The City of Mount Gambier is pleased to introduce new Library Manager Georgina Davison. With 26 years’ experience in public libraries in Queensland and the Northern Territory, Georgina is looking forward to getting to know the local community and leading the team renowned for delivering high quality library services.
Georgina and her family, husband Wayne, 14 year old daughter Liza and 12 year old son Flynn relocated to Mount Gambier from the Northern Territory eight weeks ago where Georgina had been 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. It felt like the right time for a change, as we had just won digital excellence awards just before I left,” Mrs Davison said.
Georgina’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 that has been featured in the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Newsletter.
The Mount Gambier Library inspired Georgina 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. 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,” she said.
Georgina 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 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.”
Georgina and her family are adjusting to the change in climate in the South East of South Australia and are enjoying new activities together.
“We love the outdoors including camping, bushwalking and the beach, so it’s just perfect for us around here. We are more than happy that we’ve made the move and we are settling in well. I look forward to working with everyone in this beautiful part of the world,” she said.
For further information please contact City of Mount Gambier Media and Communications Coordinator Sharny McLean on 8721 2401 or smclean@mountgambier.sa.gov.au
