Caretaker period

In the lead up to the Victorian local government elections, Boroondara Council will enter the election period, also known as the caretaker period.

This commences at midnight on 25 September 2012 and ends at 6pm on 27 October 2012.

During this period, we will be posting a very limited range of certified announcements.

We have also disabled the ability for members of the community to post or comment on our social media sites.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Hawthorn Library Temporary Closure 13th September.

Due to planned power outage, Hawthorn Library will be closed from 10am to 1pm on Thursday 13 September 2012.

Both the library and council customer service desk will open at 1pm.

Other Boroondara Libraries will remain open as usual during this period.

Boroondara Libraries apologise for any inconvenience.

System Maintenance Thursday 6 September.

System Maintenance Thursday Morning


Due to essential Library Management System maintenance many of our normal services will be very limited from

8am until 1pm on Thursday 6 September

The following services will be unavailable:

• Library catalogue

• Renewals and membership enquiries

• Reservations

• Payments

• PC bookings and printing

• Wi-Fi internet

• eAudio and eBooks

• Study room and meeting room bookings



During this time services will be very limited.

You will need your card to borrow.



We apologise for any inconvenience. Please see staff if you have any questions.

Camberwell Library is moving

The Camberwell Library at 25 Inglesby Road, Camberwell will lock the doors at 5pm on Tuesday 21st August so that we can move everything  to our new location.

Camberwell  Library will reopen on on Monday 10th September in our new premises at  340 Camberwell Road, Camberwell.

Other Boroondara libraries will be open as usual and reservations can be collected from Hawthorn Library during this period.

Ashburton Library

154 High Street

Ashburton

Balwyn Library

336 Whitehorse Road

Balwyn

Hawthorn Library

584 Glenferrie Road

Hawthorn

Kew Library

Cnr Cotham Road and Civic Drive

Kew

Phone number for all libraries: 9278 4666

Local and family history

All our libraries have family and local history collections.

The local and family history collection includes books, photographs, maps, manuscripts, ephemera (programs, tickets, flyers etc. of the day), access to Ancestry and Find my Past (Australian and UK editions), and access to various historical records on our PCs and microform readers. 

Ask at the information desk for assistance accessing these resources.

While none of the material is available for loan, most items within these collections are available for referral within the library. However some records and documents are not available for public use because of the archival nature of the collection.

Accessing restricted collections

Use of Restricted Local History material is at the discretion of the Local and Family History Librarian as some of the material is both fragile and irreplaceable.

Members of the public may apply online for access to a restricted item or in person at one of the Libraries.  Requests may take several days to process.

  

Enquire at the information desk 

Local history access form

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Go Global - School Holiday Program

Our July school holiday program - Go Global - runs from Monday 2 July to Friday 13 July.

We have many fun, free activities planned for all ages. Here's a guide to what's happening at your local library during the July school holidays.

Performers

Paul Jamieson: The Music Man

Suitable for all ages.
When: Week 1 - starting Monday 2 July

Paul is a multi-talented entertainer who uses reggae, rap, calypso, and many other styles of music in his performances. His contagious rhythms get everyone 'grooving', and audience participation is a keynote of his shows.

Flash Twinkle Toes Silly Circus Show

Suitable for all age.
When: Week 2 - starting Monday 9 July

Flash is a talented circus performer with one big problem ... he just can't seem to get things right! The Silly Circus Show features audience participation, comedic routines, and amazing skills in circus, magic, puppetry and more!

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Ashburton

Seeing is be-weaving!

Suitable for school age children
When: Wednesday 4 July, 11am

Discover all the different cultures that weave and make your own basket (for older children) or mat (younger children) to take home.

Cityscapes

Suitable for school age children
When: Wednesday 11 July, 11am

Build your own global city in miniature using recycled goods.

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Balwyn

Colour your world

Suitable for school age children
When: Thursday 5 July, 2pm

Join us to build and create colourful picture frames using every day items recycled into pieces of art!

Dreamtime Down Under

Suitable for school age children
When: Friday 13 July, 11am

Learn about the art of Australia's indigenous people and create your own beautiful dot-painting.

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Camberwell

Seeing is be-weaving!

Suitable for school age children
When: Tuesday 3 July, 11am

Discover all the different cultures that weave and make your own basket (for older children) or mat (younger children) to take home.

Cityscapes

Suitable for school age children
When: Tuesday 10 July, 11am

Build your own global city in miniature using recycled goods.

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Hawthorn

Passport to the world

Suitable for school age children
When: Tuesdau 3 July, 11am

Come and make your own fabulous passport with stamps, coin rubbing and postage stamps plus lots more!

Olympic dioramas

Suitable for school age children
When: Tuesday 10 July, 2pm

Create your own spectacular Olympic Games dioramas.

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Kew

Bonnie Scottish pom-poms

Suitable for school age children
When: Thursday 5 July, 2pm

Come to Kew and make your very own Scottish pom- pom to decorate a bonnie wee winter beanie.

Norwegian trolls

Suitable for school age children
When: Tuesday 10 July, 11am

Ancient Norwegians believed that trolls with magical powers lurked among the country's fjords and forests. Use your imagination to make your very own cork troll.

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Reserve a spot

Bookings will go live on Friday 22 June @ 10am. 

The 2012 Boroondara Literary Awards are open.

2012 judges

The Open Short Story competition will be judged by popular local crime writer PD Martin, City of Boroondara Library Service's National Year of Reading ambassador.

The Open Short Story competition is a national competition open to all!

Young writers

Judging the Young Writers Prose is well known and popular writer of YA fiction, Paul Collins.

And our Young Writers Poetry judge is none other than the lovely, prolific children's author, Meredith Costain!

The Young Writers competition includes Junior (school year levels 7-9) and Senior (school year levels 10-12 or 15-18 years of age) entry levels in both the poetry and prose categories and is open to young people who live, work or attend school in the City of Boroondara.


More about the Literary Awards

An information brochure for the 2012 Awards is available at any City of Boroondara Library branch or via the Boroondara Libraries website.

Queen's Birthday Public Holiday

All Boroondara libraries will be closed on Monday June 11 for the Queen's Birthday public holiday.

However you can still access a range of library services via our webpage.

Lifelong learning at any age...

The library service has a range of online databases and services to help with all types of learning.

Read newspapers and magazines from around the world.

Learn a language online.

Check some facts in an encyclopaedia.

Trace your family history.

Get information for a school project.

Discover some new authors.

Click here to see all the databases.

Library Link Victoria down for maintenance

Library Link Victoria will be unavailable today.  Inter Library Loans may still be placed in person at any of our branches, however searching Library Link Victoria will not be possible until Thursday 31 May.

Network maintenance on Saturday

The City of Boroondara internal network is undergoing maintenance on Saturday 19 May.  Library services on Saturday will be limited:

·         Items can only be issued on presentation of a library card

·         Renewals are only possible in the library if the item is present

·         Staff will be unable to update member records

·         Library payments will not be able to be processed, except for ePayments

·         Kew Customer Service will be restricted to manual payments only

Our online services including catalogue searches, reservations, databases and eAudio will not be affected.

For more information call us on 9278 4666

Lest we Forget

ANZAC day closure

All five libraries will be closed Wednesday 25 April for the ANZAC Day public holiday.

Although our branches will be closed books can still be returned via the after hours chute.

Our online catalogue, facebook, twitter, blogs, databases and eaudio books are available all year.

Easter hours

All five libraries will be closed during Easter from Good Friday, 6 April to Easter Monday, 9 April.

Normal opening hours resume Tuesday 10 April.


Although our branches will be closed, you can still return your items via our external chutes  and reserve and renew items via our online catalogue.

Tomorrow's Library

Love your library?



Then join the conversation and shape the future of your library.

Click here for more information.

Tomorrow's Library is a two year review of public libraries being conducted by the Ministerial Advisory Council on Public Libraries.


It is an opportunity for Victorian communities to shape the future of Victorian public libraries.


The review will be conducted in two stages. Stage one will review the way libraries operate today, what communities want from their future library and comprehensive community and sector consultation.

A comprehensive report will be released at the end of 2012 and will inform stage two of the review.

The second stage will commence in early 2013 and will review costs, prioritisation of library projects and programs, sustainability and levels of funding.

The review will consider:

1. the relevant future services, directions and trends that will lead to changes in the provision and delivery of library services, such as emerging technologies, e-books, telephony, internet, partnership arrangements and the increasing role of libraries as community spaces and changing community needs;


2. the services currently provided by libraries in Victoria and a comparison to those provided in other Australian states and territories;

3. procurement practices and opportunities for standardisation of operations including borderless libraries and inter-library operations;

4. an analysis of the sustainability and diversity of library services;

5. the aggregate level of funding and funding accountability provided by the three tiers of government to support public library services including analysis of other jurisdictions;

6. the efficiency and effectiveness of specific purpose funding of public library services which includes the question of tied or untied library funding to councils; and

7. the appropriate level of recurrent funding and capital contribution necessary to support the operation of public libraries including opportunities to engage with private and philanthropic sector support.

Internet Users Survey

Do you use the library's computers?

Do you use the library's wireless internet?

YES - then take our ten minute survey.

Free internet access is an essential service provided by public libraries, completing this survey helps us improve our services and plan for the future.

Ask a librarian or logon to the catalogue to complete this survey.

Labour Day 2012.

All Boroondara Libraries will be closed on Monday March 12, 2012 for the Labour Day public holiday.

You will be able to return library items via our returns chutes.

Via our website you can renew your items, reserve items and access our eresources.

Normal hours will resume on Tuesday March 13.

Click here to find out about the origins of the Labour Day public holiday. (via the State Library of Victoria)

Kew Library Closed Today !! No Power!

There is an unscheduled closure of Kew Library today (Sunday 5 February) due to a complete power outage in the area.
Boroondara's other four libraries are open at Ashburton, Balwyn, Camberwell and Hawthorn and online services are not affected. Kew Library will resume services tomorrow morning at 10am, assuming that power has been restored.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Australia Day

All Boroondara libraries will be closed on Thursday January 26 for the Australia Day public holiday.

Even though the libraries are closed you can return items through the after hours returns chutes, use our website to search the catalogue on line, place reservations and renew your items.

Click here for 10 facts about Australia Day

or here to learn how to make an origami koala