Role of libraries in Merri-bek
Moreland’s library service provides a wide range of resources and services for all sections of the community and emphasises the following roles:
Community connectedness
The library provides the opportunities for people to interact and connect with others and foster a sense of belonging to a community.
Lifelong learning
The library provides equal access to resources and facilities for people from all ages and backgrounds to learn and pursue their curiosity and interests at their own pace. It fosters self-development by providing information, technological and study facilities for those not enrolled in formal education courses. The library provides resources that support those seeking employment. It also provides resources in support of language development, including development of skills in community languages.
Exchange of ideas, debate and discussion
The library resources help the community to develop their ideas. The library offers opportunities for people to engage in the exchange of ideas and to debate and discuss a broad range of issues in a safe and supportive environment.
Reading culture
The library promotes and provides equal access to the benefits of reading for people of all ages, from babies to the aged. If fosters a love of language, books and reading to babies and actively encourages children to develop literacy skills and to seek out information. It provides services that stimulate children's imagination and interest and help to break down the barriers that many people have to reading, especially people who struggle with literacy skills.
Resources for enjoyment
The library contributes to personal wellbeing by serving the recreational and leisure needs of the community. It offers resources, facilities and technology that stimulate the imagination and provide people with relaxation and respite from the realities of daily life. Through the provision of imaginative literature the library helps people to understand other experiences and points of view, which helps to develop tolerance and a culture of citizenship.
Content creation
The library encourages local content creation and digital engagement through the digitisation of the local history collections, promotion of WikiNorthia and crowd sourcing projects.
Celebrating diversity
The library celebrates and promotes the cultural diversity and identity of our community. The library's buildings are open and accessible to all and provide opportunities for people to learn from and about each other.
Showcasing Merri-bek
The library actively promotes the local community through including local people in the Read More program, Live at the Library, Saturday music sessions and the Made in Merri-bek collection. It also helps to preserve local heritage through our local studies program.
Literacy skills
The library provides a gateway to literacy. Reading is one of the fundamental building blocks of learning. Not being able to read is a barrier to paricipating fully in society and civic life and developing one's full potential. As well as offering general reading resources and fostering a culture of reading, libraries hold materials for people to improve their literacy levels as well as English as a Second Language (ESL) materials for people from other cultures to learn English.
Skilled staff assistance
Skilled staff are the libraries' greatest asset and are available to assist all members of the community with their information, recreation, technological and study needs and enquiries.
Digital literacy
eAccessibility is a prerequisite for everyone's ability to paricipate fully in a knowledge based society. The library plays a central role in bridging the 'digital divide' by providing free access to computers and the Internet and assisting people to develop the skills they need to embrace the digital age. Opportunities exist through a number of channels for enhanced and expanded program development to increase the digital literacy skills of our community.
Community living room / third space
The library is a community living room or third space for social connection, lifelong learning, relaxation, study, reading and as an alternative space for work.
Access to information
The library provides free access to a diversity of informatiion on all subjects, thereby empowering individuals and groups to make informed decisions. Information is provided in a variey of languages and formats, including books and electronic and digital media.
Moreland library service's roles are identified in the Library Service Strategy 2013/2014 - 2017/2018. Council endorsed the Strategy on 12 June 2013.