Maitland libraries receive $9,900 grant for community cohesion programs

newy.com.au – Maitland City Council has secured a $9,900 Community Cohesion Grant to run a suite of library programs across the Maitland Local Government Area from January to April 2026.

The funding, delivered through the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the Department of Home Affairs’ Office for Social Cohesion, is aimed at strengthening social connection and inclusion through place-based library activities.

Council said the grant would support six programs designed to connect families, seniors, young people and people at risk of social isolation, including residents from culturally and linguistically diverse communities and LGBTQIA+ participants.

Maitland’s libraries are part of a national rollout of Community Cohesion Grant activities, joining 115 public libraries and 10 university libraries delivering more than 750 programs across Australia between January and April.

Coordinator Community Participation Erin Pascall said the funding would help libraries reach people who might otherwise feel isolated. “These programs provide practical ways for people to connect and engage in ways that suit them,” Ms Pascall said.

Photography workshops using SLR cameras and mobile phones will be offered for adults, seniors, young people and people with disability, with participants able to submit work for the Walls That Talk exhibition in April.

Other activities include Around the World Storytime for families, young children and culturally and linguistically diverse participants, alongside Creative Corner arts and craft sessions across all four library branches for adults, seniors, people with disability and culturally diverse participants.

Stitching and mending workshops will be held for adults, culturally and linguistically diverse participants and university students, while zine-making workshops will target young people aged 18 to 24, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Silent Reading Parties will also run for all ages, with Council describing them as inclusive social spaces for quiet reading and connection.

ALIA chief executive Cathie Warburton said the initiative backed the work libraries already do in bringing people together. “Libraries are increasingly becoming go-to hubs for community connection and are safe places that individuals and groups can gather for assistance, support and to foster friendships,” Ms Warburton said.

Council said the library programs would run from January to April 2026, with the photography component feeding into the Walls That Talk exhibition in April.