One of the key services provided by my local library that I have take advantage of since having a kid is the early childhood activities. They offered  nursery time for babies and the story time for toddlers. They are free, very popular and provide mothers, fathers, grandparents and carers with an opportunity to expose children not only to songs and stories but to a sense of shared experiences with other children.

They learn to sit down and stay quiet during story time. They stand up and dance around when the music is played. They use their senses with nursery rhymes and most importantly they have fun.

I also see adults with smiles on their faces as they sing along and relive their childhoods or learn new things to share with their children especially if they are from another culture.

Another service libraries provide the community are interest groups. There are book clubs, movie clubs and even knitting clubs!

I turned up to the knitting club at my local library and it was a group of ladies who were mostly knitting for charities (hospitals etc) and they were kind enough to share their skills to help a novice along.

Other services libraries may offer include Justice of the Peace, workshops about a variety of topics, school holiday events and many more.

So visit your local library and see what it has to offer you!

NSW – http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/public-library-services
SA – http://www.libraries.sa.gov.au/page.aspx
VICTORIA – https://www.publiclibrariesvictoria.net.au/
WA – http://slwa.wa.gov.au/our-services/other-libraries/public-libraries
NT – https://nt.gov.au/leisure/arts-culture-heritage/find-a-library-in-the-nt
SA – http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/visit-us/find-a-public-library