a daunting task for adults of any age. These classes were so popular that all three Federation Council library branches will be offering more classes in the future. Celebrating Library and Information Week Ghost Jam! is a comic take on Japanese ghost tales combined with music and silly, spooky storytelling. All schools in the Federation Council area were invited to attend one of the eleven shows in Corowa, Mulwala, Howlong, Urana and Oaklands. Children and adults were captivated by the hilarious and imaginative performance highlighted with sound effects from traditional Japanese instruments. The show entertained, delighted and educated the young and not so young. Author, AJ (Sandy) Mackinnon, has written two books, The Unlikely Voyage of Jack De Crow and The Well at the World’s End. Sandy was well received at Meet the Author sessions held at Corowa, Howlong and Mulwala library branches. Corowa Library hosted an evening session with 58 people attending. Sandy was a true entertainer as well as a master storyteller. Following these talks, many attendees returned to congratulate the library staff on such a fantastic evening and the wonderful choice of speaker. Digitisation of the Corowa Free Press The Corowa Free Press from 1875-2011 has now been digitised and available to the general public. The Corowa Free Press 1875 – 1954 is available on TROVE and was funded by the State Library of NSW Digital Excellence Program. The Corowa Free Press 1955 -2011 is available in digitised format at the Corowa Library as part of Federation Council’s digistation program. The digitised editions are indexed so that library patrons can use keywords to search within individual editions or across months, years, or the entire collection. Louise Parr Library Team Leader Corowa Library
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Corowa Library Civic Centre 100 Edward Street Ball Park COROWA NSW 2646 02 6033 8941
Federation Council Network of Libraries Corowa Howlong Mulwala
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm Saturday 9:30am - 12:00pm
1,609
Library Members
10,007
Collection Items Library Visits
21,352
29,733 Loans
33
Culcairn NSW Grandparents Day Culcairn Library celebrated NSW Grandparents Day in October 2016, in partnership with Riverina Regional Library, Culcairn Early Childhood Preschool, Culcairn’s Red Cross and the Culcairn Library. NSW Grandparents Day celebrates the contributions grandparents and older people make to their families and communities. A celebration was held in the Greater Hume Shire community for grandparents and their grandchildren, thanks to successful funding of $980 from a 2016 NSW Grandparents Day Grant. The event included a Storytime presentation, a photo booth, and a delightful high tea for all to enjoy. Each grandparent also received a special gift from their grandchild which included a card and a bunch of soap flowers organised by the Culcairn Newsagency and the Culcairn Library. The event was a great success with many happy grandparents and their grandchildren enjoying the morning of activities. Beauty Queens Lifestyle Event Seniors Week 2017 – Beauty Queens Lifestyle Event was celebrated at the Culcairn Library in March 2017. Members of the community from both Culcairn and Henty enjoyed a morning of pampering, a presentation on living a fit and healthy life, and a delicious morning tea. The event also provided an opportunity for participants to engage in conversation in the lovely surroundings of the Culcairn Library. Greater Hume Shire was successful in obtaining NSW Government funding of $825 to host this event which offered seniors the opportunity to grow, learn, laugh and be inspired. Gingerbread House for Christmas In December 2016, at the beginning of the school holidays, Christmas was celebrated at the Culcairn Library with Gingerbread House making. Young people and their families, following very detailed instructions, were able to construct some very elegant and scrumptiously decorated Gingerbread Houses. The workshop included all the materials such as house, icing, lollies, silver foil, board and cellophane for wrapping. It was a successful and fun filled program for the whole family! This event has proven to be extremely popular over the last couple of years and showcases the wonderful library space to the community. Susan Kane Officer in Charge Culcairn Library
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Culcairn Library 40 Balfour Street CULCAIRN NSW 2660 02 6029 8588
Greater Hume Shire Council Network of Libraries Culcairn Henty Holbrook
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm Saturday 10:00am-12:30pm
526
Library Members
3,970
Collection Items Library Visits
21,238
6,683 Loans
35
Gundagai NAIDOC Week NAIDOC Week has grown up and out over the past five years, and this year the library was overflowing with celebratory events including a wide range of research, recreation and children’s Indigenous material on display during the week. The library also held a flag raising ceremony, smoking ceremony, and a special NAIDOC Storytime read by our local Elders. There was also kangaroo lasagna, crocodile curry, damper tasting and a really fun boomerang workshop. International Author Visit Dr Soerjohardjo Wardiningsih from the University of Indonesia spent time in Australia in the 1980s, during which time she studied mid-nineteenth century Australia. Soerjohardjo compiled her thesis on Gundagai in the nineteenth century whilst studying in Australia and spent some time with local historians including the late Cliff Butcher, and members of the Hoarsley family. Library staff were overjoyed that Soerjohardjo chose to come to Gundagai to present her book resulting from her thesis during a visit to Australia. The book titled: Gundagai in the mid-nineteenth century Australia: a historical examination, was well received by locals and historians alike. Community History Digitisation Volunteers led by Michelle Hooper descended upon the library’s historical section this year to concentrate on local documents that needed to be transcribed and digitised. Michelle’s team, aided by the local history group, digitised some of the earlier historical accounts of Gundagai. They unearthed some very interesting local information that is now in a searchable and lasting format. This next stage of this project is to make it available online so that the wider community may also enjoy access to such great gems of our past. Cindy Smith Library & Community Services Manager Gundagai Library
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Gundagai Library 245 Sheridan Street GUNDAGAI NSW 2722 02 6944 0270
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
743
Library Members
9,467
Collection Items Library Visits
12,386
9,301 Loans
37
Henty Eco-Regalia The Country Arts Support Program (CASP) is an annual small grants program administered by Regional Arts NSW on behalf of Create NSW. Henty Library was successful in obtaining $1,570.00 in funding from this program for an event titled, Eco Regalia. The Eco Regalia event provided an opportunity for participants to attend two eco-friendly workshops: Bonsai trees, jewellery making, and an art exhibition. The exhibition provided a foundation from which the community could interact and engage in a positive way with other members of the community who have a passion for the arts and, in particular, eco-art. The Eco Regalia event was held in partnership with Henty Active Arts in May 2017 coinciding with Library and Information Week, and the exhibition was held in June 2017. The workshops and the exhibition provided the community with an awareness of the importance of preserving the Earth’s ecology and the innovative, creative ways in which to re-create/re-cycle resources. Salt Clay Making The July school holidays were celebrated with Salt Clay Making at the library. The Salt Clay Making workshop was facilitated by RRL Children’s and Youth Services Librarian, Sharon Smith with over thirty young people attending. Attendees learned how to make their own uncooked salt clay, follow a recipe, use measuring tools, and improve fine motor skills. Once the salt clay was made there was an examination of different techniques for modelling, selecting an idea and thinking about how to make each component. The different coloured clay was shared and everyone was given the opportunity to make their own creations. The children were invited to take home their left over clay. 3D Printer Technology Members of the Greater Hume Shire community who were curious about 3D printing technology attended the library for a workshop with Amy Heap from RRL who demonstrated how the technology works and gave some fantastic examples of items already made. Everyone in attendance, especially the enthralled younger people of the community, were able to see that the 3D printer is really fascinating, and printing 3D objects from digital models have so many exciting possibilities. From printing replacement machine parts to prosthetic limbs, 3D printers are being used in many industries, and in libraries! The 3D printer was available for use at the library for a short time and provided many young people with the confidence to research 3D objects to make and to operate the printer. 3D printing is a fantastic example of how libraries are changing and continually evolving to meet the needs of the community in a digital age. Susan Kane Officer in Charge Henty Library
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Henty Library 30 Sladen Street HENTY NSW 2658 02 6929 3770
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
507
Library Members
4,388
Collection Items Library Visits
18,259
8,447 Loans
39
Holbrook Homework Club Holbrook Library runs a Homework Club weekly during school term. Around ten primary school aged children regularly attend for an hour of supervised homework help. Afternoon tea is provided and the children have a quiet place to get some homework done away from younger siblings and the distractions of home. However the reality of ‘quiet’ can be a bit different after a long day of school. There can be a lot of noise and hilarity for that hour, however, the children have arrived at a happy balance where socialising is important but completing at least one sheet of homework is a must. The other interesting thing is that many methods of calculation have changed since staff were at school so we are often challenged, but on the bright side are able to show children the marvellous homework help resources available online. Besides helping with homework, the library becomes a hive of activity when family members borrow items and use the library services when attending to pick up the children. Lego A new activity taking shape at Holbrook Library is a Lego Club. Some local parents had previously raised funding for this activity but were unable to form a club. Library staff took on the project and purchased a substantial amount of Lego. With this, a fortnightly group was started. All of the participants are young primary school aged children and they have really enjoyed the selection of Lego available to build with. As well as constructing, the children get a chance to look at websites showing the many different Lego projects available and there is a good selection of Lego project books available in the library. When a project is completed the item is displayed in a glass case in the library foyer with the child’s name on it, and everyone gets a turn! Home Deliveries Due to being located next to the Holbrook Village Hostel, library staff are in a position to deliver to the residents on a regular basis. Either residents, hostel staff or family members contact the library when books are required. A few residents are also avid audio book readers, so keeping up with the volume of titles can be quite a challenge. Hostel staff also borrow DVDs for their movie afternoons with current favourites being musicals. A different type of delivery was made for the hostel residents, involving the children attending Storytime. Storytime is held twice a month on alternate Thursdays, The Storytime group visits the hostel for Music Fun with the residents. Percussion instruments were purchased with library and hostel funding. Local indigenous educator, Darren Wighton, presented a session with a Didgeridoo which was a great success for both children and residents. Hostel staff are very encouraging of the interaction and feel it is beneficial to all involved. Alison Cowie Library Coordinator Holbrook Library
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Holbrook Library Bowler Street HOLBROOK NSW 2644 02 6036 3262
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
595
Library Members
5,781
Collection Items Library Visits
10,076
9,170 Loans
41
Howlong Coffee, Cake and Colouring A Coffee, Cake and Colouring activity held in September 2016 at the Howlong Library was a great success. The activity brought together people who had lots of interesting stories and life experiences to share with each other. The interaction and engagement promoted friendship, interest in others, and knowledge of contacts and services across the community. It was a great way to bring people together. Sandy McKinnon Author Visit An interested number of people attended Sandy McKinnon’s author talk and book discussion at the Howlong Library in February 2017. They enjoyed talking with Sandy about his writing style, his books, his sense of adventure, and most of all, his great enthusiasm and love of life in general. A number of Howlong Book Club members attended and particularly enjoyed this opportunity. Chinese Dragons The Howlong Library had Chinese Dragons as their July school holiday activity. It was a popular and fun activity with Lisa Raschke from Corowa Library as our presenter. Twelve children participated along with their parents to assist and enjoy the event. The children were able to make all sorts of great, colourful and funny looking dragon mobiles, and also made one for the Howlong Library staff and volunteers! Nyree-Anne Terry Library & Customer Service Officer Howlong Library
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Howlong Library 59 Hawkins Street HOWLONG NSW 2643 02 6026 5055
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
458
Library Members
4,396
Collection Items Library Visits
5,742
9,961 Loans
43
Junee Vietnam War Display In collaboration with the Junee Mudlarks Pottery Group and returned Vietnam Veterans, a touching display of photos, pottery, paintings and woodwork were installed in the library. The display aimed to raise awareness of the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan. A film borrowed from the National Video Film and Lending Service was shown repeatedly throughout the anniversary day and money was raised via a donation box, and through the sale of pens, for the charity Soldier On. Holiday Fun Two of the featured holiday programs this year were Scientwists Fizzle and Pop Show held on in October 2016 and Chocolate Making in April 2017. The children who attended chocolate making, learned how to make their own moulded chocolates, created hot chocolate dipping spoons, and had fun decorating an Easter card for a loved one. Davina Bell and Jane Goodwin Invitations were extended in July 2016 to all Junee schools to attend a talk by visiting children’s authors, Davina Bell and Jane Goodwin. Eurongilly Public School and Illabo Public School accepted the invitation with 36 students ranging from Kindergarten to Year 6. The students learned about the two authors and how they differed in the process of their writing,and where they both got their inspiration from. Having a chance to listen to the authors read their own books was a totally inspirational experience for the students. Kim Richards Librarian in Charge Junee Library
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Junee Library 92 Lorne Street JUNEE NSW 2663 02 6924 2111
Opening Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9:30am - 5:30pm Wednesday 9:30am-6:00pm Saturday 9:00am-12:00pm
1,405
Library Members
13,291
Collection Items Library Visits
27,618
22,724 Loans
45
Mulwala Adults in the Library Mulwala Library has been hosting two local groups on a regular basis this year. These groups use the library and its facilities to research local history. The first of these: Mulwala Library Senior History Group, meets on Tuesdays and have been active in compiling data from present and past residents. The second group are using the Ancestry.com online database available from the public computers, with help from volunteer, Jenny Gowland. During Adult Learners Week, the Silk Painting Program saw participants enjoying their creative skills and Tech Savvy Seniors classes were hosted by Rhonda Wheeler. The library also hosted the Gallipoli On A Stick exhibition, with photographs from the War Memorial Museum, taken by Charles Ryan. Author, AJ (Sandy) Mackinnon, visited the library during March and took his audience on an hilarious journey! Mulwala Library has three great Book Clubs who meet monthly to exchange their thoughts regarding the titles received. Groups have also enjoyed the additional DVDs that come with kits. Book Club members enjoy meeting at various local venues for meals or coffee, and a chat. Families and Children The Library continues to provide opportunities for our young members to engage in a range of programs. Book Week, National Science Week, Local Government Week, School Holiday Programs, National Simultaneous Storytime, Baby Bounce, and Baby Rhyme Time. The new addition of Baby Rhyme Time was a direct result of the Baby Bounce parents wanting to continue to use the library as a meeting place. So much happening in our wonderful library spaces! Sharing with the Community The library has continued its association with nearby Mulwala Primary School and the Mulwala Pre School. Friendly relationships have developed with both staff and pupils. The general interest and enthusiasm for visiting performances is always fun and the library has also been included in a number of school activities such as Book Week and Education Week. The large front foyer of the library has proudly hosted displays from the Bangerang Learning Community and the School Art Group. Jenny Orr Library & Customer Service Officer Mulwala Library
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Mulwala Library 71 Melbourne Street MULWALA NSW 2647 03 5744 3439
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
527
Library Members
3,645
Collection Items Library Visits
2,448
4,965 Loans
47
Talbingo Wrap With Love Talbingo Library held a knitting morning tea and afternoon tea for the Wrap with Love charity in July and August 2016, where squares were knitted or crocheted. Talbingo Library sent six wraps and 32 squares to the Wrap With Love warehouse in Sydney where they were distributed to various charities in Australia and overseas. This was a great effort by the participants! A global total of more than 28,000 wraps were distributed throughout Australia and overseas in 2016. Bear Hunt - Grandparents Day We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Storytime was organised by the Snowy Valleys Council Community Development Team in October 2016 to celebrate Grandparent’s Day. A grandmother of one of the school children read the story, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, to the children, and a ‘bear hunt’ was organised to match the story. The students and pre school children in attendance enjoying the event and the ‘bear cake’ for morning tea. Library Lovers Day and Membership Drive Talbingo Library celebrated Library Lovers’ Day on 14 February 2017 which was combined with a membership drive. The library was decorated in hearts and some books were wrapped up and with a heart label showing the title and author only, which proved popular. The membership drive produced new members and at the end of March and April, gift vouchers from Talbingo supermarket were presented to competition winners. Shirlee Whiting Library Assistant Talbingo Library
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Talbingo Library Lampe Street TALBINGO NSW 2720 02 6949 5344
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)
87
Library Members
3,855
Collection Items Library Visits
1,041
2,522 Loans
49
Temora Promotion Two highly successful author visits were held at Temora Library during the year. One author, Jeremy Godwin spoke about his personal journey with depression in his book titled, Depression? F XXX Depression! The book is a part memoir, part self-help guide and outlines his very personal account of living with depression and anxiety. Jeremy’s talk was positive, optimistic and filled with practical advice as well as lessons learned along the way. Joint authors, Effy Alexakis and Leonard Janiszewski, spoke about Greek cafes and milk bars and their influence on country Australia, from their book titled, Greek Cafes & Milk Bars of Australia. Both author visits were very well attended. Children’s Activities Children’s Storytime and craft activities continued to attract many pre school children and their carers to the library. School holiday activities at the library this year included Terrariums and Recycled Art. RRL’s Children’s & Youth Services Librarian presented a Christmas program with activities including making ‘cold’ hot chocolate with marshmallow candy canes. Around 30 children attended and enjoyed the story written by Tim Miller, There’s a monster under my Christmas Tree who farts. The children then talked about the different ways Christmas is celebrated in different countries. The session was very popular and a lot of fun. Knit With Love The Knit With Love knitting group met regularly throughout the year for chatting, knitting and afternoon tea. Over 120 completed rugs were transported to the Sydney collection centre this year. Eileen England Librarian in Charge Temora Library
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Temora Library 294 Hoskins Street TEMORA NSW 2666 02 6977 1781
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am - 5:30pm Saturday 10:00am-12:00pm
1,345
Library Members
13,531
Collection Items Library Visits
25,913
38,694 Loans
51
Tumbarumba Events Friends of Tumbarumba Library held their first social fundraiser in October, “Swap not Shop” - a clothing exchange. After library opening hours, the library deck and meeting room were transformed into a fashion extravaganza. Before the event, patrons were asked to register and purchase tickets from the library. Donated items of clothing were left in exchange for buttons, the currency of the evening. On arrival there was wine and finger food, a chat with friends old and new, lucky door prizes showcasing local businesses and produce, and then it was onto the business end of the evening. The doors were opened and it was shop ‘till you drop. The evening was a hit with the community and will be held again. Next time, the focus will be children’s clothing and toys. Collection Friends of Tumbarumba Library received a Snowy Valleys Council Community Grant to redevelop the youth area in the library and provide external space seating. A portion of the funding was used to purchase additional spinner shelving stands and a lounge for the Xbox facilities. With the additional shelving, library staff were able to reconfigure the library area to provide a youth study area and an inviting meeting space. The redevelopment of the library space has double the area for programming and events, allowing more scope and functionality for future programming. The remainder of the grant will be used to provide tables and seating on the deck and surrounding park area, extending the library to the outdoors. Programs School Holiday programs over the last twelve months have seen a large rise in attendance and participation. During school holidays, Tumbarumba Library holds a number of different programs to complement the season. This year, programs have included family Storytime, Learn to Knit, Painted Fairy Castles, Christmas Bauble Workshop, Easter Origami, Small Hands Big Art, and Treasure Chests to name a few. The Twisted Science Show was extremely popular in October with over 100 in attendance. Lego and board game programs are always popular and are run during most school holidays. Vicki Hulm Library Coordinator Tumbarumba Library
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Tumbarumba Library Prince Street TUMBARUMBA NSW 2653
02 6948 2725
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
752
Library Members
7,580
Collection Items Library Visits
22,774
16,964 Loans
53
Tumut 2017 Jean Arnot Memorial Fellow Librarian in Charge, Kristin Twomey, was awarded the 2017 Jean Arnot Memorial Fellowship from the State Library of NSW for her paper: Libraries Building Communities - The need for Local Government to acknowledge the role of public libraries in community building and engagement. Kristin’s essay focuses on contemporary challenges faced by our public libraries in the context of proposed NSW Council amalgamations, with an emphasis on regional and rural areas. It argues that public libraries should be recognised, particularly in an increasingly digital world, as important informational, educational, cultural and social institutions that support and build local communities. Grandparent’s Day and Children’s Week In celebration of Grandparent’s Day and Children’s Week, with the assistance of the Snowy Valleys Council Community Development Team, the Tumut Library conducted a shire-wide traveling Storytime with the theme, “We’re going on a bear hunt”, centring around the much loved children’s book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. The Tumut Library Storytime session recreated the bear hunt for the children in the library gardens with the children traversing rapid rivers, scaling huge mountains and wandering through the jungle in search of the bear’s cave. The event was extremely popular with many families taking the opportunity to include several generations in the event to make it a real family outing. To conclude the event, every child was given a book to take home by a noted Australian author, including Mem Fox’s, Possum Magic, and Jackie French’s, Diary of a Wombat. School Holiday Activities Tumut Library has hosted a variety of exciting school holiday activities over the past 12 months. Each school holidays, the library now hosts a Holiday Lego Club. The library purchased a large bulk Lego kit which is used for the sessions that run for about two hours. During this time, children enrolled in the club are able to free-build or use a collection of instruction books and downloaded resources. Clay Making workshops also proved extremely popular during the October school holidays with sessions completely booked out. These were wonderfully interactive and the design outcomes were incredibly creative and artistic. The same can be said for the Fantasy Makeup sessions provided by RRL which were very popular with the teenage girls. Interest in these sessions was so popular that library staff have decided to continue providing them for the community. Kristin Twomey Librarian in Charge Tumut Library
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Tumut Library 169 Wynyard Street TUMUT NSW 2720 02 6941 2541
Snowy Valleys Council Network of Libraries Adelong Batlow Talbingo Tumbarumba Tumut
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am - 6:00pm Saturday 9:00am - 12:00pm
2,238
Library Members
14,905
Collection Items Library Visits
47,721
42,880 Loans
55
Wagga Wagga STEAM Agenda - Building Partnerships, Grant Funding and a MAPL Award The Wagga Wagga City Library continued to expand the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) theme in public programming during this year, by securing Inspiring Australia and State and Federal funding. The two separate grants secured supported the following: Nerd Nite events in the pub; the Little Bangs Discovery Club; Science kits for loan; and the annual Riverina Science Festival in August 2016 with partners Charles Sturt University, Eastern Riverina Science Teachers Association, Museum of the Riverina, Wagga Art Gallery and Wagga Observatory. The 2016 Riverina Science Festival provided a spotlight on science with events to suit all ages and an emphasis on family activities. Highlights of the festival included: the interactive science show The Scientwists at the Wagga Marketplace; daily screening of lunchtime films from SCINEMA International Science Film Festival in the library; the Levee Bank tour; Bull Roaring demonstrations with Wiradjuri Elder Michael Lyons; a Star Gazing night with the Wagga Observatory; Kitchen Science Storytime with the students from The Riverina Anglican College; and Microvision - a microscope family day with Charles Sturt University scientists helping families to explore the tiny details in the environment. The festival proved to be a success with high levels of community engagement at events and also via social media. The library was also delighted to receive the 2016 Marketing Award (MAPL) in the events category for the festival at the annual NSWPLA Conference. The 2017 Inspiring Australia grants were announced recently with Wagga Wagga City Library granted $20,000 for the 2017 Riverina Science Festival which will have a focus on Indigenous cultural heritage as well as a Planetarium experience. Friends of the Library Silver Jubilee In 2016 the Friends of the Wagga Wagga City Library (FOTL) celebrated their silver jubilee with some of the original members still actively involved. FOTL’s role is to promote, fundraise, lobby and support library programs and services with funds raised through book sales and a drinks machine in the library. In recent years FOTL purchased furniture, supported programs such as One Book One Wagga and Babies Love Books, supported visiting authors and children’s entertainers, and provided refreshments at many events across the calendar year from public talks to the Riverina Regional Library Book Club annual end of year party. FOTL President Gretchen Sleeman noted recently, “We support the library because it is there for everyone, with dynamic programs for all ages, popular collections, eResources and free Wi-Fi. Library services are vital to life-long learning for all residents, closing the digital divide, and providing a place to meet new people have fun and learn new skills”.
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Wagga Wagga City Library Civic Centre Cnr Baylis & Morrow Sts WAGGA WAGGA NSW 2650
Opening Hours: Monday 11:00am - 6:00pm Tuesday - Friday 10:00am - 6:00pm Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm
02 6926 9700
17,622
Library Members
76,307
Collection Items Library Visits
186,181
277,533 Loans
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Wagga Wagga The Great War in Great Outlines exhibition Mayor, Cr Greg Conkey OAM welcomed the Belgian Ambassador Jean-Luc Bodson to the official launch of the The Great War in Great Outlines exhibition on Saturday 5 November 2016. The Belgian Department for Foreign Affairs, in partnership with the Belgian National Institute for Veterans and Victims of War, designed and commissioned this travelling exhibition. It was sent to tour Australia in 2016 and 2017, and commemorated the 100th anniversary of the First World War on an international, Belgian and local level. It covered the main themes, the major battlefields, and the key moments of this conflict, while also shedding light on a number of lesserknown episodes. Many Australians had family members who fought in Belgium in the First World War and there was a large military and RSL presence at the launch which was followed by a Mayoral Reception. Outreach Wagga Library (OWL) goes overseas to Fiji and Vanuatu The OWL collection was created to support transient and homeless community members in Wagga Wagga’s shelters and refuges, who had no permanent address. Over the year’s good quality fiction and picture OWL books have been donated to this program. This year volunteers approached the library requesting to take OWL books in their luggage to village schools in both Fiji and Vanuatu. The photos of the young children in both countries enjoying their OWL books demonstrated the importance of literacy and the universal pleasure of books and the library was pleased to support this important initiative.
A letter of thanks was also received: “We distributed some of the books to Hapi Fes Kindi (Happy Face Kindy). You can imagine the excitement of the 4 & 5 year-old children as they discovered the magic of the picture books. I met with the Principal of Lakatoro Primary School and the Librarian, who were thrilled to receive the books. They explained how they were trying to put money aside in order to purchase picture books. The donation from the Wagga Wagga City Library was perfect timing.”
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Wagga Wagga Literary Events Highlights – Wagga Wagga City Library Highlights for this year include: the live streaming of the Sydney Writers’ Festival at the library with Annabel Crabb, a featured author, along with two important Indigenous author events – popular fiction writer Anita Heiss, and Ngiyampaa Elder, Aunty Joyce Hampton, with the story of her childhood and book titled, Menindee Girl: The Story of my Life.
The city wide Book Club project, One Book One Wagga (OBOW), continues to grow year after year. The OBOW title in 2016 was Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty. Truly Madly Guilty won the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction, and reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list in its first week of publication. Over four months, more than 720 readers and book club members enjoyed reading the novel set in contemporary Sydney. Liane attended the OBOW Gala Dinner event with 120 guests where she was interviewed very capably by colleague, Amy Heap, to the delight of the audience. A feature of the evening was the haunting cello music performed by local resident Claire Brassil who evoked the atmosphere of the music featured in the novel. During the event, chaired by the Acting General Manager, Robert Knight, the library acknowledged OBOW partners: the Friends of the Wagga Wagga City Library; Riverina Regional Library and the Wagga Wagga RSL Club for their ongoing support.
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Wagga Wagga Community Learning, Storytime and School Visits Throughout the year the library conducted numerous tours for primary school students peaking during Book Week in August when over a thousand students and their teachers visited the library. Outreach school visits and preschool visits were popular in Wagga Wagga and the outlying villages such as Galore, Ladysmith and Tarcutta within the local government area. Storytime sessions were well attended with over four thousand children and adults across the year. Highlights this year were the regular Facebook posts and followers commenting on the themes, and photos of spellbound children listening intently and concentrating on the important business of crafting their take home souvenir. The Christmas Storytime party in the Victory Memorial Gardens and the Seniors Week Grandparents Storytime were also crowd pleasers during this year. Adults and seniors had a wide range of programming opportunities. Nearly two hundred people attended Tech Savvy Seniors classes in which seniors had hands-on, practical experience in using technologies such as laptops, tablets and smart phones. Youth programs included regular RMS Safer Driver Classes and Yu-GiOh Club. Other popular programs include the Riverina Regional Library Book Clubs, Knit-In sessions, the Shakespeare Club reading group, demonstrations, information sessions and author talks.
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Wagga Wagga Babies Love Books Project The early literacy program, Babies Love Books (BLB), was launched on 10 August 2016 at the Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital by former Mayor Cr Rod Kendall. Wagga has over 1200 births per year and the BLB program was designed to promote reading to newborns and highlight the role of regular reading to promote the stimulation of neural pathways for reading in the critical first three years of life. The program gave each family a BLB bag, literacy brochure and a BLB card that could be swapped for a board book gift at the library. This program is a partnership between the local Rotary Club, the Wagga Wagga Rural Referral hospital and the Friends of the Wagga Wagga City Library.
Multicultural Programming and Language Café Wagga has a dynamic and growing Cultural and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) community which includes 99 language groups with varying levels of literacy including many people who have English as a second or third language. To address the increasing demand for English conversation classes the library researched and established the Language Café which provides trained volunteers to work with groups and individuals who wish to improve their spoken English. The library has worked with TAFE NSW to train 22 volunteers to assist in the delivery of the program. Volunteers attended four training sessions and a roster has been created for the classes which will run 4 times per week at Wagga Wagga City Library from July 2017. There are also 48 potential volunteers awaiting training for the Language Café which augers well for its success. The library also increased the volume of community language books on permanent loan from the State Library of NSW and is looking forward to an increase in membership and library visits from the CALD community in 2017. Claire Campbell Manager Library Services Wagga Wagga City Library
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RRL Statistics 2016-2017 36,720
total RRL members
536,530
visits to RRL branch libraries
628,128
RRL items loaned
23,872
collection items purchased
Collection item
purchases and discards
23,872 IN
31,442 OUT 62
11,499
Internal Delivery Service tubs distributed around RRL branch libraries
250 Book Club titles
circulated to 85 Book Clubs
2,579
donated items received
RRL Statistics 2016-2017
Member Council populations and contributions
Membership as percent of population by LGA
%
Council
$
Bland
5,994
4.35
124,513
Coolamon
4,308
3.13
101,021
Cootamundra-Gundagai
11,504
8.35
205,193
Federation
12,602
9.14
275,258
Greater Hume
10,258
7.44
255,718
Junee
6,297
4.57
112,318
Lockhart
3,080
2.23
112,044
14,953
10.85
301,519
6,050
4.39
120,062
62,799
45.56
1,308,743
137,845
100.00
2,916,388
Snowy Valleys Temora Wagga Wagga
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Loans by Local Government Area
Loans per capita by Local Government Area
20,347 eBook loans
64
20,435
Zinio eMagazine downloads
20,891
eAudio loans
New Stock by Local Government Area
Total Stock by Local Government Area
44,256
RRL website visits
4,558
Beamafilm and Story Box Library views
6,673
Freegal music downloads
65
FACEBOOK Daily posts linked to 14 Facebook accounts
PINTEREST 172 followers 308 average daily views
TWITTER Daily posts linked to Mobile LIbrary Facebook account
Lib2U app
regular messages for library activites and events weekly/fortnightly/monthly alerts for 28 mobile library stops
RRL READS 69 photos
742 visitors
-
1,291 views
-
173 reviews posted
uploaded to flickr
RRL eNewsletter
15,718 recipients per month (average) 39% open rate (average) Inter Library Loans
162
Instagram followers
66
283 IN
286 OUT
Most popular eAudio titles
eAudio Adult
eAudio Youth
eAudio Children
Most popular RRL website pages eMagazine
4,047 eAudio
1,063
ancestry.com sessions
eLibrary page
14,570
4,096 Information Online
4,102
Most popular eBook titles
eBook Adult
eBook Youth
eBook Children
Most popular eMagazine title 67
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Reading together wonder, joy and connection for all ages
69
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