Victoria Street is home to the Warragul Library

Victoria Street is home to the Warragul library. If you venture beyond the building’s modest exterior you’ll see there’s more to explore than just books inside. Far from what most tend to expect, modern libraries like Warragul library, provide a place for communities to connect, belong and learn.

On any average day the team at Warragul library welcome hundreds of people through its doors. Of course, you can expect to find people looking for advice on what to read next but you’ll also find people who need help navigating a website, using a new app or device. People who need access to a printer, PC or the internet. People looking for free activities to entertain the kids. People looking for a warm place to catch up with friends without any expectations to buy something. Or people just coming in to say hi to the team.

Warragul library are part of the Myli – My Community Library organisation that deliver programs and services for the Baw Baw, Bass Coast and South Gippsland Shires.

These programs and services help to build healthier and engaged communities, in a welcoming space where everyone can belong. Warragul library hosts a wide range of regular programs for all ages. Beginning with early years programs for babies and preschoolers: Baby Rhyme Time and Storytime. These fun sessions are led by library staff feature singing, stories and even craft activities for parents and caregivers to enjoy with their children. It provides a great opportunity for socialising for the adults and kids alike.

There are a number of programs for School age children. These are hosted afterschool and during school holidays and include special interest clubs like Lego and Tabletop Gamers. There are also a range of STEM learning clubs with Young Einsteins for primary school aged children and for the tweenagers, Future Labs. The Young Einsteins program is an engaging introduction to Science Technology Engineering and Math for a younger audience. Future Lab is a monthly program designed for tech early adopters to go hands-on with technology.

Teenaged children visit Warragul library after school to play the Xbox, use the free Wi-Fi and device charging stations and sometimes even to get a head start on some homework. Throughout the year there are teen focused programs like the Meetup festival that features special workshops like how to draw manga and social clubs to play popular games like Minecraft or Dungeons and Dragons.

And for the adults there are a range of regular programs, events and groups that meet at the Warragul library. Every Friday, lovers of yarn come together to knit and crotchet. The history group meets once a month to discuss a new topic, learn a new research skill and to share research journeys with like-minded history buffs. Throughout the year, Warragul library hosts a wide range of special events that focus on a variety of interests including authors and books, craft, home and garden, health and wellbeing, technology and more.

Baw Baw Shire Council are currently advocating to State and Federal Government for funding to support building a new culture and community precinct in Warragul. If successful, this would include a new community library with improved spaces to accommodate the growing community and more opportunities to further develop the vital programs and services that the Warragul library deliver.

So why not visit the Warragul library and discover all that libraries have to offer.

If you’d like to show your support for the new library, please send an email to support@myli.org.au and for more information please visit myli.org.au or call 1800 HI MYLI (1800 44 6954)