Levendale Community Library

That’s right, new books. Many thanks to Michael Jones of Sandy Bay Book Shop and Newsagency for the wonderful selection of books for our community library. Here is a list of the titles that will be on the shelves by Wednesday 26th August. Dancing Backwards in High Heels, The Writing on my Forehead, The Last Recipe for Happiness, The Great Arch, The Trall’s Tale, Pearl in a Cage, The Art of Losing, Nightmare Academy, We Don’t Live Here Anymore, Vintage Alice, Solace of the Road, Smoked, Bruno Chief of Police, The Piano Teacher, Brixton Beach, White Demon, The Paperbark Shoe, Dog On It, Riding The Black Cockatoo, The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder and Bridge of Sand.

Four years later the community library is still going strong with books and videos being booked out weekly. 
 
Here are a couple of updated photos of the library.

On Thursday the 9th of December 2004 we witnessed the first anniversary of the community library. The library has come a long way in this last year, from a bare cloakroom with only 724 books to a thriving information centre for the local community who have enjoyed morning teas, meetings, computer classes to just having a coffee and a good read. Over one thousand books and videos have been booked out in the last year. Many residents visit the library on a regular basis who previously never came to the Levendale School. 

We were very fortunate to have the local author Rachael Treasure help open the library last year. Rachael again gave us some of her valuable time to help celebrate the library’s first anniversary and also promote her new book called  “The Stockmen”. The local residents were thrilled to be able to buy a copy and have Rachael sign it for them.

This was all celebrated with a wonderful afternoon of cheese and wine and listening to the story of Rachael’s life as a wife, mother, farmer and author.

Update 15th June 2004

Well the community library has now been in operation for six months with many of the local residents making use of it as a meeting place, evening card nights and to borrow books and videos. Over a three hundred and fifty items have been booked out since the opening in December last year.

The new shelving that was purchased with the Women’s Rural Grant of $500 has helped to house  many of the books that are still being donated. At the moment we have over two thousand books recorded. Below is a picture of the new shelving.

The Community Library in conjunction with the Orford Public Library now enables the Levendale and Woodsdale residents to order their State Library books over the Internet and have them delivered and returned to the Community Library here in Levendale. This service will benefit many of the residents especially the ones who are elderly or do not have transport.

Most days the Community Library is in use, from borrowing books, using the computer, retrieving information from the notice board, meetings and social gatherings.

Well finally our new computer with Internet access and a printer/scanner/photocopier for the community library has arrived. This was purchased with the money that Bowen District donated for the community to have access to the Internet as well as other uses of the computer. Money that was left over we bought 20 new chairs that were stackable as well as comfortable for the regular card/bingo nights. New shelves arrive next week that were purchased with the grant money from Women of Tasmania.

Grand Opening of the Levendale Community Library

On Tuesday the 9th of December 2003 Levendale Community Library was officially opened by the Mayor of Oatlands Colin Howlett and the keys to the library were handed over to the community by local author Rachael Treasure.

The community library has at the moment 724 fiction, non fiction and large print books available for loan as well as magazines and videos. Many more boxes of books have arrived since the opening. All these items have been donated by the local community, staff at Levendale Primary, Sandy Bay Newsagency and Book Shop and Angus & Robertson and with out their help and the hard work of the residents the Levendale Community Library would not exist.

Donations of money have been kindly sent in by Buckland Parish Shop, The Historical Society, Mayor Colin Howlett, Hon Michael Polley and the Southern Midlands Council. Bowen District have donated $2,000 to purchase a computer for the community to access information through the Internet.

This community library will benefit not only the adults in the area, but will encourage the children to be actively involved in reading as well. Community members who would normally not visit the school will now have the chance to see what events are happening in and around Levendale Primary School.

Below are some photos that were taken during the opening.