WITH 26 years experience in public libraries in Queensland and the Northern Territory, Georgina Davison will lead the team at the Mount Gambier Library as the new library manager.
Ms Davison and her family relocated to Mount Gambier from the Northern Territory eight weeks ago after she had been the Alice Springs Children’s and Youth Services librarian and library manager for almost 10 years.
“When I accepted the position in Mount Gambier, I had just completed a major restructure and the library was running as I wanted it to,” Ms Davison said.
“It felt it was the right time for a change as we had won digital excellence awards just before I left.”
Ms Davison’s most recent success was the implementation of an outreach program with the Indigenous community, the Kinetic IT Community Benefit Award and the Minister’s Gold Award for the STEAM Into Alice program, which uses robotics programs to engage students with digital resources.
She said she was inspired by the Mount Gambier Library long before she arrived in the city, following a visit and tour of the community facility in 2012.
“I had heard all about the library here, so I took an opportunity to visit and I loved it,” Ms Davison said.
“As soon as I got back to Alice Springs I made some changes – I brought the outside in with photography, got the shelves on wheels and had someone greeting people at the front door.”
Ms Davison was a participant in the highly successful International Network of Emerging Library Innovators (INELI), a project of the Global Libraries initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which provides emerging library leaders with opportunities to connect with each other, explore new ideas and experiment with new services and learn from one another.
“I’m extremely passionate about the role public libraries play within local communities and I am looking forward to getting to know the community and hearing more about how the library can best meet people’s needs – so come in and say hello,” she said.
She said her family was adjusting to the change in climate and enjoying new activities together.
“We love the outdoors, camping, bushwalking and the beach, so it’s just perfect for us around here,” Ms Davison said.
“We are more than happy that we have made the move and we are settling in well.
“I look forward to working with everyone in this beautiful part of the world.”
