This Library and Information Week Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council acknowledges the brilliant services that our Libraries provide to the community.
Mayor Tim Overall said that during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 staff from Queanbeyan-Palerang Libraries went above and beyond to find new ways to connect with the community.
"As this week is the Australian Library and Information Week, I want to thank our Library staff for the efforts they undertook to adapt and be flexible in the way they provided services to their community during COVID lockdowns," Mayor Overall said.
Library staff took their Storytimes, Baby Bounce and Holiday Programs online, publishing them on Facebook and YouTube. As the community didn't have access to the makerspace equipment, staff filmed creative instructional videos with house-hold materials that people would have in their homes.
Lots of families participated in weekly Lego challenges, sharing their photos via Facebook. The Book Club went online and books were chosen that were accessible in both eBook and eAudiobook format and discussions were held via Zoom.
The State Library of NSW supported the boosting of our e-resources and we opened up our Home Library Service to anyone who wanted books delivered to their door via contactless delivery. A Click and Collect service was established at all our branches.
Now that doors are open again, the Library's programs have returned face-to-face, while keeping an online presence through the Australia Reads program – where staff read books by Australian authors published by Australian publishers.
The Library continues to be creative and introduce new programs. The Little Bang Discovery Club for pre-schoolers aged 3-5 years allows children to discover the world of science through experiences and activities using everyday objects. They learn the basics of science: collecting, classifying, measuring, and experimenting.
The monthly STEAM Club has a mixture of fun activities for children aged 8+, where children have learned to code, plant vegetables and cook zucchini fritters, make bath bombs, sew library bags, make papier-mâché volcanos, create video games and much more.
The services the Library provides are not just for children, with Tech Savvy Seniors classes and fortnightly movies for seniors. If you're interested in colouring, the adult Colouring Group is held on the 1st Saturday of each month, while the Mobile Library bus continues to travel to all areas of the region.
To discover more about Queanbeyan-Palerang Libraries, go to https://library.qprc.nsw.gov.au/ or visit your local branch in Queanbeyan, Braidwood and Bungendore.
