Smithton Library

14/10/2026

🎉📚 CONGRATULATIONS, LISA! 📚🎉
A big congratulations to Lisa, a lucky winner in the Libraries Tasmania Warm Winter Reads competition! 🥳

Lisa received a book voucher and chose a lovely book on paper craft, perfect for getting creative and turning simple pieces of paper into something wonderful! ✂️🎨
We hope you enjoy your prize, Lisa, and have lots of fun trying out some new crafty creations!

Thank you to everyone who took part in Warm Winter Reads and shared their love of reading with us.

Happy reading! 📚✨

13/10/2026

National Carers Week started on Sunday 11 October. It's a time to recognise, celebrate and raise awareness of the more than 3 million Australians who provide unpaid care to a family member or friend.

Did you know that carers are able to access the Home Library Service? If you don't have time to make it to the library while providing daily care, volunteer couriers can deliver library books, DVDs and more to you.

Contact your local library to register, or join online: https://bit.ly/4dGfGBq

Carers Tasmania

11/10/2026

This week is Anti-Poverty Week (Sunday 11 October – Saturday 17 October), with the aim of helping Australians understand poverty and take action collectively to end it.

Signing up for a library membership is free and gives you access to lots of free resources including books, movies, video games, magazines and our online eLibrary.

Use your library membership to check out these titles on poverty to help grow your understanding of the topic:

📚 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘍𝘪𝘹: 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘵 by Keetie Roelen (non-fiction) – exposes the realities of poverty and reveals why policies don't work. It is a radical rethink of current efforts to tackle poverty, what it means and how we break the cycle.

📚 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘴 by Tom Percival (junior fiction) – Will has the wrong shoes, he's always known it but doesn't know how to change it. Navigating the difficulties of home and school when you feel you stick out is tough, but finding confidence with the help and empathy of friends can be all you need to see the way.

📚 𝘈 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 by Matthew Hooper (adult fiction) – set between the wars in the foothills of Mount Kosciusko, this is a story of fourteen-year-old Beth. Beth’s brother and father have gone missing in a freak winter storm. Tensions flare in this novel that captures rural poverty and human capacity with true soul.

08/10/2026

🏮 School Holiday Lantern Making 🎨

We had a lovely afternoon yesterday getting creative at Smithton Library!
Using glass jars, colourful tissue paper and glue, our young crafters made their own decorative lanterns and flower vases. Adding LED candles was the finishing touch!

It was great to see everyone's different designs and creativity.

Thanks to everyone who came along and joined in! 😊

07/10/2026

📚 NEW BOOKS HAVE ARRIVED! 📚
Looking for your next great read? We’ve got some fresh titles hitting the shelves at Smithton Library!

🌸 The Featherwood Beekeeper – Fiona McArthur
A heartwarming story of love, community and finding connection in unexpected places.

❤️ No Angel – Josephine Cox
A family saga filled with secrets, heartache and drama – perfect for readers who love an emotional page-turner.

🔎 The Shadow Step – Mark Billingham
Something for our crime lovers! A gripping new read from the bestselling author, packed with mystery and suspense.

To place a hold on this item, visit libraries.tas.gov.au or give us a call at 6478 9574. Our friendly staff will be happy to assist you!

07/10/2026

🌈🔦 HOW TO HOLOGRAM WITH TMOS – TOMORROW AT 2PM! 🔬✨

⚡ We still have a few spots left!

Kids aged 6–12 can get hands-on with:
🔦 Lasers
🌈 Light-bending prisms
🔬 DIY spectrometers
🕶️ PLUS diffraction glasses to take home!

📅 Thursday 8 October
⏰ 2:00 pm–4:00 pm
📍 Smithton Library

✨ Grab a spot before they’re gone!

04/10/2026

Sing your favourite songs or make up silly ones together!

You can sing anywhere – add actions, use different voices, and have fun together.

Singing is a fun and easy way to build your child’s language skills.

For great nursery rhymes that you can sing along with, visit: greatstart.tas.gov.au

For help with your own reading and writing visit readingwritinghotline.edu.au or call 1300 6 555 06

02/10/2026

Mental Health Week starts tomorrow, running from 3–11 October.🪴

The theme for the week is 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. You might get a moment's peace from borrowing a book or taking time to take part in an activity at the library.

If you like to unwind at home, you may enjoy listening to an eAudiobook or flipping through an eMagazine. Browse the eLibrary collection here: libraries.tas.gov.au/elibrary

What does living your best life mean to you?

Nineteen Tasmanian artists with disability explore this universal question in the travelling exhibition 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. The exhibition is proudly presented by Libraries Tasmania in partnership with the Disability Commissioner Tasmania.

Throughout the year 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 has been to Devonport, Burnie, Queenstown and Launceston Libraries. Now in the south of the state, the exhibition will be at Huonville Library until 28 October and then Rosny Library until 29 November.

Artwork 1: Glow at the Horizon by Holy Denman
Artwork 2: Pieces of Myself by Lisa Rime
Artwork 3: Work in Progress aka Coat of Enby Colours by Quin Thomson

Mental Health Council of Tasmania Disability Commissioner Tasmania

01/10/2026

📚 A wonderful morning with author JJ Carpenter!
We had a fantastic morning at Smithton Library, welcoming Tasmanian author JJ Carpenter Author to chat about her new novel, The First House.
JJ shared the inspiration behind this wonderfully atmospheric Tasmanian ghost story, which is steeped in real history and inspired in part by Highfield Estate in Stanley.
It was fascinating to hear more about the story, its characters and the process of bringing The First House to life a tale that combines a haunted house, Tasmania’s history, mystery and plenty of spooky moments!

A big thank you to JJ for joining us and sharing her time and stories, and to everyone who came along and joined in the conversation.

01/10/2026

✨ How to Hologram with TMOS – School Holiday Fun! ✨
Workshop Highlights
Hands-on experiments: Play with lasers, light-bending prisms and DIY spectrometer tools.
Real-world connections: Uncover the hidden optics inside security features and everyday devices.
Take-home goodies: Every participant receives diffraction glasses to keep exploring optical effects at home.

📅 Thursday 8 October
⏰ 2:00 pm–4:00 pm
👧🧒 Ages 6–11
📍 Smithton Library
✨ Science + light + holograms = a pretty amazing afternoon!

An interactive science workshop where participants explore how light behaves and discover the science behind amazing optical effects in everyday life. Delivered by The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS).
🎟️ Bookings are essential and places are limited.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/how-to-hologram-with-tmos-at-smithton-library-tickets-2001439551576?aff=oddtdtcreator

Discover the fascinating world of holograms and light! For ages 6-12.