FOGLLS was established with the aim of supporting library services for the area. Over the years their activities have evolved into three major categories:
Lobbying:
The most important activity for the Friends is to act as lobbyists for better library services. This can be done by speaking to or writing letters to the General Manager of Great Lakes Council, Councillors and local Members of Parliament, requesting that library services move up the priority list, and calling for an excellent library service for the Great Lakes area. The people of this region deserve better treatment by the three levels of Government - Local, State and Federal.
There are two separate issues:
After consideration at Great Lakes Council's Strategic Committee meeting held in early February, 2010, it was announced that a hall and library will be the first services developed at the proposed Civic Precinct in Little Street, Forster. This visionary decision has brought much satisfaction to FOGLLS. Now the real work begins. If we are ever to secure the sort of library our community deserves we need advocates who will use their influence with Councillors and members of State and Federal governments to secure adequate library funding. We need to work with the Library and Council to develop and secure the best possible library service for our community. The more people who support FOGLLS, the more influence can be exerted on those responsible for funding the public library system. "The Importance of a Library" is an article that summarises why a library is such an important place for many people. |
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Great Lakes Bookstart Now Funded By FOGLLS!Approximately 1200 Library Bags have been distributed by Child and Family nurses in the Great Lakes Region since August 2006.The concept of Bookstart programs comes from the Bookstart Program UK. It is designed to improve literacy in the community by providing all babies, through their parents or carers, with a library bag containing at least one book, a library membership form, and information on the critical importance of reading to babies. |
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Children who are read to from an early age learn more sounds, develop listening skills, extend their vocabularies, imagination, understanding of concepts, and will learn to read by themselves more easily.
The Great Lakes Bookstart program was launched on 21st August, 2006 by the Rt Hon Ian Sinclair, and Mrs Rosemary Sinclair, and is administered by the Great Lakes Library. FOGLLS provided the initial $2000, and Tuncurry Bowling Club followed with a generous $3000. FOGLLS are proud to be able to provide current funding.
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Many wonderful people, using their sewing skills have donated all cloth bags used in the project. If you would like to help, please visit Forster Library where you may obtain instruction sheets and look at sample bags. Mem Fox is the major Australian exponent of the importance of reading aloud to babies. Over three million copies of her children's book Possum Magic have been sold in Australia. Mem Fox was an associate professor of education at Flinders University for 20 years until 1996, and is now an international consultant in literacy. She recommends reading "Ten Minutes a Day". |
Functions:FOGLLS initiates functions that offer literary stimulation, entertainment, and education to the community. A varied program includes book launches, author talks, poetry readings, traveller's tales, musical performances, and an annual trivia night.We do this because in regional areas there are limited choices to meet the cultural and intellectual needs of the community. We also support the events organised by the Great Lakes Library Service. |
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