FROM THE GAMBLING LOUNGE
TO THE COMMUNITY LOUNGE
Libraries After Dark gives communities an alternative to spending the evening at the pokies. Once a week, participating libraries will extend their evening opening hours to become community lounges, offering an alternative to the gambling lounge.
Join Libraries After Dark to enjoy special events, activities, refreshments, and a warm friendly welcome at libraries across Victoria. As pokies venues and libraries open up again after lockdown – now is the ideal time to encourage a shift from the gambling lounge to the community lounge.
A LOCAL GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVE
Libraries After Dark is a local government initiative to prevent and reduce harm from gambling. It supports at-risk communities by providing fun and free evening activities as an alternative to gambling. The program seeks to increase social connections and reduce social isolation, a well-established risk factor for gambling harm.
The state-wide program is managed by the Moreland City Council in association with the Victorian Local Governance Association and is funded until 2023 by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.
Libraries After Dark began as a pilot program initiated by Moreland City Council in 2017. It operates now with valuable advice and support from Public Libraries Victoria and the State Library of Victoria.
