5000 poppies project

Our library service is an official collection point for the 5000 poppies project.  It is actually lovely to say that the target of 5000 has easily been surpassed already and it is likely the end result will be close to 100,000.  We recently held a poppy making afternoon and it was just lovely at our Echuca Branch.  We will certainly run some more over the next few months, as well as include them in the school holiday activities. 
People are encouraged to make poppies from the patterns provided which we have available at the library branches.  They can also be downloaded from http://5000poppies.wordpress.com
There is also a very active 5000 poppies Facebook group with nearly 1000 members. 
We encourage you to take part in this amazing community tribute of respect and remembrance.  It is a Victorian Government endorsed commemoration project which will culminate in a stunning display at Federation Square on Anzac Day 2015. 
So get knitting, crochet, felting or lace-making and participate in this wonderful project.

Winter Blues Magic

Please join us for two special events during the Winter Blues Festival from the 25-27 July.  We are very proud to be hosting two fantastic artists at our Echuca Branch over this amazing weekend.
Ali Penney will be performing Saturday morning from 11am and Phil Manning will be back for a second year performing on the Sunday afternoon from 2.30pm. 
We are an official supporter of the festival, it looks like a wonderful line-up again with heaps of artists performing at a variety of venues.  For more information about the festival please head to
http://winterblues.com.au/

It's school holiday time again!

Out libraries are jammed packed with activities to keep your children occupied during the July School Holidays.  Might be cold outside but there are lots of creative sessions over the next two weeks and hopefully something for everyone.  Please check our website for all the details.  The emphasis is definitely on learning something new.  There is opportunity to contribute to a national project through the Neural Knitworks, making music using the Sound Fusion website and helping to illustrate a book by local author Kaye Baillie.  Wool crafts, movie afternoons, pizza and games nights and special storytimes are in there too. 
Thanks to parents for their support, we hope it helps you out too by providing free and low cost activities.
See you soon, please contact our branches for more information 1300 666 535

Thank you for your support

Just a quick note to all of our wonderful library customers for voting for us as Australia's Favourite Library.  We pass on our congratulations to the winners Sandringham (Bayside) who actually one the overall title and to Hume Library Service for the Victorian title.  It was wonderful to part of this promotion.  We also had a great week last week for Library and Information Week and we feature in the www.alia.org.au wrap up of 2014 events.  Thanks to everyone for coming along and attending our special events.
This coming week we have our final High Road to Reading session with James Phelan on Thursday at Echuca at 2pm.  Everyone is welcome, please check our website for booking details.
We have also started planning activities for the next school holidays with the theme 'get creative @ your library' so keep an eye out for the details.
On a sad note we will farewell our respected colleague Valerie Hansen this week who passed away last Tuesday.  Valerie was our Home Based Services Coordinator and she made a wonderful contribution to this important part of our library service.  She will be sadly missed by colleagues and the many volunteers who assist with home deliveries and the words on wheels program.

Victoria on Record

During May and June our library service is hosting a touring exhibition from the Public Records Office of Victoria.  We are very pleased to offer our visitors the opportunity to view this interesting banner display which promotes and highlights the many interesting and diverse things that the Public Records Office of Victoria (PROV) keeps. At the moment the exhibition is at Rochester Branch until Saturday and then head to Rushworth, Echuca, Kyabram and then finishes at Tongala.
Well worth a personal visit to the PROV in North Melbourne and take in a tour.  For details about the Victoria on Record exhibition, when and where it will be please head to our library website.  For more information about the exhibition itself please go to http://prov.vic.gov.au/whats-on/touring-exhibitions/victoria-on-record
Look forward to seeing you at one of our branches.  In conjunction with the display being held at Echuca we will also have a session about the PROV which will be conducted by one of our library staff.  Again details are on the library website.
On Sunday 25 May we are also hosting a Sunday afternoon session about collecting your own oral history which will be bought to us by Heather Rendle from the Echuca Historical Society. 

School holidays and Youth Week

The Campaspe Regional Library are very proud to offer a range of activities for the School Holidays and Youth Week.  We have partnered with our Youth Services Team this week to run the Photographic competition which will conclude this Friday with the announcement of the winners at a special Youth Week luncheon.  Thank you to all the young people that entered the competition and to Echuca Moama Photography Group for their involvement and for judging the winning entries.  We also have Pizza and Games activities this Wednesday night at Echuca and Kyabram Branches, as well as Manga Drawing with the guys from Oztaku on Thursday at Echuca, Kyabram and Rochester.  A full range of activities for young children including movie afternoons, Easter craft, lego, board games and a special live show at Echuca this Friday.  Please see the library website for all the details and the booking form.  All activities are free but bookings are preferred.  Please call us if you need further information on 5481 2400.

Special literary events coming up

We are so fortunate to offer so many wonderful literary events this year.  Tonight we have the final of the Campaspe Murray Writers Group Poetry Competition kicking off at 6pm.  Congratulations to all those who entered and especially to the winning entries.  We look forward to hearing the poems being performed tonight. 
This week we have a special guest author Shane Maloney who will be in Kyabram on Wednesday as part of the State Library of Victoria "High Road to Reading" program.  Shane will be speaking to students at St Augustine's School in the morning and then everyone is welcome to join us at 2pm for an afternoon event.  It is free to come along and bookings via our website are preferred. 
On Sunday we have representatives from SCOPE and Community Living and Respite Services presenting what they provide to our communities.  The session will be at 2.30 at the Campaspe Regional Library, Echuca. 
On Saturday 12 April the Echuca Branch is hosting Torre De Roche as part of the Summer Read Program also provided by the State Library of Victoria.  The morning session "In conversation with Torre" will kick off at 10.30am, again bookings are preferred via the library website. 
Keep an eye out for more events that are planned for rest of the year, there are some sensational guests coming along.