North Qld Regional Rep – Jacob Schaumburg is doing a fantastic job covering both the North and Central regions to ensure everyone remains informed of what’s happening across the regions. This is due to the ongoing Regional Rep vacancy in the Central Region.
If you are interested in considering this role, please contact secretary@qpla.asn.au
TOWNSVILLE CITYLIBRARIES – 3D printing
Here at Citylibraries Townsville, we’ve recently introduced a new filament extruder for our 3D printer at the MixHaus Makerspace in our Citylibraries Riverway Library branch. The new extruder is a PLA extruder, rather than our previous ABS extruder. Being able to print in PLA allows us a higher chance of print completion, a wider range of filament colours, and less heat is required to form the plastic filament resulting in a safer printing environment. We’ve found this has yielded more use of the equipment and a higher success rate of prints. PLA is also cheaper, and therefore folks who’d like to purchase their own filament can do so with minimal expense. More use of our 3D printer has also exposed different users to other equipment, such as our laser cutter and 3D scanner, yielding more booking hours for varying equipment at the MixHaus Makerspace.
BURDEKIN LIBRARIES
Burdekin Code Club – story written by Nick Wiseman, Community and Digital Programs Officer.
Earlier this year we launched the Burdekin Code Club – it’s part of the national organisation sponsored by Telstra aimed at getting more kids coding and learning different ways to problem solve in the current digital age.
Since then we have had to have a waiting list and then with the arrival of new computers for Create@108, our current membership jumped to 14 – with more still expressing interest or not able to attend due to conflicting activities – perhaps we should have a second day a week!
We were selected along with one other club in Australia to test out some projects for the upcoming Moonhack 2023 competition (it compromises of Code Clubs from all over the globe) and as a result we were sent a gift pack from Code Club Australia – the kids all got decked out with T Shirts, wireless mice, pens, puzzles and stickers.
Hidden in the gift pack was another gift to the club, 30 x Micro:bit programmable controller computer boards – we already had 10 and I was looking to purchase more, these boards were roughly valued at $800 for them, to say we were amazed and humbled was an understatement. The national co-ordinator wanted to thank our club for being one of the most active and assisting clubs – also one of the newest to the fold!
The kids really enjoy exploring robotics, electronics and coding their own apps and games.
2023 Highlights – QPLA Central Queensland Regional representative
FRASER COAST LIBRARIES – celebrating indigenous creativity and cultures:
- Tiddas Book Club – in July this year, we started a Tiddas Book Club for First Nations women who love to read. Members meet every two months and so far have read “The Yield” by Tara June Winch and “The Drover’s Wife” by Leah Purcell.
- Alisha Sorensen indigenous artist – we have worked with local Butchulla woman, Alisha Sorensen, to purchase the rights to one of her paintings, “Community Connections” to use for library marketing and merchandise such as branding for “Lines in the Sand” our Premiere writer’s program of events, library membership cards and library promotional materials.
- NAIDOC Celebrations – Fraser Coast Libraries participated in the local Hervey Bay and Maryborough NAIDOC Celebrations by running sessions with children’s author Gregg Dreise and also launching an inaugural NAIDOC Poetry Competition.
- Yarning Up Meeting – Staff from Fraser Coast Libraries and Hervey Bay Regional Gallery ran the Yarning Up Community Meeting in March this year at Moonaboola. We presented ways that Fraser Coast Libraries and Galleries can help promote our local First Nations culture and community.
MACKAY REGIONAL LIBRARIES – extension of Walkerston Library Hours
Walkerston residents will now have extended library hours. Due to the amazing community support and data from Mackay Regional Council Libraries annual survey results, Walkerston Library will be extending its opening hours, to include an additional 11 hrs per week plus the benefit of the branch no longer closing during lunch periods.
