Beat the heat at the library this summer
Beat the heat this summer and check out what’s on offer at your local library. If you haven’t set foot in a library recently, you might be surprised that modern libraries offer so much more than books! While there are still shelves upon shelves of reading materials, today’s libraries are bustling community hubs, and a perfect place to escape the scorching summer heat.
Here are just a few things you can do at your local library:
Pick a quiet corner and read. Obvious, we know, but still a popular choice. Choose your medium - book, magazine, newspaper, eBook or audiobook and while away the hot summer days in air-conditioned comfort. (Note: quiet corner not actually required!)
Watch movies or TV. If you’ve got a laptop, smartphone or tablet, connect up to the free library Wi-Fi to watch free movies or TV shows with Kanopy or Beamafilm. Or better still – catch up on past library events on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/goldfieldslibraries
Jump on a public computer. No device? No problem! All of our libraries have free-to-use public computers. Browse the web, fill in an online form, watch a movie, play a game – our computers can do it all and our staff are on hand to help if you need assistance.
Research your roots. Get started online via Ancestry or FindMyPast or come into the library to begin researching your family history. Library staff are on hand to help get you started.
Book a meeting space. Some of our libraries have meeting spaces that can be booked by the public. Perfect for study groups, community groups, school groups or business meetings.
Come along to Storytime. These popular sessions run each week during school terms and are a great way to introduce little kids to the fun of reading, dancing, singing and socialising. And they’re great for parents too! Keep an eye out for new dates coming in the new year.
Get some tech help. All our libraries offer one-on-one tech help to help you decipher your device. We can help you get started on the internet, borrow a digital book, shop online or fill in forms. Check with your local library for dates and times.
Get cultured. View our travelling exhibition - 1.6 Billion Ways to Be Muslim. Currently at Kangaroo Flat Library, the exhibition showcases the many and diverse practices of being Muslim and the awesome parallels they share with the wider Australian community. Check our website below to see when this heart-warming display will be coming to your library.
Join in the Summer Reading Challenge – Sign up to the Summer Reading Challenge and read 10 or more books for a chance to win some awesome prizes.
Catch up with friends – Gone are the days of the quiet library. Libraries these days are hives of activity! Come in and enjoy our clean, safe and welcoming spaces, for whatever reason you like. Or no reason at all!
Listen to the library podcast – (Ok, you don’t need to do this one IN the library, but we just love it so much that we needed to share it with you.) Want to know what others get up to at the library? Listen to the new ‘Meet Me at the Library’ podcast to see how local libraries across the region are inspiring people to do amazing things. www.facebook.com/meetmeathelibrarypodcast
“We think the library is the best place to escape the summer heat. We recently heard a little boy tell his grandmother that the library was more fun than the playground, and we can’t argue with that!” says Goldfields Libraries CEO Mark Hands. “Restrictions are continuing to ease and library-land is slowly starting to return to normal, so if you haven’t’ been into the library in a while, now’s the time!
For more information on what’s available at your local library, drop by or visit our website at www.ncgrl.vic.gov.au
