NOISE from the general hum of activity about the shelves is what librarian Julie Stevens missed most the past year.
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There was a bustle returning to Ballarat Libraries in what Ms Stevens said were important community spaces where people can just be together, or be alone but near others, in their work, studies or books.
This was a space Ms Stevens said was important for people to learn, to make connections and find support, such as in computer skills classes.
Gradually this bustle was returning.
Ms Stevens said it was hard to gauge the impact on connections when everything did just stop and Ballarat Libraries were forced to close, then re-open but with tight restrictions.
"Libraries are more than just checking books in and out. For me, it's transactions in normal life: recreation, business support, information, equality and accessibility," Ms Stevens said. "We can help people with advice over the counter, we do that anyway, but it's been hard for us to know the impact on people with no programs."
Most programs, including children's storytime, could move online - even drawing on City of Ballarat councillors to test their public speaking skills as guest readers. Storytime is due to return in a modified format when school was back.
Some were already there, like online computer resources.
Libraries After Dark returns to Sebastopol Library on Thursday for the first time in almost a year, open until 10pm and screening a free movie.
"It's providing a safe, free community alternative for the evening to being home on your own and that's one we weren't able to continue when the library closed," Ms Stevens said. "It's an activity for people just to join in. We were seeing a wide range of people and really broad demographics, before COVID."
One key trend to emerge during the pandemic was a reading resurgence. Not that reading as an activity ever went away, Ms Stevens said, but there had been a renewed hunger in Ballarat for stories.
And Ballarat Libraries were closed for large periods of the year.
Ms Stevens said people increasingly started to draw on librarians' advice once more for books to read, particularly amid a period when books were quarantined and wait lists long.
Reading as an activity has benefits for mental health...we want to keep those patterns up now people can come back into libraries.
- Julie Stevens
"One woman phoned to say she was doing a click-and-collect with some of the books she chose and some a librarian had chosen. She asked us to put back the ones she had chosen because the librarian's recommendations were so much better - librarians really are experts in books," Ms Stevens said.
"Reading as an activity has benefits for mental health for relaxing and increasing empathy. Reading regularly has become a pattern in people's lives and we want to keep those patterns up now people can come back into libraries.
"...I don't think reading as an activity ever went away. Borrowing and circulation has always been strong in Ballarat and 2020 was a good year. Click-and-collect was a great middle of the road to continue to get books out to people when they couldn't browse and we're still doing that.
"Something lovely we've discovered is how much a lot of people like using the library to have conversations with us, to help broaden their horizons."
IN OTHER NEWS
Ballarat Libraries' online resources also proved increasingly popular with e-books and e-audio books borrowed. Many people tried the libraries' streaming services for films and documentaries for the first time.
Ms Stevens said none of these formats were new, but pandemic conditions had pushed people to have a go and try new mediums.
In her role as Ballarat Libraries' community engagement and partnerships coordinator, Ms Stevens was confident in planning for the next six months to keep people engaged with new story mediums but also drawing people back into the community space.
Books are back circulating as usual and Ballarat Libraries has just added 2000 new items to its catalogue after a surge from publishing companies. And Ms Stevens said there were plenty of resources to help keep you reading.
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