Highlights from the YPLG meeting

If #MeetingGoals is a hashtag (I just checked - yes, it is) then it definitely applies to the Young Peoples Libraries Group (YPLG) meeting held at State Library of Queensland in March 2019.

There was nothing bland about this meeting – it was packed with shared experiences, ideas, insight, problem-solving, and a collective drive to continue developing quality programs and services for children, youth and families in Queensland.

Sitting at the round table in the slq Boardroom, I felt privileged to be part of such an incredible group of library staff. Everyone in the room brought a wealth of insight, passion, experience, talents, and skills into the space. The day started with an overview of how First 5 Forever will be moving forward as a program, and the welcome news that 100% of eligible Queensland councils are now on board with First 5 Forever.

I was excited to hear about the announcement of new opportunities for First 5 Forever professional development and staff training which will be available this year. In particular, it will be helpful to have more online tools available to facilitate meetings and discussions between First 5 Forever staff from around the state.

Plans for Summer Reading Club (SRC) 2019-20 were also shared at the YPLG meeting, with an emphasis on further online support and training resources being made available this year to help staff develop their programs ahead of next summer.

The group also previewed an eResources evaluation tool that State Library staff are currently developing. Tablelands Libraries has a growing collection of digital and online resources (including virtual reality, robotics, and coding technologies) so this evaluation tool will be of great use to our library service.

The day concluded with staff from each library sharing their successes and challenges in youth programming and services. A wealth of ideas and insight were shared, which I will be drawing upon to help develop new and exciting youth programs and services at Tablelands Libraries. Some of my favourite ideas included: Lockyer Valley Libraries’ scavenger hunts, which have been drawing eager participants back to the library day after day; North Burnett Libraries’ use of a State Library Micro Grant to run a library bag-decorating workshop during SRC; Redland Libraries’ successful partnership with other council departments to run a ‘Big Truck Day’ with all of the council trucks; and Toowoomba Libraries’ collaboration with their local orchestra to present an extra special Storytime session. This professional development event was highly rewarding.

Thank you to both State Library and Tablelands Regional Council for supporting my attendance at this event.

About the author

Amelia Benefield is the Library Programs and Promotions Officer for Tablelands Regional Council.