Adult Learners' Week 2008

Liverpool City Library marked this year’s Adult Learners’ Week with five activities spread out over three weeks.

The first event was Dollars & Cents: Financial Literacy for Adult Learners, which was held on Tuesday, 2 September. This was an information session on managing money, debt, savings and goals. Presenters were solicitors Nicole Scott and Lisa Lu from the National Assessment & Action Group, Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Ann Bounds, ASIC's Senior Adviser, Consumers and Retail Investors - Financial Literacy, put me on to Nicole and Lisa. If anyone wishes to have Financial Literacy sessions conducted in their own libraries, feel free to contact Ann on 02 6250 3840 or email her at ann.bounds@asic.gov.au.

The second event, Waste not, Want not: an information session on sustainable environment, took place on Wednesday, 3 September. Presenters were Liverpool Council’s own Waste Project Officers, Valerie Lebon and Yara Mrad who brought along lots of sample recyclable materials plus a worm farm and showbags of handouts and fluorescent light bulbs. This was a very good follow-up to the first session which dealt with money-saving tips. This time the focus was on environment-saving tips.

The third and fourth events, Line Dancing (Tuesday, 9 September) and Creative Card Making (Wednesday, 10 September) were limited to 15 participants only. However, 16 people showed up for the Line Dancing session and 20 people joined the Creative Card Making workshop. Volunteer Tutor Choon Smith showed the participants the line dancing steps to the tune of “Achy Breaky Heart”, while Liverpool Library’s IT Officer Kellie Husband introduced the participants to the art of card making. Both sessions were very much enjoyed by the participants, with everyone wishing for more sessions!

The fifth and last event was Liverpool Council’s Discovery Tour. Thirteen students from the Library’s English Language Conversation Beginners’ Class went on a bus trip which started at the Council Chambers. Council staff representing the Civic Office, the Sustainable Environment and Recreation and Open Space Departments, spoke briefly about their programs and services. From the Council Chambers, the students proceeded to Collingwood House. Bev Barfield, secretary of Friends of Collingwood House, gave a brief history and tour of the house. The Discovery Tour ended at Chipping Norton Lakes where the participants enjoyed the scenery and their packed lunches.

Liverpool Library would like to thank the State Library for the grant money of $500.00 which enabled us to provide the above activities to our adult learners.