Mount Barker Council’s Community Library in South Australia has won the 2004 Jim Crawford Award for Innovation in Libraries with series of programs reaching into the community. The award is named in honour of the late Jim Crawford, Chairman of the Libraries Board of South Australia from 1977 until 1987, who established the blueprint for development of the public library system.
The award winning programs involve a weekly writing group for eight to 14 year olds, and a home schooling support program that has enabled home schooled children to enter the Premier’s Reading Challenge.
Public Libraries South Australian Vice President, Geoff Strempel, said the Mount Barker Library had demonstrated a commitment to supporting writing, being responsive to the community, linking with State agencies and programs as well as engaging the community.
“We were also impressed with the library’s parenting group, which supports new mothers to read to young children, and to its youth program, which involves young people in the selection of library materials,” he said.
Council will receive a $10,000 prize which it can spend to further develop the library, its services or staff.
South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, said it is great to see such brilliant forward thinking by the Mount Barker Community Library to help children in the area get involved in the Premier’s Reading Challenge.
“The statewide involvement has exceeded my expectations with more than 79,000 children now participating through public and private schools as well as homes,” he said.
