From early literacy to opportunities for young adults, the section below brings you suggestions and resources to help make the most of what our library has to offer children of all ages.
It is never too early to start engaging your young child with books and reading.
Some people even start before their baby is born by reading aloud to their baby when pregnant.
Very young babies love to hear you read to them and they will soon become fascinated by books and start helping to turn the pages.
This section gives you some tips for helping to develop a lifelong love of books and reading in your little reader.
Our best tip for raising a young reader who will love books and literacy is to have fun together.
It’s a natural activity that everyone can enjoy.
The early years are critical for developing a lifelong passion for books and reading.
It’s never too early to start!
Playing on computers is a great way for little readers to develop early skills and confidence.
They can find their way around a keyboard and delight in the joy of making things happen on the screen.
Our purpose-made play and learn computers are available in many of our libraries.
Little ones love the brightly coloured, oversized keyboards, large touchscreen monitors, single-button mice made for little hands and kid-sized desks and seats.
They relish exploring at their own pace, having access to educational games such as Busy Things – all excellent literacy and numeracy-based resources specially developed with youngsters in mind.
Our Children's and Youth Services Librarians are ready to provide advice and assistance with your child's reading needs.
We have an excellent range of resources including board books, music CDs, DVDs, eBooks, bi-lingual and English language picture books to support your child's reading development from birth. As children grow and reach important milestones our diverse collection can support all ages and reading abilities.
Perhaps you are toilet training your little one or bringing home a new baby?
Our extensive array of information resources can help you answer questions and learn from the experience of others. We also have picture story books which are an excellent tool to be shared with your child as you explore various topics together.
There are many online resources to help you learn more about engaging your little reader. These are some of our favourite places for tips and guidance on raising a reader.
Bring along your baby, toddler or pre-schooler to one of the regular story time sessions at your local library branch. We have adventures, songs and stories to share.
From sessions brimming with songs and rhymes for babies, to Toddler Time and Preschool Story Time, our regular library programs are jam-packed with busy things for busy little people.
For session times visit Events for Little Readers
To find out more visit our What’s On page.
Once the love of reading has been ignited, keep it burning by directing children to popular and age-appropriate collections which will appeal to their interests.
This section provides suggestions for reading and information about library events for kids.
Let our specialist Children's and Youth Services Librarians help your kids find books they will enjoy. We offer an extensive range of materials that will support your child as they develop their skills and reading interests. Our tremendous range of resources includes eBooks, eAudiobooks, fiction, non-fiction, magazines, and graphic novels are guaranteed to entice even the most reluctant of readers.
There are countless online resources to help you learn more about engaging your kids in reading and to offer tips and suggestions of what your child may like to read.
These are some of our favourite places for tips and guidance on finding the best books and inspiration:
We aim to make learning fun and engaging for kids of all ages. Our Holiday Fun! program is bursting with enjoyable activities from Movie Mania to adventures into the natural world, Lego, Minecraft, art, technology, mixed-media and more.
Our regular programs and special events for kids include Chatterbooks, summer reading club and plenty of special, one-off opportunities to learn, connect, share and laugh.
Check What’s On for our All About Kids! and Holiday Fun for Kids programs and events.
As a young reader, you’re growing more confident in your reading and language skills; you’re probably hungry for new genres and mediums.
This section provides suggested reads, useful resources and information about events just for you.
As a young adult, you’re growing more confident in your reading and language skills and you will be seeking out new genres and mediums. You probably love to read about the world you live in, about people your own age, and about other times, places and cultures.
You and your peers prefer many different styles and formats in reading materials and to engage you, we provide diverse and eclectic collections so you can dive in at your own pace.
The library’s extensive youth collection includes:
You can also find useful resources in our eCollections. For information designed to help you get started with eCollections, please visit our help guides.
Our libraries are inclusive and welcoming for all our community. Come in and find a quiet, comfortable study space or enjoy our creative youth areas with current technologies including gaming consoles and PCs.
There are countless online resources to help you with study, learning, networking and wellbeing. These are a few of our favourites.
Press start on gaming and fun with free access to gaming consoles at most of our library locations.
Head to the youth zone for Wii and Xbox consoles. Some locations also have PS4 and Kinect consoles available. You can choose from a range of G, PG and M rated games. Play solo or pit yourself against a pal for some friendly competition.
Just clocked a game? Don’t worry – we update the games selection regularly so there’s always a new challenge ready for you.
The new Geelong Library & Heritage Centre has several Xbox One consoles, comfy bean bags, and huge screens to enhance your gaming experience.
You might also be interested in an Oculus Rift Virtual Reality experience or Greenscreen fun.
If you’re aged 12+, we offer a special program of library events and activities with you in mind.
And, yes, libraries are pretty cool these days. For young people it’s all about socialising, gaming, and getting your art, learning and tech on. Your pace. Your style. Your imagination. Drop in and see for yourself.
Dive into regular after-school programs like Art House and Manga Club or come along for holiday stuff like selfie styling, adventures into zines, or crafty pursuits.
Check What’s On for our Holiday Stuff! and Youth programs and events.
