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Brimbank libraries: building a learningcommunityChris Kellya

a Libraries & Learning, Brimbank City Council, Sunshine, AustraliaPublished online: 23 May 2014.

To cite this article: Chris Kelly (2014) Brimbank libraries: building a learning community, TheAustralian Library Journal, 63:2, 154-164, DOI: 10.1080/00049670.2014.898234

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ARTICLE

Brimbank libraries: building a learning community1

Chris Kelly*

Libraries & Learning, Brimbank City Council, Sunshine, Australia

Creating a community of lifelong learners is one of Brimbank City Council’s strategicdirections for community wellbeing and improving the social and economic outcomesof individuals and the community. Brimbank is a low socio-economic area, andlearning supports community aspirations and is used as a driver for positive change.The Brimbank libraries provide significant learning opportunities for communitylearning as a result of strategic repositioning of the library service. Learning is inherentin the design of library interiors, the collections and programmes. This paper describesthe strategic changes and the libraries’ approach to supporting community learning,sets the context for this strategic direction, and focuses on learning supported throughthe libraries’ programmes framework.

Keywords: libraries; lifelong learning; community strengthening; partnerships

Implications for best practice

. Libraries provide significant learning opportunities for creating a community of

lifelong learners.

. Library services may need to be strategically repositioned to support community

learning.

. The library’s programmes framework can be strategically targeted to support

community learning and enhance social and economic outcomes for individuals and

the community.

. Library programmes can promote lifelong learning, and provide informal learning

opportunities for people at all life stages.

. Working in partnership with a wide range of organisations, service providers, and

other council departments is a powerful means of expanding and deepening

connections with communities.

Community context

Brimbank City is located 11 kilometres west of the Melbourne central business district.

It is the second largest municipality in Melbourne and the largest in Melbourne’s western

region with a population of approximately 195,000. Large sections of Brimbank City have

a low socio-economic status, areas of high educational disadvantage, and high rates of

youth unemployment.

The 2011 ABS Census data (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011a) provided strong

evidence of the need for Brimbank City Council to support learning in our communities.

The census data reported that:

q 2014 Australian Library & Information Association

*Email: ChrisK@brimbank.vic.gov.au

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. 14% of Brimbank residents had only completed their education to Year 8 or below,

compared to 8% in Greater Melbourne.

. Education participation rates in Brimbank were lower for 15–24 year olds with

56%, compared to 60% in Greater Melbourne.

. 47% of Brimbank residents had completed Year 12, compared with 55% in Greater

Melbourne.

. 13% of residents had a Bachelor or Higher Degree, compared to 24% in Greater

Melbourne.

. 10.4% of 15 to 19 year olds in Brimbank were not engaged in work or education,

compared to 7.8% in Greater Melbourne.

Brimbank has higher levels of unemployment than that of Greater Melbourne, and

the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) lists Brimbank as one of the lowest

socio-economic areas in Melbourne (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011b). Brimbank

also has many strengths, one of the greatest being its cultural diversity. Brimbank is one of

the most culturally diverse municipalities in Australia with over 160 languages spoken,

43% of residents born overseas, and 56% speaking a language other than English.

However, although Brimbank is a culturally diverse community with a rich diversity of

languages spoken, 13% of Brimbank residents have low or no English proficiency,

compared to 5% in Greater Melbourne.

Community plan and learning strategy

The Brimbank Community Plan 2009–2030, updated in 2013, describes the community’s

vision and priorities for the next 20 years and establishes a basis for joint planning, service

delivery and advocacy. The Community Plan sets the direction for the Council and informs

the Council’s strategic documents. It lists four strategic challenges, two of them addressed

using learning as the driver for positive change:

. Education and lifelong learning: Ensuring residents have opportunities to engage in

culturally appropriate, high quality education and learning activities that are

relevant to their needs.

. Employment: Ensuring Brimbank is attractive to employers and that residents have

the skills and education to enable them to take advantage of new employment

opportunities as they arise (Brimbank City Council 2013, 16).

Fifteen strategic directions respond to the Community Plan’s vision and strategic

challenges, one of them the ‘creation of a learning community’. The Libraries and

Learning Department has a lead role in the creation of a learning community.

The Brimbank Community Learning Strategy 2010–2013 (Brimbank City Council

2010) was developed through extensive consultation. In 2013 an evaluation of it was

undertaken to provide the basis for the development of a new learning strategy. In addition

to the evaluation, consultation was undertaken with local service providers to develop the

draft Brimbank Community Learning Strategy 2014–2017. Both strategies provide a

framework for collaboration and partnership to support building a learning community.

The vision is ‘to build a community of lifelong learners by working with partner

organisations to empower people to take control of their lives, raise aspirations, enhance

employability and build active citizenship and quality of life in Brimbank.’

The implementation of the Community Learning Strategies is the responsibility of the

Libraries and Learning Department in partnership with other council departments,

education providers, and an extensive network of service providers. The strategies provide

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a framework for supporting learning as a driver for change and as a means of improving

social and economic outcomes for individuals and communities. They support learning in

all life phases, so that Brimbank develops as a community of lifelong learners in which

people embrace learning as a way of life.

Repositioning library services

In order to strengthen Brimbank City Council’s commitment to lifelong learning,

significant work was undertaken to reposition the libraries. The repositioning of the

libraries enabled the allocation of significant staff resources for the development and

delivery of programmes supporting learning opportunities. Supporting the creation of a

learning community is not limited to programmes; library resources also support learning

through staff interactions, collections, programmes, spaces, and facilities.

Departmental changes were made to maximise the capacity to support the

development of a learning community, and the Brimbank Libraries’ vision and mission

statements (Appendix 1) provide clarity for service delivery. The first change was the

restructuring of the department’s leadership team, and one outcome was the creation of

the community engagement and development coordinator’s position, responsible for

partnerships, programmes and community learning. This senior position supports staff

with partnerships and with the design, development and delivery of programmes across the

five library branches, in the community, and via the Online Library.

The second review was a service point realignment that included: rewriting the branch

staff position descriptions to reflect contemporary library practices; reclassification of

position descriptions that had not been reassessed for a considerable period of time,

resulting in classification to a higher level; reallocation of staff time from circulation tasks

to programme delivery; the development and introduction of a competency framework

that enables staff to apply for more senior positions based on their competency rather than

qualification; and expanding the range of qualifications appropriate to positions, for

example, teaching and community development.

The reviewed position descriptions and the competency framework both underpin the

requirement for all staff to be involved in the design, planning, development, and delivery

of programmes depending on their band level. Importantly, the documents have also

enabled changes or broadened the qualifications held by our workforce. Library

qualifications are still held by the majority of staff, but we also have staff with teaching,

ICT (information and communications technology), community development, and

youth work qualifications and experience. The diversity of qualifications has strengthened

our teams and skill sets, particularly through the exchange of knowledge and skills

between staff.

Library overview

Brimbank libraries are well resourced with 60 effective full-time positions, the buildings

are bursting at the seams with approximately 1.2 million visits annually, and space is

always an issue. Sunshine, the largest and busiest library, is approximately 1200 square

metres and Keilor Village, the smallest and quietest branch, is less than 300 square metres.

Our Online Library has approximately 800,000 visits each year and is available in four

languages. There are approximately 250,000 items in the collection, with 1.9 million

collection utilisations annually. The libraries have 150 public internet computers with

more than 300,000 bookings annually, and the wifi logins continue to grow, with 61,000

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logins last year. The number of programmes delivered has grown: 2487 programmes

were delivered in the 2012/2013 financial year, with more than 50,000 programme

participants.

Reallocation of resources and library floor space

The growth in the number of programmes or learning opportunities has been enabled by

realigning library services with changes to core staff work practices, the implementation of

technology, and the redevelopment of library buildings. These changes are interlinked

and were critical to the repositioning of the libraries to support the creation of a learning

community.

Two key changes enabled the redeployment of staff time to supporting the

development of a learning community by increasing the number of partnerships

and programmes. First, the implementation of self-service loans and returns enabled the

reallocation of staff time from low value transactional circulation tasks to higher value

tasks such as designing and developing programmes. Self-service kiosks have replaced

circulation desks and staff work side by side with the community and proactively support

self-service circulation, computer use and collection access. Second, the percentage of

space allocated for seating has been substantially increased by moving shelves closer

together. This also enabled the number of computers to be increased and the addition of

game zones with Wiis and PS3s. Furniture for computer access has been designed to

support group use and shared learning from peers and social groups.

Changes to library buildings have resulted in a large percentage of library customers

spending substantial periods of time in the libraries, and the intention is to embed learning

into all aspects of service delivery.

Programmes framework

Programmes delivered by the Libraries and Learning Department support one of

Brimbank Council’s key strategic directions of creating a community of lifelong learners.

Library programmes are strategically targeted to support the development of Brimbank as

a learning community, promote lifelong learning, and are inclusive, culturally relevant and

provide informal learning opportunities for people at all life stages. They support the

Brimbank Community Learning Strategy. Programmes are delivered through Brimbank’s

five libraries, in community settings, and through the Online Library. Many programmes

are developed and delivered in partnership with other council departments, local

community agencies and the education sector.

Approximately a third of staff time is allocated to lifelong learning through

programme delivery, and this high level of commitment requires an outcome-based focus

for programmes. A programmes framework (Appendix 2) was introduced to ensure

programmes meet the needs and aspirations of the community and to provide guidance to

staff that plan, design and develop programmes. Another consideration for its introduction

was the large number of staff involved in programme planning and the need to empower

them to make decisions.

Seven key strategic themes that are congruent with the library environment were

identified. They followed an assessment of Brimbank’s demographics, a review of current

programmes, and discussions with community members and programme partners. Every

programme under consideration should support at least one of the key strategic themes.

Thinking strategically about programmes at the planning stage ensures that staff resources

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are allocated to developing programmes that are targeted and provide good outcomes for

the community.

The framework enables staff working with partner organisations to make decisions

regarding the design and delivery of programmes. Autonomous decision-making within

the framework avoids a bottleneck with senior staff approvals, while ensuring the integrity

of learning opportunities. The programmes framework has seven key strategic themes:

. Early years learning

. Supporting school years

. Digital literacy

. English literacy

. Reading culture

. Skills for gaining employment

. Social connectedness

Table 1 summarises the programmes delivered by Brimbank libraries in the 2012/13

financial year.

Table 1. Summary of community learning opportunities delivered by Brimbank libraries, 2012/13.

Theme Summary of programmes

Digital LiteracyProgrammes (275 programmes)

† 275 classes for all learning abilities were held, fromkeyboard skills, basic computer skills, internet and e-mailclasses through to specialist classes such as web design andExcel. Monthly computer clubs for seniors were held at theSunshine and Sydenham libraries.

† In September 2012 as part of Adult Learner’s Week, ITinformation sessions were introduced: social media, sharingphotos, keyboard and mouse skills, and downloadinge-books and e-audio. As a result of the success of thesesessions they are now included in the on-going schedule.

Supporting skills forgaining employment (67)

† In partnership with Wise Employment, 16 workshops wereheld from July to December 2012 on resume writing, coldcalling, interview skills, and finding part times jobs forstudents. The sessions were well attended and will continue.

† 51 weekly IT resume drop-in sessions at St Albans andSunshine libraries. Sunshine Library introduced the sessionsin April 2013 due to customer demand.

Supporting earlyyears learning (1000 þ )

† More than 1000 sessions were held across all libraries,including pre-school storytime, toddler storytime and BabyBounce. Two unique weekly programmes that respond toBrimbank’s diverse demographic are the Learn EnglishThrough Storytime and the Bilingual Storytime programmein Mandarin/English and Vietnamese/English. The KindaKinder programme, now in its fifth successful year ofoperation, is run in partnership with Victoria University atthe Deer Park and Sunshine libraries. Pre-service teachersprovide play-based activities for 0–6 year olds andencourage parents to interact with their children during theprogramme.

† Throughout the year library staff made regular visits tokindergartens, playgroups and maternal and child healthcentres to promote reading as an important life skill and toencourage parents to read to their children every day.

(Continued)

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Table 1 – continued

Theme Summary of programmes

Supporting schoolyears learning

† A new programme to support VCE students has beendeveloped in consultation with local schools and withfinancial support from the BMLLEN. Four revision sessionsfor VCE English and Maths facilitated by experienced VCEteachers were held during the April school holidays.

† Throughout the year staff visit schools to promote libraryservices and encourage membership. Many schools organisevisits to the library for tours or for more specialist sessionson using the library’s online databases.

Supporting Englishliteracy skills (205)

† Weekly Practise Your English conversation groups operateat Deer Park, St Albans, Sunshine and Sydenham libraries.A review of the programme was held from October 2012 toFebruary 2013, with key recommendations including thedevelopment of guidelines to ensure the consistency of theprogramme service wide and the creation of a central file ofprogramme support resources.

† The Rosetta Stone Learn English computer basedprogramme provides self-paced learning through all libraryPCs. English classes from AMES and Community Westregularly visit the St Albans library to access the programme.Community members accessed 904 hours this year.

† The Learn English Through Storytime programme at StAlbans Library helps parents learn English with theirchildren through stories, songs and rhymes.

Bilingual Story-times (120) † Weekly bilingual storytimes are held in Mandarin/Englishand Vietnamese/English at the Deer Park, St Albans andSunshine libraries. The programme supports parents in theirrole as their child’s first teacher, and children gain Englishliteracy skills and promotes bilingualism. Through apartnership with Best Start and the New Hope Foundation,Sunshine Library held a series of Burmese and Chin Hakkastorytimes.

Supporting socialconnectedness (over 300)

† Adults connect and socialise at the monthly games clubs,book groups, the Third Wednesday Conversation Club, theCyber Seniors Computer Groups and the weekly PractiseYour English sessions. The celebration of special weeksduring the year such as the Biggest Morning Tea duringLibrary & Information Week provides further opportunitiesfor people to come together.

† For school-aged children the after school games clubs, legoclubs and school holiday programmes bring children andparents together to enjoy fun and educational activities.Video game tournaments held during the school holidaysbring young people together to compete in a fun and safeenvironment.

† The Online Library provides a forum for people to connectand engage. The blog The Brimbank Bookshelf enablesonline discussion about books and authors. The library’sfacebook and twitter accounts have a growing following.

Supporting a readingculture (34)

† Over 1000 children registered for the Summer Reading Cluband over 120 attended the finale parties. Two informalmonthly book groups for adults at the Sydenham and KeilorVillage libraries enjoy regular attendance. Five author talksand literary activities were held as part of the 2012 BrimbankWriters Festival.

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Programmes planning

In alignment with Council’s district based service delivery model, programmes planning

moved from a citywide programmes plan to embedding the programmes plan into branch

team plans. This also enables a strong team connection to the plan and ensures the plan

is targeted to the local demographic. Programmes are also linked to the Council’s

celebrations of special weeks such as Cultural Diversity Week, Adult Learners Week and

NAIDOC Week.

Programmes planning is led and coordinated by the Community Engagement and

Development Coordinator (CEDC) in partnership with the branch coordinators, and

involves all team members. Programme delivery is a substantial component of branch

team plans and the departmental plan. The plans detail the number of programmes to be

delivered and the target audiences, but allow for the flexibility required when programmes

are a partnership. Flexibility enables staff to take advantage of opportunities that arise

during the year and the flexibility enables continuous improvement, an important

component of the programme planning process.

The CEDC works with a team of up to 20 senior library services and programmes

officers (librarians or staff with equivalent qualifications or skills) from across the library

service who are involved in the design and delivery of programmes. The branch

coordinators are responsible for the programmes delivered in their library. All branch staff

are involved in the delivery of programmes, and this work is linked to individual staff

performance reviews.

Service-wide planning teams are formed to plan events or programmes for special weeks,

for example, National Youth Week, or Adult Learners Week. Teams include senior library

services and programmes officers (SLSPOs) from each branch. Branch coordinators are also

represented on planning teams. Twice yearly, at general staff meetings, all library staff have

the opportunity to suggest ideas for programmes throughworkshops. This information is used

as a basis by the planning teams.

Expressions of interest are sought for planning teams twice a year, with nominations

coordinated by branch coordinators who then forward the names of their nominated

representatives to the CEDC. Each planning team nominates a team leader, and each

SLSPO needs to lead one team per year. Participation on planning teams is a requirement

of all SLSPOs and is linked to their performance review. Checklists have been developed

to guide planning teams through the planning phase and marketing processes. There is

generally a three-month lead time to plan for an event or programme. When the team has

developed the programme or event, the team leader is responsible for completing an event

brief which is forwarded to the CEDC for approval.

Quarterly departmental general staff meetings enable service-wide planning, staff

conversations, and celebration of achievements. Teams present and celebrate the

achievements of their team plan and programme delivery is one of the key areas covered.

Best practice is also showcased at general staff meetings.

Partnerships

Working in partnership with a wide range of organisations, service providers, and other

council departments is a core work practice for library staff. The capacity to do this, and

the strategic commitment, were the result of repositioning the library service and council

commitment to creating learning community partnerships. Partnerships are a powerful

means of expanding and deepening connections with communities. Through partnerships

and repositioning services Brimbank libraries have established a great reputation as the

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place to go if you want to reach a broad cross-section of the community. The nature of

partnerships varies considerably; the following are examples of innovative programmes

developed and delivered in partnership:

. ICT Vietnamese Computer Class project, in partnership with the Delahey

Community Centre and with state government funding.

. Rosetta Stone Learn English programme, with AMES (an organisation which helps

new and recently arrived refugees and migrants to settle in Victoria and provides

English language classes) and Community West at the St Albans Library.

The library provides access to e-resources for English language learning, while the

agencies deliver classes. This encourages and enables students to use library

resources outside of class.

. Assisting people with skills for gaining employment sessions, in partnership with

WISE Employment and Matchworks – resume writing, interview skills, part-time

work for students, cold calling, and returning to the workforce.

. English and Children’s Services Access Project, in partnership with The Smith

Family who funds the project worker. The project connects people to English

classes, further studies, early years services and employment networks, providing

them with opportunities and empowering them to make positive changes.

The library service provides the venue and promotes the service.

. Computer classes and storytelling sessions for adults with disabilities, in partnership

with Mambourin Enterprises. (Mambourin promotes independent living by offering

employment, education and training services to adults with a disability.)

. Kinda Kinder: in partnership with Victoria University, pre-service teachers provide

learning through play-based sessions for pre-school aged children; the session is

attended by parents. The programme assists parents as their child’s first teacher by

building knowledge of how children learn through play.

. Deakin University provides information sessions for students from disadvantaged

backgrounds on pathways to tertiary education.

In addition to the benefits to the community, Brimbank libraries’ reputation as a key

partner when working with the community has been enhanced within the council, with

service providers, and with community organisations. Council staff and others have

become champions for the libraries, and actively promote their positive experience of

partnering with libraries. The high profile of the libraries has extended to frequent positive

local media coverage.

Customer survey

The results of a library customer survey conducted in 2011 provide an insight into the

myriad ways that the libraries serve the local community and support the creation of a

learning community. Data from the survey shows that the libraries are used by a wide

range of ages and demographics. Library customers reflect the diversity of the community

at large, with 42% of respondents primarily reading a language other than English in the

home. The survey was completed by 1468 customers.

The survey asked what people typically do when visiting the library. Over two thirds

(68%) said ‘borrow a book/ CD/ DVD/ audio book/ magazine’ and nearly half (48%) said

they use a computer. In addition, 13% said they use the wireless network (WiFi). Over one

third said ‘sit and study/ read’ (38%) or pick up reservations (35%). Print or photocopy

was mentioned by 18%; 15% said they ‘get help from the library staff’. Around one in 10

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(11% each) said they ‘participate in a class, activity or program’ or ‘spend time with

friends’. A similar proportion (9%) said they spend time with family, and 6% said they

‘play board games/ PlayStation/ Wii/ draw/ use kids area’.

Respondents were asked how the library has helped them. Around half said ‘continue

to learn’ (52%); other replies were ‘find information I couldn’t get elsewhere’ (49%) and

‘encourages me to read more’ (47%). Over one third (38%) said it helps them to study,

30% said it helps them feel part of the community, and 29% said they learn new hobbies

and activities. Around one quarter replied that it helps them to achieve their tasks/ goals

(26%) or helps children with education (24%). Around one in five said the library has

helped them learn computer skills (20%) or improve their English (19%). ‘Build

confidence’ was mentioned by 17%, and the same percentage said it helps their child with

early development. ‘Find friends’ was mentioned by 16% and ‘understand others’ was also

mentioned by 16%. ‘Helps me do my job better’ was mentioned by 13%, 9% said it helps

them get a job, and 2% said it has helped them to start a business.

Respondents were asked to name their top four most important programmes at the

library. They were also asked which programmes they attend. School holiday programmes

were considered important by over one third (36%) although only around one quarter

(24%) have attended them. Special children’s activities and computer classes were named

by around one quarter (both 23%) as most important. However, only 14% said they had

attended special children’s activities, and only 10% had attended a computer class.

Nineteen percent each mentioned homework club, new book events, and teenagers’

activities as being most important, although only 8–9% had attended each of these. Job

skills sessions were mentioned as most important by 18%, although less than half (7%)

have attended these. Information sessions (14%), book groups (13%) and author talks

(12%) were considered to be important by 12–14%, and 7% said they had attended each of

these. Conversation clubs were thought to be important by 8% and half this proportion

(4%) had attended them.

Over one quarter (28%) said none of the programmes were important to them, and 42%

of those that responded said they had not attended any programmes.

Conclusion

Library programmes are strategically targeted to support the Brimbank community’s

learning, and enhance social and economic outcomes for individuals and the community.

Library programmes support the development of Brimbank as a learning community; they

promote lifelong learning, are inclusive, culturally relevant, and provide informal learning

opportunities for people at all life stages.

Library programmes are an important component of the implementation of the

Brimbank Community Learning Strategy, and the library customer survey provides the

evidence for the return on the investment in the allocation of library resources to support

community learning. Evidence from the survey that the library supports learning was

convincing, with 52% of respondents saying the library helps them ‘continue to learn’.

The library is helping with digital literacy, English literacy, support for school years,

support for early years development, and supporting skills for gaining employment. Data

also show that the libraries support social connectedness and a reading culture. The library

customer survey is the evidence that the library is effective in the seven key strategic areas

for programme development. Brimbank Council’s strong investment in its libraries is

enabling it to fulfil the strategic direction, outlined in the Council Plan, of creating a

community of lifelong learners.

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Note

1. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Libraries as Learning OrganisationsSymposium, 1 November 2013, Queensland University of Technology. The revised paperpublished in this issue of the Australian Library Journal has been double-blind peer reviewed tomeet the Department of Education’s HERDC requirements.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2011a. “Census of Population and Housing 2011.” http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/Census

Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2011b. “SEIFA: Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas, 2011.” http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/seifa?opendocument&navpos¼260

Brimbank City Council. 2010. “Brimbank Community Learning Strategy 2010–2013.” http://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/About_Council/Governance/Council_Policies_Strategies_Plans/Council_Strategies/Brimbank_Community_Learning_Strategy_2010-2013

Brimbank City Council. 2013. “Brimbank Community Plan 2009–2030 Updated in 2013.” http://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/About_Brimbank/Governance/Council_policies_strategies_plans_guidelines/Council_Plans/Brimbank_Community_Plan_2009-2030

Notes on contributor

Chris Kelly has been the Manager of Libraries & Learning for Brimbank City Council for sevenyears, and during this time has reshaped service delivery to support lifelong learning. She alsooversees the work of the Brimbank Community Learning Strategy and believes that public librariesplay an important role in supporting lifelong learning. Chris’s previous position was LibraryManager for Hume City Council.

Appendix 1. Brimbank libraries’ vision and mission statements

Vision: The Libraries & Learning Department embraces diversity and engages with the communitythrough innovative services, programmes and partnerships that empower and inspire theachievement of lifelong learning and aspirations.

Mission: We engage, connect and inspire our community by delivering:

. Exceptional customer service provided by knowledgeable, adaptable and enthusiastic staff.

. Innovative and accessible technology, spaces and collections that support recreation,education and employment.

. A range of targeted programmes in the community, in the libraries and online.

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Appendix 2. Programmes framework

Strategic Themes Learning Outcomes

Early years learning † Support parents in their role as their child’s first teacher.† Provide early learning opportunities for children.† Foster a love of books and reading in children before they go

to school.† Encourage social networks for parents and children.† Help children to maintain their first language and promote

bilingualism.Supporting school years learning † Provide homework help.

† Support and promote independent learning and study skills.† Support financially vulnerable families with access to

resources, information services and free programmes duringthe school holidays.

† Encourage children to read during the holidays.Promoting a reading culture † Promote reading as an important life skill.

† Encourage parents to read and to model good reading habitsto their children.

† Promote library collections.† Support community members to maintain their first

language.† Inspire a love of reading through programmes that are fun

and literature based.† Promote learning through reading.

English literacy † Increase engagement with residents who are recent arrivals.† Improve English literacy skills.† Provide informal learning opportunities.† Provide opportunities for social interaction.

Supporting skills forgaining employment

† Develop partnerships with local agencies to deliverprogrammes on job seeking skills.

† Develop partnerships with the education sector to providepathways for skills training and higher education.

† Promote print and online resources for job seekers.Social connectedness † Provide opportunities for community members to meet and

socialise.† Develop programmes to engage with community members

who are socially isolated and vulnerable such as the elderly,recent arrivals and the unemployed.

† Celebrate cultural diversity.Digital literacy † Provide opportunities for people to gain competence and

confidence in using technology.† Develop and deliver digital programmes to support the most

vulnerable in the community such as recent arrivals, theelderly and the unemployed.

† Research and develop programmes that support the digitalnative generation.

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