Google has announced the launch of Street View in Australia - a feature that shows what an area looks like at street level. This has involved the use of a van driving down the many byways of our nation, with special cameras on board, showing front, back and both side views. A lot of our major cities have been covered, but there is still much more to do.

You can look up your home and maybe even your workplace from Google Maps and if this feature is available, the street will be hightlighted in blue outline and when you click on the Street View link a pop-up opens with the image. You can move up and down the street, or side to side by clicking on the appropriate arrows.

We have linked to the Google Street View images for most of our libraries, to enable you to see what they look like from the street. The only branch not able to be seen is Narre Warren as the photography van didn’t venture into the Fountain Gate precinct. Linked to our Google Maps directions, it makes it even easier to find your local library. So why not do that, then come down and check out our great collections, services and facilities.

Michelle

The building works are progressing well at Doveton Library. The internal work is 95% complete with painting and floor-coverings the next trades due. The electrical installation has commenced and the plumber will begin work on the new disabled toilet area within the next week.

As can be seen in the photo, the external veranda canopies are well advanced and they will be completed shortly.

External paving works and stormwater / sewerage connection is yet to occur.

All being well the project should be completed by the end of August / early September with an early to mid September handover back to the Library Corporation for full operation.

Peter Carter - CEO

Our Pakenham residents and library members will have been following various articles in their local papers concerning the proposed re-development of the Pakenham Library. This re-development, which involves the replacement of the existing library with a new 1200sqm facility, has been a central part of Cardinia Shire Council’s negotiations with developers over a major shopping precinct in Pakenham.

The negotiations over any such development are a matter for Council and are ongoing, but our members can be assured that both Council and the Library Corporation are still working closely on the design and layout of a proposed replacement for the Pakenham Library. More news on the design and final appearance of the new branch will be available as Council works through its options, assisted by professional advice as appropriate from Library Corporation officers.

The Cardinia Shire Council and the Library Corporation have successfully implemented the new Emerald Library together, and look forward to a similar successful project with a new Pakenham Library facility.

Peter Carter - CEO

It’s been another busy year for the Library Service: According to our initial end of year statistical reports, the Corporation reached 2,504,169 loans for 2007/08, the first time we have reached 2.5 million loans. This represents an increase of 176,383 loans on the 2006/07 financial year (7.58%).

More details on all of end of year performance figures will be available shortly. The Swift consortium, of which Casey-Cardinia is an active member, has seen about 10.8 million loans in the 2007/08 period. With the shared catalogue and the ability to reserve items between the 14 library service members of Swift, it is no wonder that loans are climbing both at CCLC and in the Swift consortium.

The library staff teams at the branches should all be congratulated on dealing with this significant volume of business.

Peter Carter - CEO

The builders have made a great start on the new extension at Doveton. The old returns chute and verandah at the library entrance took about what seemed to be 15 minutes to demolish. After being there for so long it seems so different already.

Everyone is curious as to what is going on, and they are excited as what is to come. The new I.T area will enhance access to the internet and community meeting room will allow the community to have access to a new meeting room facility.

The fire exit in the children’s area is acting as the temporary entry to the library, with a temporary chute next to it, so you still access the library from the same side of the building. Check out other photos of the building works at Flickr.

Doveton library will continue to be open during the extension including storytimes and the school holidays so feel free to come down and have a look!

Makaila - Doveton

Apologies to our virtual users who were unable to gain access to our website or our catalogue on Tuesday. Our internet service provider (ISP) had server problems, which meant that our website was inaccessible for most of Tuesday and we think possibly at other times over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

If you were unable to renew your items online during this time, please contact your local library.

Work is commencing on the improvements to Doveton Library. Funding for the $150,000 project is being provided by the City of Casey and through the Neighbourhood Renewal Community Infrastructure fund.

The works include the provision of a community meeting room with after hour’s access and separate toilet facilities. The meeting room will be annexed to a public internet area with an additional 6 public internet computers. This will bring the number of public internet computers at the branch up to a total of nine allowing the library service and community groups to run training sessions and a range of improved internet based activities. The meeting room and technology annex, as well as a new entrance and foyer will add some 50sqm to the public space at the branch.

A new larger entrance area (improving disabled access) and after hours book drop also will be provided as part of the building improvements. Work is expected to be completed by August 2008.

During the building works, a temporary entrance will be in use by the public. A small part of the interior of the branch will have to be partitioned off to allow works to proceed without presenting a hazard to library users.

Otherwise the branch is expected to open for business as normal during the new works.

Peter Carter - CEO

Check out the library plans.

Having looked back its now time to look forward. What’s planned for 2008?

More buildings, improved service and more.

Pakenham Library will be moving to temporary facilities this year as their current site is utilised for a larger, brand new library building. Dates are not set at this time for the move, but it is anticipated the project will take approximately 18 months to complete, once the library has been established in its temporary facility. Watch this space for more as it comes to light.

Doveton Library will be undergoing some minor renovations, with a small extension, including a meeting room, being added to the building. This project should be completed within this calendar year.

Games consoles will be re-introduced at Cranbourne Library and will be launched at Endeavour Hills and Narre Warren Libraries, once security concerns are addressed. XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles will be available for use in these libraries, with a wide variety of games available for all ages. They will be free of charge to use, however a current library card will be required to do so.

Our website will also be overhauled, with the introduction of a new content management system which will enable us to provide better virtual services to our users. Some of the improvements resulting will include having the the catalogue and website integrated into one easy to use interface, having to login in only once per session and then having full access to your user account and the CCLC’s subscription databases and much more.

We look forward to the many things already planned and those that will eventuate as the year progresses. As always, if you have any suggestions for service improvements, or any comments on those mentioned here, please feel free to leave a comment on this blog post or use our feedback options.

Happy 2008!

For all of you who have been so busy with Christmas that you haven’t had time to think about your summer reading, be reassured, your libraries will be here for you when you
need us.

All branches of Casey Cardinia Library Corporation will be open until 4pm on Christmas Eve - Monday 24th December. We will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and re-open to normal hours on Thursday 27th December. Plenty of time to recover in the post-Christmas period and come in to find a relaxing book or DVD to enjoy.

Just so you are aware, we then also close at 4pm on Monday 31st December, so that everyone can escape to enjoy their new year celebrations. We will be closed on Tuesday 1st January 2008 and reopen to normal hours on Wednesday 2nd January.

When you do come in, why not check out some of the titles in the Great Victorian Summer Read, vote for your favourite and go in the running for some great prizes. The kids can do the same with the Summer Reading Program - with stickers and bookmarks to be earned for reading achievements and chances to win bigger and better prizes too.

So once you recover from the festivities of the season, pop in to the library, pick up your magazines, DVDs, CDs, books and more, then go home (or on holidays) and relax!

From CCLC to you, here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!

All the t’s have been crossed and all the i’s dotted, so the Annual Report for Casey Cardinia Library Corporation for the 2006-2007 year is now available online.

Highlights for the year were many.  Location based projects included the opening of the new Emerald Library,  the review of the Cardinia Bookmobile timetable and the extension and refurbishment of Endeavour Hills Library (with photos on our Flickr account).

Service developments included the new library Unicorn Library system, with the public catalogue iBistro - in a consortia with 8 other public library services, upgrades to our communications network, changes to circulation policies including increased loan limits and the removal of the holds charges, gaming consoles for the public at Cranbourne Library and much more.

All this whilst issuing over 2.3 million items, to our 113,000+ members, who visited our libraries over 1.1 million times.  Our collection of over 349,000 items worked very hard indeed!

Check out the full annual report for more details of these and other developments in the last financial year in the Casey Cardinia Library Corporation Annual Report 2006-2007.