06 Mar 2018 Whittlesea Review, Whittlesea (General News) SEYMOUR Library held an emotional opening ceremony for [heir new ouldoor sensory area on Thursday as ihey continue taking strides towards connecting with their community. The Innovative space will be used by people from all walks ol life and Is slated to have a large Impact on the region. The librarys Customer and Library Services coordinator Paula llutchlnson said It was an emotional time for the staff who has worked hard In establishing the new area. I am ecstatic. It has been a vision ol the department for a long time and to see it here Is fantastic. she said. Our idea Is to connect with everyone In our community and with this space we can offer new programs from now on. Both Mitchell Shire Council Mayor Rhonda Sanderson and Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes spoke at the opening ceremony. Both parties spoke of their desire to deliver similar projects. Ms Sanderson said there would be a dedi cated wet area for palming and craft activities, garden area and access to the librarys Wi-Fi had turned a once drab and disused ouldoor area Into avibrant learning hub. This new space Is bright, fun and will pro vide greater opportunities for people to col- lectively explore and develop interests, get creative, share experiences and learn new skills, Cr Sanderson said. It will also promote childhood develop ment and social connectedness. The library Is a safe and inclusive space that welcomes all members of our diverse community and the ouldoor space will hope fully bring even more people in to visit and ex plore the fantastic range of services on offer. Ms Symes said she was proud to see this project help Seymour move forward. This project Is Stage 2 of the Recreating Community Learning In Seymour Project and has transformed a disused ouldoor area Into a visual and sensory ouldoor extension of the library, she said. Libraries today are about so much more than just books, ihey provide access to tech nology like computers and the internet; ihey are magical places for childrens story time, meeting points for book clubs, and offer a wide range of community and childrens liter ary events. The upgrade was funded by the Depart ment of Environment, Land, Water and Plan nIngs Living Libraries Infrastructure Pro gram (1100,000) and Mitchell Shire Council C$33,334), Caption Text: Now open: Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes and Mitchell Shire Mayor Rhonda Sanderson cutting the ribbon.Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence.