Things are Warming Up at Goldfields Libraries this Summer!

Things are warming up at Goldfields Libraries this Summer with a range of fun, free and educational activities available to keep all age groups cool!

“We have an exciting program of events coming up over Summer, with some new activities like the Super Dogs Children’s Film Festival which we are running in collaboration with the Star Cinema, as well as some long time favourites like the Chinese New Year lion dancers and the Summer Reading Club,” said Jess Saunders, Acting Goldfields Library Corporation Programs and Events Coordinator.

Join in the hive of activity at Christmas time with live performances by Bendigo Youth Choir, Castlemaine’s U3A Choir, harpist Meryl Wilkinson and kids garage punk band the Itchy Scabs! Pre-schoolers can also enjoy special storytimes with the Christmas Ballerina.

Special guest speakers throughout Summer include illustrator Lorena Carrington, romance writer Nicole Hurley-Moore (celebrating Library Lovers Day), cricket expert Ken Piesse, local Bendigo writer and journalist Dianne Dempsey, and tech expert Stef Cola from Doomsday Tuna. Robin and Ken Greene will return due to popular demand to share their experiences of walking the Camino de Santiago trail 700km across Spain.

Improve your well-being with a guided meditation by Verity of Wild Souls Sustainability and Holistic Living or learn how to make an upcycled t-shirt bag with the Boomerang Bag team.

Online workshops will run in small groups covering topics such as Ancestry, Employment Skills, Microsoft Word, Facebook and eResources. Several Tech Savvy Seniors sessions are also scheduled for those over 55 wanting to brush up on their technology skills.

The Chinese New Year of the Dog will go off with a bang with the ever popular Central Victorian Lion and Fu Wa teams performing a traditional welcome and a giant outdoor Tai Chi session with Raymond Lee, Wushu / Tai Chi (5th DUAN). Bring along the family pooch to a Chinese New Year twilight dog tales session and join in special storytimes and children’s activities. 

History enthusiasts can attend the new Discovering History workshops, developed in collaboration with LaTrobe University, and will also enjoy the In the Swim exhibition, depicting a history of Bendigo’s swimming pools.

Young adults will enjoy a presentation and workshop with young adult sci-fi author Cally Black, whose book In the Dark Spaces won the Ampersand Prize in 2016. Wii U games will also be available at several branches in January.

The Little Bang Discovery Club will give pre-schoolers a fun introduction to science, and children aged 5-8 can join in a special science storytime and experimenting session with the Discovery Science and Technology Centre.

The Super Dogs Children’s Film Festival, in collaboration with the Star Cinema, promises to be loads of fun with four family-friendly movies screening across four days. Families can also join in some polka-dotty fun at a special Summer in the Parks twilight book theatre event.

The Summer Reading Club will keep primary school aged children busy with book challenges, the Great Toy Contest performance and awesome prizes up for grabs! Look out for the upcoming ever-popular School Holiday program, available at all branches and online from Friday 8 December.

Most events are free and many require bookings. For more information, visit: www.goldfieldslibraries.com