Building the Future

Libraries are not only about books. These days we are the community hub, where people gather, to talk, to discuss, to use their devices or the Libraries’ computers, to download ebooks, emagazines, to play games, or to hear an author. Let’s face it libraries are a place to be welcome.

I became City Team Leader in 2014 and, since part of my area of responsibility is Youth Services, I began looking at our youth programmes to see if they provided something for all the young people we serve. What I found was that Dunedin Libraries runs very successful programmes for pre-school children with Wriggle and Rhyme and story-time sessions, and indeed we added an extra story-time session in late 2015 to cater for the high demand.

The library did not, however, have any programmes for school-aged children, and here was clearly an opportunity to continue to engage children in the love of reading and the library environment. In March this year we ran the first Youth Book Club at City Library, having had success with clubs starting at Community libraries during 2015.

I looked at the programmes libraries around New Zealand were offering to school-kids, and they included coding clubs, craft clubs, book clubs, tech clubs, and Lego clubs. Many libraries are offering Lego Clubs and why not? Lego books just fly out the doors in our library - they are always on loan. So it made sense to start a Lego club both at City library, and also the Community libraries, who were really keen to be a part of it too.

Starting a Lego club requires Lego, which is expensive (as you will know), and my budget was small. A fairy godmother called Linda, from Toyworld in the Meridian, came to our rescue. Linda gave us such a great deal on a starter pack it was amazing. Thank you so much Linda.

Next I needed a Lego Leader, and Aidan, one of our Library Assistants who loves Lego and still plays with it with his own kids, stepped up. Aidan is busy pulling together what we still need. We would love donations of good used Lego if you no longer use it.

The City Lego Club started in April, and is now on the first Wednesday of every month on Floor 2. The Club will be for ages 5 and up, and it will be pretty relaxed. There might be a theme sometimes but in general it’s free choice with time to admire everyone else’s work at the end.

I’m really excited, I love Lego!!!!