It might be best known as Valentine’s Day but February 14 is also officially Library Lovers’ Day.
Blue Mountains Library is inviting book lovers to celebrate the day by visiting their local branch, where free heart-shaped chocolates will be on offer as well as the chance to win a book-pack by entering this years’ Library Lovers’ Flash Fiction Competition.
There is also an opportunity for people to recommend their favourite read to other library members, or to review recommendations from others.
The incredible growth of popularity in Australian public libraries and the diversity of services they offer was highlighted in a recent report on the ABC’s 7.30 program. The Australian Library and Information Association reported that the latest available statistics show public libraries have more than 9.3 million registered users, up from 8.2 million in the previous year.
Blue Mountains Library can boast equally impressive numbers for 2017/2018 with more than 450,000 visitors through the doors of its branches, borrowing 533,000 items. And if that’s not enough, the library held more than 560 programs during the year and fielded more than 47,000 information requests.
Residents can pick up an entry leaflet for the Flash Fiction Competition and write a 50 word ‘library love story’ – there’s a book pack prize for the best story returned to each branch. The story can be about anything it just has to involve love and libraries and include the story prompt: “There was love to be found in the library…”.
Entries can be submitted at any Blue Mountains Library branch by February 21.
