From October 15th to 18th, the libraries will host a series of events to celebrate Get Online Week.

Suitable for all ages, the events are designed to give people the opportunity to have a go with emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR). Come and have a go at using a 3D printer or play with our Sphero robots.

Members of our community will be able to have their tech and digital questions answered in a one-on-one 10-minute consultation with our Digital Mentors.

And the week closes with an important workshop to learn more about scams and how to stay safe online.

Check the list of events below and join us to celebrate Get Online Week!

Augusta Library

Tuesday October 15th

Drop-in Sessions:            10:30am to 12pm, Ask the Digital Mentor

1pm to 2pm, Explore Emerging Technologies

Margaret River Library

Wednesday October 16th

Drop-in Sessions:           10:30am to 12pm, Ask the Digital Mentor

2:30pm to 3:30pm, Explore Emerging Technologies

Workshop:                      1pm to 2pm, Tips on how to use ChatGPT with Scott Robinson.

Bookings necessary

Thursday October 17th

Drop-in-Sessions:           10:30am to11:30am, Explore Emerging Technologies

11:30am to 1pm, Ask the Digital Mentor

Friday October 18th

Workshop                        10am to 11:30am: Scams Awareness – Staying Safe Online

Bookings necessary

To book for one of the workshops please contact the Margaret River Library. Ph: 9780 5600 or Email: amrlibrary@amrshire.wa.gov.au

The libraries are easily accessible venues. Get Online Week is made possible thanks to a grant from GoodThings Australia and is designed to assist community members to get online more safely and confidently.

Come along to learn something new!

Wednesday September 4^th, 10.30 – 11.30am, Margaret River Library. FREE EVENT

Holistic Therapies for Animals: Sharing Our Hearts and Nurturing Touch with Our Furry Friends

How we care for the animals in our lives is evolving. Pets are now an integral part of how we define the word ‘family. Holistic therapies, once considered only for humans are becoming increasingly popular with our companion animals. Together with veterinary care, these modalities offer a complete wellness program addressing the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of our pets.

Jackie Segers will be sharing her stories and insights into helping pets to better health. She will also give a face reflexology massage tutorial that you can offer your furry friends.  Light refreshments will be provided after the talk.

Please RSVP to Email: amrlibrary@amrshire.wa.gov.au or Phone: 9780 5600

The City of Armadale Libraries are excited to announce the forthcoming Armadale Writers Award.

This is an excellent opportunity for writers in the South West to enter a state wide writing competition that offers great prizes for their efforts.

The Armadale Writers’ Award is a creative writing competition which is open to adult writers living in Western Australia. The entries will be judged by a panel of authors and librarians, who will be looking at the originality of themes, plot development, story structure, and the overall quality of writing. Works must be original unpublished prose and have a 1000 – 3000 word count.

Entry for this competition is online, and access to the entry form will only be available from 1 to 30 September 2024. It is important that entrants read the Terms and Conditions to guarantee eligibility.

Prizes:

• 1st $1000
• 2nd $750
• 3rd $500

Important Dates:
Entries Open 1 September 2024, 12am (AWST)
Entries Close 30 September 2024, 11.59pm (AWST)
Finalists notified by 1 November 2024
Unsuccessful Entrants notified 4 November 2024
Winning Entries on website 2 December 2024

Full details about the competition is available on the Armadale Library website. Alternatively, contact Gareth Dixon at the Armadale Library. Ph: 9394 5105 or Email: gdixon@armadale.wa.gov.au

Friday August 30th, 10.30am – 12.30pm at the Margaret River Library

Ali Bannister presents a roll up your sleeves and get stuck in type of 2 hour workshop where participants are left feeling more enabled and empowered!

• Provides an insight on how to build an effective LinkedIn Profile for Small Business Owners.
• Learn how to build a Company Page – with easy tips to follow.
• Understand the power of LinkedIn and why 990 million people use it.
• Learn how to make business connections and craft your story.
• Reach clients and build lasting business relationships.

Alison Bannister is all about business success. Her workshops aim to provide small business owners with the tools they need to succeed. This event is free and light refreshments will be provided. This is a small group workshop so please RSVP so we can save you a seat. Email: amrlibrary@amrshire.wa.gov.au or Ph: 9780 5600

Thursday August 29th, 6pm – 8pm at the Margaret River Library

In this 2 hour workshop Ali Bannister presents an energised, positive presentation guiding new and curious entrepreneurs on how to build their own business. This event is free and light refreshments will be provided.

• Participants will learn tips, short-cuts and ideas on where to gain free support when you first start out.
• It touches on everything from self-discipline to digital marketing, insurances, budgets and key performance indicators.
• Gives an overview of LinkedIn for Small Business Owners and how to get started with a business profile.
• As an Award Winning Mumpreneur – she loves sharing her knowledge to help curious entrepreneurs and new business owners to build a platform for success.

This is a small group workshop so please RSVP so we can save you a seat. Email: amrlibrary@amrshire.wa.gov.au or Phone: 9780 5600

There is still time for Senior Learners to register for Young Mentors.

For the third time running we are partnering with Margaret River Senior High School to deliver the Young Mentors Program starting on Wednesday 7th August 2024.

The program supports older Australians to improve their digital skills by bringing them together with young people in a mentoring capacity, to share digital skills and knowledge

The one-to-one sessions are fun, informal and tailored to cover topics older people would like to learn. Participants can use their own devices, so the new skills they learn can be put into practice straight away. Some devices are available if learners want to have a go, but do not have the resources.

The Young Mentors program offers a wealth of benefits to all participants. Older people ­­can improve digital literacy, learn essential life skills and develop a deeper sense of community while the young mentors can develop leadership, communication, problem-solving skills… and much more.

More information on Young Mentors can be found at: Young Mentors | eSafety Commissioner. Register your interest by contacting Ana or Rachael at the library, phone 9780 5600.

The library is an easily accessible venue with space available for carers if necessary.

Friday 26th July, 10.30 – 11.30am at the Margaret River Library

Ana Brawls was the recipient of the Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund from Writers Victoria and The Myer Foundation earlier this year. In preparing for her next novel, Ana chose to research on location in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo visiting Libraries, Museums and Institutes preserving heritage and culture. In this presentation Ana talks about:

• the journey with photos to support her research and what she discovered
• the institutions preserving history and the resources both new and historical
• methods for collating the information that will be used in her next novel
• lessons learned and the serendipity in coming across information

Please RSVP so we can save you a seat. Email: amrlibrary@amrshire.wa.gov.au or Ph: 9780 5600. All welcome to this free event and the library is an easily accessible venue.