Kids & families

Join the Summer Reading Club

Get ready for a summer full of stories, creativity, and fun! From 1 December until the 31 January, kids and teens are invited to take part in our Summer Reading Club challenge, a fun and free program designed to keep kids reading all summer long. The challenge encourages children to stay engaged with books and stories while school’s out, helping to prevent the “summer slide” in reading.

Pick up a Bingo card from your local library and encourage your child to complete reading challenges for the chance to win a book pack. Each completed card earns another entry, so the more they read, the more chances they have to win!

We also have a great line-up of free school holiday activities for curious minds. From book strip art and bookmark-making to Letters to Santa, Folded Christmas Trees, and even the Great Linktopus Challenge.

We’ve curated top reading recommendations for little ones, kids, and teens to keep them engaged and reading all summer long. You can also check out our top reads for kids available on Libbyand BorrowBox.

Encourage your child to visit your local library, borrow books, and take part in the Summer Reading Club this year!

Kids eLibrary

Our eLibrary for kids has lots of eBooks and eAudiobooks all in one kid-friendly place, including the Libby for kids website. Download the free Libby app through your app store to take the fun with you wherever you go.

Family Time

Join us for fun free programs to help build pre-literacy, communication, language and social skills for your babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. 

No need to book for these sessions, just drop in for an opportunity to connect with fellow parents while making regular library visits part of your child's routine.

Baby Rhyme Time – Giggle, coo and cuddle with favourite rhymes and songs. Ideal for children from birth to 2 years.

Toddler Time – Sing, move and groove, learn new words and make new friends. Ideal for toddlers aged 2 to 4 years.

Storytime – Listen, laugh and roar with favourite stories old and new. Ideal for children from 3 to 5 years.

These sessions are available at most of our libraries, check below to discover sessions happening near you.

• Broadbeach Library
• Burleigh Heads Library
• Burleigh Waters Library
• Coolangatta Library
• Elanora Library
• Helensvale Westfield Library
• Nerang Library
• Ormeau Library
• Robina Library
• Runaway Bay Library
• Southport Library
• Upper Coomera Library

First 5 Forever

First 5 Forever is an initiative of the Queensland Government, coordinated by State Library of Queensland and delivered in partnership with local government. The program creates opportunities for families and caregivers to build children’s brains and bodies through free, fun, playful experiences at their local library.

Talking, reading, singing and playing with children throughout the first 5 years provides a strong foundation for children’s development and wellbeing now and for their whole life. Explore articles, tips and activities to make the most of your child's first five years.

When men read, it's a different story

We are on a mission to get more dads, grandads, uncles, brothers and family friends spending time reading with kids. Research shows that for a child aged 24 months, 59% of mums read to their kids daily, while only 26% of dads do. Yet research also shows that kids who were read to by their dad at age two, would have better language skills by aged four – and the benefits increase further as they get older!

That's generally because of the different way that men read to kids. Dads bring their own style to book reading and that's what makes their reading so impactful. The silly chats about the characters (non-immediate talk), linking to past or present real-life examples (sequencing skills), plus those crazy voices (engagement strategies), not only thrill kids, it also helps improve their cognitive language skill outcomes. So grab a kids' book and start reading today!

Storytime Books

Books and stories spark your child's imagination, stimulate curiosity and support brain development. We have a great range of books that you can read with your little ones, so make the library part of your routine.

Board books are ideal for babies from birth to 3 years. These books typically have bright, colourful illustrations with just a few words on each page. They are durable and introduce babies and toddlers to concepts such as colours, shapes, people and places.

Picture books are ideal for children from 3 to 7 years, these illustrated books engage children with songs, sounds, rhyme and short sentences.

Enjoy storytime in your language! Use LOTE4Kids to access picture books in a variety of languages.

You can download picture books to read with your child anytime, anywhere. Download a picture book to your device to take with you when you are out and about or on a holiday. You can read yourself or choose titles that your little one can read along with. Find out how to connect with us from home.

Story Box Hub

If you and your littlies aren't able to attend our Storytimes at libraries, take a look at Story Box Hub. Watch stories read aloud by favourite storytellers, authors, illustrators, sports people and more. Access is free with your library membership number and password.

Study Drop In

Looking for a study space that is quiet, spacious and has free Wi-Fi? We have you covered. Drop into your local library for great space to study alone or meet up with fellow students for group projects.

Need a break from study? Check out the Young Adult section of the library while you are there and find the latest new release or an author you love.

Great reads

Did you know you can download books directly to your device? We have a great range of books, audiobooks and magazines available to borrow right now. Download the apps and get reading.

We can help you find a new author in your favourite genre or discover something different. Drop into your local library or check out our online catalogue for new reads.

Study and research

Get informed and complete your assignment research with free access to a range of databases based on subject content, each containing full text access to scholarly journals and books. Explore our databases covering topics such as science, history, business and law.

We can help find the right resources! If you need help with research to for your assignment talk to one of our friendly team at your local library.