Vaccine Nation: science, reason and the threat to 200 years of progress

Vaccine Nation by Raina MacIntyre investigates the progress in the provision of vaccinations for a variety diseases since a vaccine was initially used to prevent smallpox in the 1880s. During the 1950s vaccines were first used to prevent polio in Australia. Since then many diseases including measles, mumps, chicken pox, rubella, whooping cough, tetanus, tuberculosis and diphtheria have been controlled via vaccination. Research into influenza prevention began after the Spanish Flu pandemic between 1918 and 1920. Vaccinations are also available to limit pneumonia and more recently COVID-19 and its varieties. 

Although Australians have generally accepted the need for vaccination, especially for childhood diseases, since our recent experience with COVID-19 there has been a growing increase in the anti-vax movement, not just against COVID-19 but against vaccinations in general. The use of social media has been responsible for the spread much of the anti-vax information.

In May each year my husband and I have the annual flu injection plus the latest injection against recent COVID-19 variations. I have just had the first in the series of the new Shingles vaccine - having had the disease three times I am happy to try something that may prevent me getting the disease again or at least limit its effects. I am having the second injection later this year. Meanwhile my husband and I will have the update to the pneumonia injection that we had many years ago. Family history research has shown that we each had a grandfather who died from pneumonia, before the availability of penicillin to treat the disease and vaccine availability.

Australians queued up for the initial injections to control COVID-19, particularly in order for the country to go back to normal. The initial injections were compulsory, especially as so many had died or remained ill. It was imperative to at least slow the spread of the disease. Professor MacIntyre discusses present government policies restricting free vaccination to young people and older citizens. However local pharmacies can give some injections to other sectors of the population. She also discusses new research that may assist in the treatment of some cancers or even heart disease in the future.

Meanwhile progress in preventing and treating illness via vaccination will only work if Australians work together to create an environment where it is accepted that vaccination against disease not only helps individuals but the community as a whole. Vaccination Nation is an interesting and informative study of the acceptance of vaccination against disease as part of our general health.  

Vaxxers

'The inside story of the Oxford AstraZenica vaccine and the race against the virus' is the sub-title of the book, The Vaxxers, by Professor Sarah Gilbert and Dr Catherine Green. The book looks at how and why the vaccine was developed in such a short time during 2020. The laboratory at Oxford University had experience working on other coronavirus vaccines so, once the structure of the new virus was established, it was a matter of working out how the research already undertaken could possibly be successfully adapted for tackling COVID-19.

Creating a workable vaccine is only one part of the task when making a vaccine to defeat a pandemic that is killing millions of people throughout the world. Acquiring sufficient funding to develop a vaccine and then finding a pharmaceutical company able to make and distribute large quanties of the vaccine is only one part of the equation. 

The vaccine has to go through many testing procedures that take months before final approval is granted by a variety of medical boards throughout the world. Then there was the media wanting a story. One piece of bad press could destroy public support for a project as well as provide fuel for conspiracy theories circulating about vaccines throughout the world. Derogatory comments from polititians, including those from other countries, also provided issues when trying to establish public confidence in a new vaccine.

The two authors write different chapters in this reader friendly description of working on the project which took over their lives in 2020.  The chapters also often include accounts of how working on the project affected their family lives. An original premise for writing a book about the vaccine for the general public was, by explaining how the vaccine was developed, to tackle concerns of anti-vaxxers.

But the chief emphasis is on the need to defeat a pandemic. At the beginning of each chapter there is a summary of the growing number of cases and deaths up to a point in time which emphasises how rapidly the vaccine was spreading.  The authors also emphasise that the work is far from over. The vaccine is mutating and alterations to the vaccine may be needed in the future to counter variants. There is also an awareness that another disease could be around the corner and preparations need to be made to tackle the next health challenge.

This is a book that everyone should read, those of us who have been vaccinated against the virus as well as those who are hesitating.

A little crime during a pandemic

Working as a librarian in a public library for many years I was well aware that fiction in the genre of crime / thrillers was extremely popular. Readers of this blog will note that  many of the reviews are of crime fiction.

With Melbourne currently experiencing its fourth lockdown due to COVID-19 there has been plenty of time to read and and a number of articles have been written on the dominance of crime fiction borrowed from libraries and purchased from shops. Better Reading has just released the list of the 10 most popular crime novels as nominated by readers on the 2021 top 100 books list.

The Dry by Jane Harper

Deadman's Track by Sarah Barrie

The Bluffs by Kyle Perry

Last Survivor by Tony Park

Scrublands by Chris Hammer

The Wife and the Widow by Christian White

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michal Robotham

The Nowhere Child by Christian White

The Survivors by Jane Harper

When this list was published I had read five of these titles. The other titles were added to my books to read list.

This article discusses the types of books borrowed from Australian and New Zealand libraries during 2020.

I particularly like crime fiction set in Australia. Plenty of recent titles in the following lists:

They come from a land downunder - 13 Australian crime writers to try

Best Australian Crime Fiction recommended by Emma Viskic

A Great Year for Crime - Better Reading

Aussie Crime 2020 - 10 Recent Australian Crime Fiction to Read this Australia Day

Aussie Crime 2021 - 10 Recent Australian Crime Fiction to Read this Australia Day

New Class of Australian Crime Writers - Your Guide to the Best of Outback Noir

COVID-19 Musings - Masks

The topic for Week 14 of #SLVMemoryBank is Cover Up - Face masks. From Thursday 23 July the wearing of face masks in Melbourne when away from home has been mandatory.

Fortunately we had purchased masks with filters which we have now become used to wearing if going shopping or going for a walk as exercise.

The masks took some getting used to and it is definitely harder to breathe when walking uphill wearing a mask. There are lots of small hills in our area. When we go for a walk we share airpods to listen to listen to music on Spotify via the phone. The first time I went for  a walk wearing a mask I concentrated on breathing, initially through my mouth before relaxing enough to breath normally. By the end of the walk I was able to sing quietly to some of the music.One advantage of a mask is that you can sing quietly without the fear of attracting attention.

Currently I am experimenting with making masks in the hope of creating one that does not place too much pressure on my face causing neuralgia pains. 

First attempt but now that I have made one it should be easier to make others in differnt colours and fabrics.

Meanwhile other members of the family are, of course, wearing masks.

Children under 12 do not have to wear masks however they are all prepared.

Most people in our area wear masks and also observe social distancing. With Stage 4 restrictions which began in Melbourne on 3 August leaving home is further restricted to exercise outside your property (if essential) once a day for up to a maximum of one hour a day. Shopping is restricted allowing one person from each house shopping at a centre no further than 5 km from home. This should greatly reduce the number of people in the streets at one time.

When we went for a walk on the first day of Stage 4 restrictions we only saw about six people, mainly walking dogs. Everyone observed social distancing etiquette when passing other pedestrians. By contrast there were lots of people out the previous day, a number of the younger ones encroaching on the space of others.

Communication can be a problem when wearing a mask. I always used to smile at people when we passed but now I acknowledge them with a wave.

By the time restrictions are eased we should all be so used to wearing masks that we will continue wearing them until the danger from COVID-19 has passed. Last time people, especially in shopping centres, started to ignore social distancing. Wearing masks should help when that time comes again.

I started writing this post in July and it is now October and restrictions have been slightly modified. We can now go for a walk for up to two hours a day and more than one person can go shopping.  

 

The wearing of masks continues to be mandatory in Victoria and will problably continue to be so for some months yet. Most people comply however some people seem to have the strange idea that wearing a mask so that it only covers the chin or hangs like a necklace around the neck will protect the wearer, and anyone they they encounter, from COVID-19. Some people wear the mask with the nose exposed.

 

There is an an exception to mask wearing while you are smoking or having a drink. From time to time you see people, not wearing a mask, pushing trolleys while they have a cup in their hand. I guess they think that they are making a statement about having to wear a mask. In the supermarket yesterday we saw a superior young man walking around the supermarket with a cup in his hand. Presumably it was a cup of coffee but he did not appear to be drinking any of it.

 

Meanwhile, thank you to everyone who is doing the right thing when it comes to mask wearing.

COVID-19 Musings - Special occasions

Special occasions is the eighth prompt in the State Library of Victoria #SLVMemoryBank project. Since March our family has had to be inventive in order to celebrate special occasions.

The last family gathering when we were all able to meet together was the day before lockdown officially started when our three children with their families met at our home for afternoon tea to celebrate my husband's birthday.

From the following day family visits were not allowed.

There are seven family birthdays in April and five in July so celebrating these occasions in 2020 has been a little different from in previous years. For some birthdays sending a message via Facebook served the purpose and let people know that we had not forgotten them. For other birthdays for members of immediate family we had to be a little more inventive.

Three grandchildren had birthdays in April so a time was organised for family members to connect at a specified time via computer. This at least provided the opportunity for all the family to sing happy birthday and to watch the birthday girl or boy blow out candles on their cake. The children also enjoyed interacting with each other online.

The major event that we missed in April was my mother's birthday. As her birthday is on Anzac Day members of the immediate family always remember the occasion and we try to spend time with Mum on that day. This year, however, it was not possible but Mum received lots of cards plus telephone calls from family members wishing her a happy birthday. Staff at the home where she lives signed a card for her and there was a special cake for her birthday. A photo was taken and circulated to family members.

Restrictions were again in place in July so once again we had to rely on the computer to convey messages. On my birthday I also received a number of cards in the mail from family and friends including cards made by two of my grandchildren.

Although first preference would have been for family members to be together to celebrate birthdays, in 2020 it has still been possible to celebrate these days, but in a different way.

COVID-19 Musings - Medical Care

To obtain medical care was one of the four reasons people were allowed to leave home during COVID-19 lockdown. As in much of our life, procedures are often conducted differently compared with life prior to COVID-19.

Visiting the GP

We booked to visit our doctor in order to have the annual flu injections and to obtain prescription renewals.

When we arrived at the clinic the carpark was almost empty. The normal entrance to the clinic was closed and there were directions to another entrance to the building where we were greeted by a woman wearing protective gear including a mask. She took our temperature before we were allowed to enter the building. Our appointment was late in the morning so we had the waiting room to ourselves. The staff at the desk worked behind screens and there were marks on the floor where we were required to stand when we gave our names and said who we wanted to see.

When we entered the doctor's surgery it was hard to recognise the man, who has been our doctor for 38 years, due to all the protective clothing he was sensibly wearing. He gave us our injections and my new script and as we were leaving we asked him how he was finding these challenging times. Not surprisingly 'Challenging' was the response. We then returned to our car via the designated exit.

Visiting the Pharmacy

We always take our prescriptions for medication to a small local pharmacy. The entrance and exit to the shop is marked and at the desk there are marks indicating where where to stand while waiting. The staff wear masks.

There is a large pharmacy at Knox City where we occasionally purchase non-perscription items. Although we do not go there often we observe what is happening as it is opposite the supermarket.

At one stage customers were met at the door by a staff member wearing protective clothing who took the customers' temperature before they could enter the store. This practice only lasted for a week or so and now a staff member stands at the door squirting hand sanitiser onto people's hands. Inside the store there are screens and marks on floor indicating where cutomers should stand if they want to see a pharmacist or are waiting for a prescription to be filled. There are also screens and floor markings at the check-out counter.

Visiting the Pathologist

I am meant to have blood tests every two months. A blood test was due shortly after the lockdown commenced and I was reluctant to go to a pathologist at that time so I missed having the test. However I had to have a test at the beginning of May as I had a specialist appointment.

Fortunately the day that I had the blood test the weather was very cold and few people were out. I also knew that there were usually not many people in the waiting room around lunchtime which was when I went. I was the only one there so the plan worked - this time.

Having the actual blood test was no different from other blood tests I have had with staff not seeming to take any extra precautions.

Visiting the Specialist

Several days before my visit I received a phone call reminding me of the appointment and requesting that when I arrived at the medical centre I was to phone a number to let them know I had arrived. When we made the call I was told that the receptionist would ring me when the doctor was ready to see me. Eventually I was allowed inside the medical centre, but first I had to complete a full page form stating that I was not experiencing a list of symptoms and confirming that I had not recently been overseas. I was then allowed to see the doctor who was waiting for me. The rest of the visit was the same as normal.

Other Doctor's Appoinments

Some doctors have been conducting medical appointments via telephone or via computer.

COVID-19 Testing Station

Specific Mobile COVID-19 Testing Stations have been set up in different parts of the state, quite often at shopping centres. Currently there is a testing station at Knox City. Getting Tested for COVID-19.

The Victorian Government recommends that anyone with specific symptons should be tested. Testing is currently only available to people with the following symptoms, however mild: fever, chills or sweats, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, and loss of sense of smell

The mobile testing stations are drive through sites with tests carried out in people's cars. A swab is taken from the back of the throat and the nose. After a test the person is expected to return home and self isolate until they results are known.

Last month there was a mobile testing site at Knox City for two weeks. When we were leaving the centre one day there was a long queue of cars trailing through the back carpark and then up to the area in another carpark where the tests were taking place. The testing station has recently returned and this time it is in a covered carpark. We had not noticed any protracted queues like the last month until today when there was a long row of cars leading to the carpark. Perhaps there has been publicity that the testing station has returned. This time the testing center has remained at Knox City and each day there are long queues of cars in the back car park waiting to enter the testing centre.

In November the testing station moved down Stud Road to the Swinburne campus. At the beginning of the 2021 academic year the testing station once again moved, this time to the Trash and Treasure market site in Mountain Highway, Wantirna.

COVID-19 Musings - Community Organisations

Community Organisations

Community organisations also interact with their members online.

The Royal Historical Society of Victoria (RHSV) held its AGM via Zoom.

The lockdown and restrictions as a result of COVID-19 have caused community organisations to rethink how they can still connect with members and provide services in a different way.

The RHSV Bookclub, held monthly, is now a Zoom Bookclub

The podcasts of previous meetings have been available via the website for sometime but with the lockdown these have been publicised more widely.

This page on the RHSV website contains a range of ideas and activities that people may like to investigate during the lockdown including turning photos into jigsaws using Jigsaw Planet or trying some of the writing exercises from the RHSV History Writers Group.

Community Group Activities

Computer programs such as FaceTime and Zoom and Skype allow groups of people to interact online at one time. This is proving to be an excellent way for groups of people to stay connected.

Due to the lockdown, our local cricket club is holding its seniors Presentation Night this year via Facebook. The coach, captains of the teams, committee members and some life members etc have recorded their part of the proceedings which will be included in the online presentation at the end of the month.

Many groups are experimenting with ways to keep their participants involved while in isolation.

Dance studios, including Studi-O Dance School, are including online dance demonstrations on their websites for students to practise.

Girl Guides Victoria  is using  technology to run regular meetings of guide groups via Zoom. and have also produced a series of Guiding in Your Pocket guides showing activities that girls can try.

The local cub / scouts group also meets via Zoom sessions.

A number of family history research groups have also arranged online get togethers.

See also all posts relating to COVID-19 including:

COVID-19 Musings - Staying Connected

COVID-19 Musings - Books and Reading

Week 15 of the State Library of Victoria #SLV Memory Bank asks how people in Melbourne are filling in their time during our second Lockdown.

Lockdown Content:

Whether your preferred content amplifies the outside world or diverts you from it, we'd love to know what's got your attention.

This week: tell us about the books you're reading and sites you're bookmarking, the shows you're binge-watching and music playlists you're creating, the podcasts you're queueing and online festivals you're attending.

An earlier post, Stay at Home, listed many of my activities including online jigsaw puzzles, doing Future Learn courses and, of course reading and book related activities.

This lockdown as a result of COVID-19 restrictions has provided me with more time for reading. 

Libraries still worked to provide services to members, although it was not possible to be open to the public, by promoting their online services as well as finding new ways to continue activities online including activities and sessions for children and adults.

 

Author Talks

Libraries are not the only organisations to be making author talks available online.

Since the beginning of April Dymocks has set up a collection of author talks - Chapter One.

There is now a wide range of author talks and virtual book launches that can be watched via Youtube or Facebook. (I have found that on my computer the sound is sometimes out of sync with the video on Facebook but watching the same clip on Youtube was OK.)

Better Reading also has made a number of author talks available online on Facebook plus some podcasts.

There is also a weekly session - What are You Reading? - where recent books are discussed and readers provide titles of books that they are reading.

Courses

During June Dervla McTiernan is running a series of workshops - #Writing  Studio - each Friday on Facebook for Better Reading.

Each session runs for half an hour covering the topics: Session One Ideas, Session 2 Characters, Session Three Structure & Outlining and Session Four Self Editing - Getting Published. Worksheets for each session are available from Better Reading as well as Delvra McTiernan's website.

During the past couple of months I have also participated in some literature based online courses on Future Learn:

Shakespeare in Print and Performance (Kings College London),

Penshurst Place and the Sidney Family of Writers (Lancaster University) and

Understanding English Dictionaries (Coventry University).

Consequently I have enjoyed having the time to explore more about books and reading.

See also all posts relating to COVID-19 including

COVID-19 Musings - Libraries

COVID-19 Musings - Stay at Home

Future Learn website

Five on a Treasure Island

This first book in the Enid Blyton Famous Five series was published in 1942 and has been read by millions of children throughout the world since then.

I read many books from this series when I was at primary school in the 1950s and when in grade five we all took a favouite book to school to go in the class library for the year my selection was a book from this series. A number of the other children also added Famous Five books to the classroom library which gave us the chance to read other titles. This was my introduction to libraries as there was no library in the school and no public library in our area until many years later.

This year my eight year old grandson has been reading Five on a Treasure Island with me. He always reads to me after school but with the lockdown due to COVID-19 these sessions stopped. We had read two Secret Seven books so when his father called in I gave him another title in the Secret Seven series plus a copy of Five on a Treasure Island, mainly for my ten year old grand-daughter to read. A few days later my son rang to say that Aiden had decided to read the Famous Five book and, as I had another copy of the same book at home, perhaps we could trial reading sessions via the computer.

Several times a week, depending on Aiden's mood and any distractions that may be occurring around him, Aiden and I would share reading part of a chapter of the book. Prep to Grade 2 students returned to school on 26 May so from the second week Aiden bounds into our house for a reading session. He perches on a stool near my desk, finds where we are up to and then calls for me to hurry up.

What is the attraction of this book? Aiden persisted with reading the introductory chapters but his interest piqued once the real action of the story began. The story is about three siblings, Julian, Dick and Anne, who visit their counsin, George (do not call me Georgina) and her dog, Timmy, whose house is near the beach. The visiting children are excited when they discover that there is a small island nearby with the remains of an old castle with dungeons. There is also an old shipwreck which can be viewed under the water. During a storm the wreck emerges on nearby rocks and when the children explore it they locate a treasure map. The children must locate the treasure before anyone else does.

In these reading sessions, with larger books, Aiden and I share the reading. He will read a couple of pages and then it is my turn to do some reading before he continues. Earlier this week Aiden became so involved with his reading that he read the whole chapter himself (around ten pages). Needless to say he was very pleased with himself. He has also checked the book and noticed that there are no illustrations and proudly told me that this is the first book that he has read with no pictures.

There have also been discussions about the names of the children - whether Julian is a boy or a girl, for instance - and how different names are popular at different times and in different countries. The structure of chapter books has also been discussed with the initial chapters, especially in a series, introducing the characters and where they live - then the adventure begins and the story often becomes more exciting as the book continues.

With only a chapter or two to go the excitement is mounting, especially as Aiden has checked the chapter headings. What will we read next? That is the next decision, and there are many possibilities on our bookshelves, but this exercise has proved to Aiden that he can read 'big' chapter books with no pictures and enjoy them.

Aiden has also told me that he prefers to read sitting next to me instead of reading to a face on the computer.

Aiden's ten year old sister has also started reading the book at home. Hopefully she will enjoy the story too and be encouraged to read more books.

(November 2020) Since originally writing this post Aiden has also read Five go adventuring again and Five go off to camp.He is now reading the BFG by Roald Dahl. 

After reading this book his sister asked to have reading sessions with me again and we have read the first two Harry Potter books together and she is now reading the third book on her own. We are currently reading Mister Monday by Garth Nix.

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (6)

Communication of Ducks!

On Friday we took our grand-daughter for a walk on the Dandenong Creek Trail starting from Wantirna Road. (More information on this section of the trail)

It was a cool but sunny day and she wanted to see the ducks.

We found a group of ducks plus some moorhens near the St David's Drive entrance to the trail.

Ducks usually congregate at this section of the creek especially as they know that passers-by might feed them. There were a number of other children also watching the ducks when we were there.

A white cockatoo in a nearby tree observed the passing parade.

A little further on two moorhens checked us out.

On the way back we stopped once more to watch the ducks. Before we arrived we heard a loud splash but the ducks were swimming around as normal when we arrived. Suddenly there was another splash as all the ducks disappeared under water at the same time. There was no obvious sign as to what instigated the dive but this manoeuvre was repeated about six times while we were there. Other passers-by stopped to watch and no-one had seen this behaviour before. Comments were made about synchronised duck diving!

When we went for another walk by this section of the creek on Sunday, ducks were in the same area swimming around contentedly.

Further along towards the footbridge near Armstrong Road we came across another group of ducks. A few were the brown ducks that normally frequent the creek but most of the ducks were a different breed that we had not seen in this area of the creek before.

We crossed the bridge and walked back on the other side of the creek. The ducks were still there but swimming in two groups. Suddenly one group of ducks took to the air and flew down the creek past the bridge. A few seconds later the second group did the same.

It would be interesting to know how ducks communicate so that they all respond to a situation, either diving sumultaneously or suddenly taking flight, at the same time.

See also other posts related to this topic:

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Walking on Shared Paths

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (1)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (2)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (3)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (4)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (5)

See also all pots relating to COVID-19

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (5)

Shepherds Bush

On the last Saturday in Autumn we decided to continue our exploration of the Dandenong Creek Trail by exploring Shepherds Bush.

Photo - Visit Shepherds Bush

We parked the car in carpark on High Street Road at the entrance to Shepherds Bush and then started exploring the path that included two boardwalks.

This was a most enjoyable walk through the bush.

The path ran next to the Dandenong Creek

providing many good views of the creek in a bush setting.

As with many of our recent walks it is often hard to believe that we are walking in an area in the suburbs of Melbourne. Because this path is narrow in places and unmade it is mainly used by pedestrians with few bikes encountered on this section of our walk. Cyclists use another of the paths in the park.

Shepherds Bush - Google Maps

Once through the bush we came to the main trail which ran beside farmland. A group of egrets was in one of the paddocks. A little further on we came to a gate leading to a conservation area and a path around the lake in Jells Park.

We used to visit Jells Park on many occasions when our sons were younger so it was a little like deja vu looking across the lake observing the many people enjoying the green park.

A little further on we saw a tree on small island covered with egrets.

Returning to the car we decided to take the bush path rather than the main trail. This proved to be a good decision as shortly after entering the path there was a commotion overhead as a flock of black cockatoos flew between the nearby trees. The Dandenong Trail through Shepherds Bush was another enjoyable walk.

See also other posts related to this topic:

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Walking on Shared Paths

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (1)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (2)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (3)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (4)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (6)

See also all posts relating to COVID-19

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (4)

Bushy Park
Recently we walked along the Koomba Park boardwalk and then crossed Burwood Highway (near Morack Road) at the lights to follow the Dandenong Creek Trail to Bushy Park.

Trail to Bushy Park - Google Maps

The trail took us past the skateboard ramp and the motorcross club as we skirted the Whitehorse Recycling and Waste Centre. Much of the walk was through bush until we came to open land near the entrance to Bushy Park. We shall explore Bushy Park on another occasion and also some of the smaller tracks we passed during the walk. The Dandenong Creek Trail through Bushy Park leads to Jells Park.

EastLink Trail to Blind Creek - Google Maps

On another occasion we left the Wantirna Reserve carpark and walked down Mountain Highway to Burwood Highway where we crossed at the lights. We then walked to the entrance of the EastLink Trail which we followed towards High Street Road. After crossing High Street Road we continued to follow the track past the Knox Waste Transfer Station and then branched off onto the Blind Creek path for a while before returning to the car.

Continuing along the EastLink Trail also leads to Jells Park. There are many paths for us to still explore.

NB: Today (26 May) was a perfect autumn day with bright blue sky and plenty of sunshine so we decided to drive to the entrance of Bushy Park Wetlands in High Street Road and walk back towards we entered the park two weeks ago. A short walk into the park took us past the wetlands.

A path led to the bird hide where we found a number of enthusiastic water birds including a variety of ducks and Eurasian coots. As soon as we approached the hide the birds enthusiastically swam towards us.

We then followed the path through the open parkland, passing some cattle grazing in a nearby paddock. When we arrived at the path leading to Burwood Highway we decided to climb the steps of a small steep hill. At the top there is a good view of the surrounding area. Following a path from the hill led to another track that we followed back to the main path near the recycling depot.

After a short walk back towards Bushy Park we turned right and walked down steps to another path which we followed until eventually coming to a small bridge, once again on the main track. Several other paths also lead back to the main track. Back in Bushy Park we strolled back to where we had parked the car.

Reference:

Bushy Park Wetlands and Dandenong Creek Trail - Tracks, trails and coasts near Melbourne

Burwood Walks No. 14 - Bushy Park Wetlands - Burwood Bulletin

See also other posts related to this topic:

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Walking on Shared Paths
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (1)
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (2)
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (3)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (5)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (6)

See also all posts relating to COVID-19

COVID-19 Musings - Libraries

Some of the first organisations closed due to COVID-19 were libraries. Eastern Regional Libraries (ERL) closed their branches on Friday 20 March while Whitehorse Manningham Libraries (WML) closed a few days later. Return chutes remained open and some staff continued to work in the library answering queries by phone or email but the branches were not open to the public. Major reference libraries such as state libraries and the National Library also closed along as archives and museums.

It has been interesting to see how libraries have continued to promote and provide services when patrons cannot physically visit the buildings to use the services.

Borrowing Items

Before ERL closed their doors an email was sent to patrons advising them of the closure and listing reservations that should be collected. The return date for all borrowed items was extended until the libraries reopened. Fines for late items would not be charged. At the time of the closure I had a number of items still on loan and collected two reservations before the branches closed. When I finished reading a book I returned it through the return chute at Knox Library.

When it was obvious that the libraries would be closed for prolonged time, the public libraries experimented with other ways to physically lend collection items.

Click and Collect used by many stores was the first method tried. A number of library services in Australia utilised the Click and Collect service. Patrons reserved items online or asked staff to select items for them. The items were charged out to the patron and the patron was informed that the items were ready for collection. This service was offered for only a few days at ERL and WML.

During the past few weeks a Click for Home Delivery service has been in operation. Patrons reserve items or ask staff to select items for them. When the items arrive at the selected branch patrons contact the library and ask for the items to be delivered. I tested this system by ordering two books which were sent to my home via Australia Post. The system worked well though it took eight days from the time the items were boxed until they arrived at my home in the next suburb. Australia Post has been struggling to deliver the additional demand for parcel delivery due to COVID-19. Needless to say an extended loan period is provided for items borrowed in this way.

From June 1 ERL decided to reintroduce Click and Collect until the libraries reopened in the middle of June.

Online Resources

Libraries in Australia have been providing online resources to library patrons for many years. The forced library shutdowns have encouraged libraries to promote these resources more widely.

Some WML online resources

For many years library members have been able to download e-books and audio books via library services. They can also have access to some film services, music, magazines, newspapers, databases and online courses. ERL provides the list of online services available via the Digital Library section of their web page. For WML the resources are to be found under their eLibrary section.

Family History Resources

Since the lockdown libraries have spent time promoting these resources to patrons via email newsletters and on Facebook.

From ERL website

Ancestry Library Edition and Find My Past Library Edition, normally only accessed in the library, have been made available to library members at home for the duration of library closures due to COVID-19. These resources are also available, for a short time, via the State Library of Victoria website for those with a SLV library card.

From ERL website

The availability to these resources has greatly benefited those undertaking family history research while confined at home.

A number of museums, archives and major research libraries have also made many of their resources more readily available online.

Online Resources for Children

Public libraries have a range of online resources for children

From WML website

In Victoria the libraries closed just before the children finished school for the term. A major activity in public libraries is the school holiday program. Members of the childrens' services staff would have already prepared the the program for the Easter holidays. This would have had to be put aside. Instead, at short notice, they designed a holiday program which could be accessed online.

Regular storytime sessions are available online - often via Facebook - for younger children.

This year National Simultaneous Storytime was held throughout Australia on 27 May online with each library service arranging for a visiting personality to read the same book.

Programs for Adults

Library programs including book discussions, author talks and information sessions were also available online.

Bookings are required for many of the programs and were offered via Youtube, Zoom or Facebook.

Information session

Craft session

Public Returns to Libraries

Step 1

WML plans to reopen to the public on Tuesday 9 June from 10 am to 5 pm Mondays to Saturdays. Only twenty patrons are allowed in the library at a time with a 30 minute time limit per patron. Patrons' names and phone numbers will be recorded on entry. Hand sanitisers available for people entering and leaving the library. Public computers available for one 30 minute period per patron but due to social distancing staff will be unable to provide assistance in computer use. Books to be returned via the return chutes. Most library activities will continue to be offered online.

See also all posts relating to COVID-19 including:
COVID-19 - Musings - Books and Reading