There’s always something happening at the Library! Lauren Watkins, our Branch Supervisor for Gerringong Library and Museum (GLaM) started as a casual at Kiama Library back in 2017 and loves the variety of activities and community events that her role involves.
What’s a typical day in the library?
Our mornings are dedicated to customer-based tasks like collecting reservations, shelving, and setting up programs.
We often have a children’s program mid-morning, which makes the library busy and vibrant.
Afternoons usually involve facilitating book clubs, planning and delivering a huge variety of events, writing our podcast episodes, and making sure the library is inviting and well-organised.
Give us some stats?
For the last financial year at Kiama Libraries, 129,120 items were borrowed, which works out to 5.62 loans per resident (higher than the 4.3 state average). We’re so grateful for the support of our amazing community.
Explain the role of Branch Supervisor?
I supervise every aspect of what’s going on in the GLaM building, making sure everything is functional and running smoothly. This can be quite complex as we have groups using our community spaces, local artists exhibiting in the Gallery, the historical society taking care of the Museum, and so on.
Tell us about your regular events?
Kiama and Gerringong Libraries provide fantastic regular activities for children during school terms. Both libraries host a weekly preschool Storytime with books, songs, rhymes and craft; both libraries run a fortnightly Toddler Tales with fun, interactive activities; and Kiama Library also has a fortnightly Baby Storytime. These are all free of charge and can be booked via our Kiama Library website.
For our other visitors, Makers & Creators events also run throughout the year and there’s a regular knitting group at both libraries.
What about in school holidays?
Both libraries have an amazing variety of school holiday activities, usually four or five at each branch, every school holidays. Coming up in May, we have Lego, craft, cooking, weaving, and even a family movie night!
And the awesome Escape Rooms?
For our annual Escape Room events (held in January), I design the bulk of the puzzles and how the structure of the game will work, and then Carla (Outreach Officer) and Lauran (Gerringong Officer) work some kind of miracle magic and create amazing props and interactive physical game pieces that have to be seen to be believed.
The event usually sees 25-30 groups go through. Next January’s theme is Adventure, so ready your fedoras for an amazing journey through the jungle to an ancient temple!
Any more events?
