Celebrating Our Community Elders

KASAMA Vol. 23 No. 1 / January-February-March 2009 / Solidarity Philippines Australia Network

20 March 2009 —

The Queensland State Library hosted this year’s Brisbane Harmony Day celebration with music from the African Women’s chorus and singer and song writer Getano Bann. Afterwards we had a few hours to chat during refreshments, the launch of the library’s Multicultural Services Strategy 2008-2012 and a guided tour of the building’s collections and exhibition space.

After almost three years of building works the redeveloped State Library reopened in November 2006. There are four public levels with 2-hours per day free Internet access computers, or if you bring your own laptop there are WiFi hot spots throughout the building. You can enjoy weekly film screenings every Sunday afternoon, training workshops and information sessions, print and photocopying facilities, a café and bookshop, the Kuril Dhagun indigenous knowledge centre, and for children under 8-years there is The Corner for children’s activities with artists and specialist librarians.

The State Library’s web site at http://www.slq.qld.gov.au has been redesigned. The Multicultural Bridge at http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/bridge provides information in 19 languages about the collections, services and activities. For general multicultural information in over 60 languages visit the My Language web site at http://www.mylanguage.gov.au

The LOTE (Languages other than English) collection has over 100,000 items in more than 45 languages Each collection has adult fiction, adult non fiction, junior fiction and junior non fiction. Large print books, taped books, DVDs and music CDs are also available in some languages.

The State Library and Queensland public libraries have an adult literacy collection, which includes materials for learners of English as a second language. Debra Cooper is the Multicultural Program Officer, Public Library Services, State Library of Queensland.

Email: debra.cooper@slq.qld.gov.au