News Alert |

Love your local library? Well, come and spend a day with us and learn about all that we have to offer. 

Ballarat Libraries will host a special Community Expo Day this Saturday 6 April, from 11am-3pm, as it throws its support behind the state-wide Libraries Change Lives campaign. 

The three-year campaign, an initiative of State Library Victoria and the Public Libraries Victoria Network in the lead up to the next Victorian election, aims to highlight the value that libraries return to their communities.

A Libraries Work report shows that every dollar invested in public libraries generates $4.30 in benefit at a state level, while every dollar invested in Central Highlands’ public libraries generates $5.10 in benefits. 

The Community Expo Day, to be held at the new state-of-the-art Sebastopol Library Community Hub, will showcase the wide range of free programs Ballarat Libraries provides to the community, ranging from technology programs for kids, including robotics and coding, virtual reality, through to traditional storytime sessions and a poetry and rap workshop. 

Ballarat Libraries also provides free digital classes for adults, including how to use a computer or iPad, how to download an eBook and how to use Gmail. Adults can also access resources for learning languages to improve their English conversational skills. 

More than 1,000 people every day walk into the City of Ballarat libraries. 

Quotes attributable to City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Samantha McIntosh: 

“Today’s libraries do so much more than lend books. They provide a comfortable place to meet friends or to read the paper. They offer free wi-fi and have movie-streaming services, such as Kanopy.  

“Every day Ballarat Libraries helps people connect and navigate through services like MyGov. We also offer a range of programs to help people have fun and become comfortable using digital technology. 

“Collections are more accessible than ever because they’re physical, digital and mobile. Library patrons read magazines on their tablets and stream movies for free via the library website. 

“Libraries are vibrant community hubs, offering social interaction and shared cultural experiences. They help build strong and engaged communities where everyone belongs, and they offer a platform for state-wide community development.” 

For more information about the Libraries Change Lives campaign, visit librarieschangelives.org.au