From the Mayor's Desk - 8 December 2020

Somehow, just like that, we’re well into December. Every year, the appearance of advent calendars is a sure sign that Christmas is just around the corner – and this year, the Goondiwindi region’s libraries invite you to their own ‘Christmas Corner’ for their annual reading advent calendar.

There’s no doubt that it’s been an unusual year, and so, this year’s advent calendar is a bit different to match: each reading is online instead of in-person, which means your library can bring each one to YOU to watch wherever you’d like in the countdown to Christmas. You’ll find some familiar faces reading their favourite Christmas stories as well as singing songs and making crafts, and I really encourage any residents with young families (or those young at heart) to follow along and join in the festive fun.

If you’re on Facebook, you can follow the ‘Christmas Corner at the Library’ event to make sure you get to ‘open the door’ each day for a new reading. If, like me, you’re more the offline type, you can still pop into your local library in Goondiwindi, Inglewood or Texas to watch each day’s video.

Now, I did say there’d be some familiar faces, and if you watch today’s [8 December] video, you can join me as I read Christmas at Grandad’s Farm, a cracking sing-along story about a typical bush Christmas, featuring a swim at the creek and games with the cousins…. It might just be the debut of my singing career.

What this year’s ‘Christmas Corner’ clearly shows is that our region’s libraries are so much more than just books. Especially since the onset of COVID, they have provided a sense of community even when we’ve had to be physically distanced. Their call, click and collect service ensured readers could still borrow the books they needed: in the 16 weeks from March to July, our libraries managed to prepare more than 6,800 items for its members across the Goondiwindi region – and 529 of those were delivered to home bound and isolated members.

I am extremely proud of how our libraries have continued to function throughout the pandemic and how they continue to provide a cornerstone of community for many in our region – in fact, more than 60 new members signed up to our libraries during the COVID-19 closure. The wealth of e-resources available through our libraries and their quick adoption of hosting group activities online meant members could still connect and stay social, even when distancing.

Thankfully, our region’s library services are now mostly back to normal after the COVID-19 interruptions and I strongly encourage everyone to make the most of the many wonderful programs and activities that are now up and running in-person again. Don’t forget your free library membership also grants you access to a number of exceptional quality resources, such as Ancestry.com and the National Geographic - Council’s friendly library staff members will be pleased to help and show you how to make the most of your membership.

Hon. Lawrence Springborg AM
Mayor
Goondiwindi Regional Council