Central Coast Council Library Service has won the annual NSW Public Libraries Association Multicultural Excellence Award, presented to staff at the annual SWITCH conference last week.

Council’s Library Service took out the award for their demonstrated excellence in services and programs that add meaningful value to the Central Coast’s culturally and linguistically diverse community.

Council Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan said staff feel incredibly privileged to be able to create spaces that provide connection, inclusion and support for the community.

“I am so proud of the work my team achieves and it is fantastic to see them publicly acknowledged for their efforts,” Ms Vaughan said.

“As part of the award we have received $1000, which will go towards building more equitable, affordable and flexible multicultural lifelong learning initiatives.

“A special thank you to all the volunteers and external agencies that have provided time and support, without whom these programs would not be possible.”

Providing multicultural learning opportunities is one of the many ways libraries help create spaces where all people feel welcome and can participate in community life, Ms Vaughan said.

“With more than 14 per cent of the population born overseas, we have developed numerous programs for our increasingly diverse community,” Ms Vaughan added.

“Our English as a Second Language (ESL) program has been running at Gosford Library since 2015, using conversation based learning to increase participants’ confidence in everyday situations we take for granted, such as going to the doctor or travelling by public transport.

“Members are very grateful for the learning outcomes, as well as the friendships and support networks they have established, without which they would have been more isolated.

“Our Read Around the World Storytime sessions at Erina, have been popular with young families as a way to celebrate our culturally diverse community through stories, songs and craft.

“These sessions are beneficial for the whole community, helping provide children with greater cultural awareness from an early age, while also offering a safe space for families from similar multicultural backgrounds to connect.

“Due to their success, we are looking at expanding the ESL Meet and Greet and Read Around the World Storytime programs in 2019 and would encourage those interested to get in contact with their local branch.”

The Library Service offers a ‘Reading Hotspot’ collection that includes beginner reading books and literacy workbooks to assist those developing their English skills at home.

Library members can also take advantage of the ‘Box of books’ service, where books in 42 different languages can be borrowed from NSW State Library collections – up to 20 items can be borrowed at once and can include fiction, non-fiction, children’s, bilingual, large print or audiobooks.

Visit centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/libraries for details on these multicultural programs and services.