The Greater Hamilton Library will bring an open-air library experience to Hamilton with it’s first ever Pop-Out Library this Friday, 14 February.
The Pop-Out library is all part of Library Lovers day – an event rolled out in support of the Libraries Change Lives campaign, a joint initiative of Public Libraries Victoria and State Library Victoria aiming to raise awareness of the value of public libraries.
Greater Hamilton Library Services Coordinator, Kelly Pitt-Lancaster said the team were looking forward to doing something a little different this Library Lovers day.
“We are really looking forward to getting outside and bringing the library to the Greater Hamilton community. We’re hoping to break down some of the barriers that may prevent people from coming through our doors or perhaps reacquainting some people with the library service who may not have visited for a while.
“We know that libraries are not just about books anymore, they help build social connection, health and wellbeing in our communities. Libraries are an integral part of our social fabric and their popularity is booming, demonstrated by the increased attendance at our programs year after year,” Mrs Pitt-Lancaster said.
Public libraries offer an incredible range of free resources, programs and activities that appeal to library users of all ages and the Greater Hamilton Library is no exception.
• Early learning programs such as Babytime, Rhymetime and Storytime give children and parents the opportunity to develop great friendships while learning and supporting each other;
• Socially inclusive adult programs such as the “Purls of Wisdom” a knitters group, gather weekly to have a chat and share their projects;
• Krafty Krew meets monthly to explore various techniques in art and craft, providing an opportunity to learn something new while making new friends; and
• A number of meeting spaces available to community groups to utilise free of charge for meetings, classes and gatherings.
“The Greater Hamilton Library provides quiet spaces for people to read, connect to free Wi-Fi or study, but we offer so much more. Our library is where we come together as a community. We’re here to help people to feel less alone, which is critical when social isolation is a recognised public health issue,” Mrs Pitt-Lancaster said.
The Pop-Out library will operate from 10.00am till 5.30pm this Friday 14 February in the library forecourt at 105 Brown Street Hamilton. The Mobile Library will also be in attendance and there will be book giveaways and craft activities on the day.
For more information on the Libraries Change Lives campaign, visit https://librarieschangelives.org.au/.