Calling young authors to enter the Armadale Young Writers' Awards!
This creative writing competition is open to students in years 3 to 12 who reside or attend school in the City of Armadale. Works must be prose only and stories should be 2000 words or less.  Poetry, scripts and graphic novels will not be accepted.
 
This competition is open from 1 - 30 June 2017, and entries will only be accepted during this time. 
Entry forms are available from City of Armadale libraries and on our website. They contain full details of categories, prizes, terms and conditions, entry guidelines, and important dates.

Armadale Young Writers’ Awards Writing Workshops
Elaine Forrestal is an award winning and well known Western Australian author.  She has published 16 books ranging from picture books through to novels for younger readers and a non fiction book titled Black Jack Anderson. Elaine will provide writing tips and encouragement to our young writers at these free workshops.

Year 3 & 4                       Saturday 13 May, 1 - 2pm at Armadale Library
Year 5 & 6                       Saturday 13 May, 2.30 - 3.30pm at Armadale Library
Years 7 - 12                    Saturday 20 May, 1 - 2pm at Armadale Library

These sessions are open to students in years 3 to 12 who reside or attend school in the City of Armadale.
Places are limited, and bookings must be made by calling Armadale Library on 9394 5125.
 

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Learning English Through Storytime
Learning English Through Storytime workshops assists families to improve and practice English in a fun educational environment. These sessions include songs, rhymes and stories plus interactive activities which develop children's confidence and school readiness.

The program is suitable for children aged three to four years and their carers.  Adults should be able to speak basic English as parents and children participate in the activities together.
 
This program will run for seven sessions on Monday mornings, 10.30 - 11.30am at Armadale Library.
Session dates: 1 May, 8 May, 15 May, 22 May, 29 May, 12 June, 19 June.
 
Click here for the flyer and registration form.  For further information call 9394 5133. 
 

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Lego at the Library
All of these Lego sessions are suitable for families with children aged six to 12 years.

Lego: Encounters          Tuesday 9 May, 3.30 - 4.30pm at Armadale Library
Lego: Brickworks          Thursday 11 May, 3.30 - 4.30pm at Kelmscott Library
Get ready for some fun! Each month you will be set games and challenges to unleash your creativity.

Lego with Dad!              Saturday 20 May, 10 - 11.30am at Armadale Library
Bring your Dad (or your favourite adult Lego building buddy) and enjoy building Lego together.  There will be challenging tasks and time for making your own creations.
 

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National Simultaneous Storytime
Wednesday 24 May, 11am at Kelmscott Library
Join us, along with thousands of libraries, schools and bookstores across Australia, reading The Cow Tripped Over The Moon by Tony Wilson and Laura Wood. There will be songs and craft at this celebration of storytime. This session is suitable for preschool children. Bookings not required, just come and enjoy the fun!
 

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Baby Bliss
Friday 2 June, 10.30 - 11.30am at Kelmscott Library
Enhance your baby's play and learning experience with music. Nursery rhymes and lullabies are crucial for early language development and supports the loving bond of singing to your baby. This special workshop with Rebecca Flanagan will provide parents and caregivers with the tools and confidence to explore music with their little ones.
 
This session is suitable for children zero to 12 months of age. 

Brooke Davis – Author talk
Saturday 29 April, 5 - 7pm at Armadale District Hall
The official launch of the Armadale Writers’ Festival will be celebrated with an author talk by Brooke Davis. Brooke’s debut novel Lost and Found won the West Australian Emerging Writers Award through the 2016 WA Premier’s Book Awards. The evening’s festivities and formalities will be accompanied with refreshments.

Places are limited and bookings are essential. Click here or call the Visitor Centre on 9394 5410.
Cost: $20 per person, or $15 with proof of concession card.
 

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Literary Lunch
Sunday 30 April, Noon - 2.30pm at Avocados - 2 Mount Street, Kelmscott
This literary lunch hosted by Dr Tony Buti will feature a variety of authors from different backgrounds. Join authors William Yeoman (Literary Editor at The West Australian), Loretta Hill, Brendan Ritchie, Renae Kaye, Amanda Kendle, and Sioban Timmer as they discuss and debate the world of literature over lunch.

Places are limited and bookings are essential. Click here or call the Visitor Centre on 9394 5410.
Cost: $30 per person, or $25 with proof of concession card.
 

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Poetry Slam
Saturday 29 April, 2.30 - 4pm at Bean Thru Café - 89B Jull Street, Armadale
To celebrate the artistry and creativity of poetry, we are using the winning artworks from the 2016 Minnawarra Art Awards as our inspiration. This event will feature both writing and performance of poetry. Perth poet Rose van Son will be on hand to guide participants through the writing process.

Click here to see the winning artworks from the 2016 Minnawarra Art Awards, to get your ideas flowing, and be ready to write on the day.

This session is free, but places are limited and bookings are essential. Click here to book or call Armadale Library on 9394 5125.  
 

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Kids’ Workshop
Saturday 29 April, 1.30 - 3pm at Armadale District Hall
This is going to be a workshop full of fun! Join some of Perth’s amazing children’s authors and illustrators; James Foley, Kylie Howarth and Sean Avery as they share a little bit about what they do, before hosting a hands on interactive session.  Kids will get the chance to work on creating their own stories. This session is suitable for children aged between six to 10 years.

This session is free, but places are limited and bookings are essential. Click here to book or call Armadale Library on 9394 5125.  
 

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Write Around Armadale – Young Adult panel
Saturday 29 April, 1 - 2pm at Armadale Library
Join us at our Writers' Festival session for youth, featuring local teenagers. We will be hosting a panel with a number of 2016 Armadale Young Writers’ Awards finalists, as well as authors Glyn Parry and Marie Rubzen. Find out what motivates young authors, their writing process, and a bit about the young adult genre.
                                                                                                 
This session is free, but places are limited and bookings are essential. Click here to book or call Armadale Library on 9394 5125.  
 

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Write Around Armadale – Writers’ Groups
Sunday 30 April, 10 - 11.30am at Armadale District Hall
If you’ve ever wanted to pursue writing then this is the event for you. Did you know that there are local writers’ groups that meet regularly where you can develop your writing skills? Come along and meet some of the friendly faces from the Armadale Writers’ Group, Come Write In (Kelmscott), and Gosnells Writers’ Circle.

This session is free, but places are limited and bookings are essential. Click here to book or call Armadale Library on 9394 5125.  
 

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More Tales from the Dale: Armadale Writers’ Group - 2017 Anthology Launch
Saturday 29 April, 3.30 - 4.30pm at Armadale District Hall
Dr Tony Buti, MLA, will be launching the Armadale Writers’ Group new anthology, More Tales from The Dale, during the inaugural Armadale Writers’ Festival.
Join us to celebrate the creativity of our  local authors. This session is free and bookings not required.

Strange's War: The World War One Cartoons of Ben Strange
For over 30 years Ben Strange was the political cartoonist for the Western Mail newspaper and provided his unique commentary on what was happening around the world.  From the battlefronts in Europe, to local stories that made the paper, Ben would use his pen to often look at the funnier side of life.
 
History House is exhibiting a series of his cartoons that provide commentary on how the world was recovering from the devastating effects of World War One, through to life in Western Australia during the war. So join us at History House and delve into the world of Ben Strange.
 
This exhibition is open from 25 April - November 2017 at History House Museum, and can be viewed during their normal opening times.
 

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Backyard Chooks
Friday 5 May, 1.30 - 2.30pm at Seville Grove Library
Want your own free range fresh eggs?  Chooks in the City make keeping chickens easy. The focus of this workshop is to provide you with information to confidently care for all of your hens needs, including the set-up of coops and enclosures. Enjoy the benefits of having happy and healthy chickens in your own backyard.
 

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Keep Calm and Colour
Take time out to relax, de-stress and get creative. Armadale Library will be hosting fortnightly adult colouring sessions on Sunday afternoons throughout the winter months. Bring your favourite colouring images and supplies, or start off with the pictures and pencils provided.
 
Sunday 7 & 21 May,  1 - 3pm at Armadale Library
Bookings are not required for these sessions. Click here to see all session dates for the year.
 

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Learn about Libraries
Saturday 27 May, 10 - 11am at Armadale Library
Would you like to become better at navigating the library or get more out of our resources?
This library orientation session will cover a range of topics to help you get more out of using the library. Learn how to refine searches using our catalogue, learn common library lingo, and find out about the eResources we offer online.
 

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Introduction to eBooks
Saturday 27 May, 11am - noon at Armadale Library
Bring your device to this session to get hands on assistance with setting up eBooks on a laptop, eReader or tablet. Your library card unlocks a world of online resources.
 

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NovelNibbles
Have you read a good book lately?
Come along and share it with other book lovers at one of our book clubs.  Be tempted to read new and different authors, try another genre, or perhaps rediscover some forgotten favourites.  
 
Bookings are not required for NovelNibbles sessions. Click here to see all session details for the year.
The next session dates are:

NovelNibbles: Kelmscott                 Tuesday 16 May, 10.30 - 11.30am at Kelmscott Library
NovelNibbles: Armadale Nights      Wednesday 17 May, 6.30 - 7.30pm at Armadale Library
NovelNibbles: Armadale Days        Thursday 18 May, 10.30 - 11.30am at Armadale Library
NovelNibbles: Seville Grove           Saturday 20 May, 10 - 11am at Seville Grove Library

The City of Armadale is developing an Age-Friendly Communities Strategy to identify age-friendly features and barriers and potential improvements in your community.

All research and consultation for the Age-Friendly Strategy will be based around the World Health Organisation eight domains of city life. These are:

• Outdoor spaces and buildings
• Transport
• Housing
• Social participation
• Respect and social inclusion
• Civic participation and employment
• Communication and information
• Community support and health services.

We want you to have your say by clicking here to take the survey. 

Alternatively, the survey is available from the City of Armadale's Administration Centre, libraries and Champion Centre. Copies are also available by contacting 9394 5642. The survey closes on Friday 12 May 2017. 
 

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Living with Dementia
Wednesday 3 May, 1.30 - 4pm at Armadale Library
Representative’s from Alzheimer’s Australia WA will present an overview on what it is like to live with dementia, the effect it can have on the person, their family and friends. This will be an interactive presentation giving the audience a personal experience to enhance their understanding of dementia.

Discover what you can do to reduce your own risk for the future and how you can support people living with dementia in your community.

Places are limited and bookings are essential. Click here or call Armadale Library on 9394 5125.  Groups must phone for bookings.  If you are unable to attend after booking, please notify the library.