Patti AND THE POWER OF WORDS

PATTI Manolis, growing up in Collingwood, was six when her dad died.

Her mum worked hard to take care of her three children who were left to make their own opportunities.

It was access to the local public library that changed her life.

“I became a book nerd and I’m still a book nerd,” Ms Manolis said.

Ms Manolis has been CEO of Geelong Regional Libraries Corporation for over 12 years, a past member of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Network of Emerging Library innovators and is also president of Libraries for Timor-Leste
and vice-president of the Public Libraries Victoria Network Inc.

Not a lot of people can say it, and a lot aspire to it, but Ms Manolis loves her work and as a resident of Batesford she loves where she lives.

Ms Manolis describes the decision, that as a family they move from Melbourne to the Golden Plains Shire, as one of their best.

“It was a life style choice, we love the natural beauty of the region, the Dog Rocks and walking to the Moorabool River.”

As a Batesford local and the CEO of the GRLC, Ms Manolis is well placed to comment on the impact of libraries on rural communities.

“Public libraries are a vital infrastructure in all communities and incredibly important in rural communities because not only do they provide opportunities for lifelong learning and self learning they offer a really important form of social connection.”

Meanwhile, Ms Manolis said she was fortunate to participate in the Gate’s Network of Emerging Library innovators, even though she never met Bill and Melinda.

“This was a way for library leaders and emerging leaders to get together to ensure the public library network internationally remains strong and vitally important for the community.”

Ms Manolis was one of 20 women nominated for induction onto the 2016 Victorian Honour Roll of Women in celebration of International Women’s Day.

“The most wonderful thing about being nominated was actually being proposed by a group of local women from the Geelong region – Women in Local Democracy.

“They nominated me for the honour because they could see the difference that public libraries make and my dedication to doing the best I can [in this sector].”

It was at high school that Ms Manolis started to appreciate literature a lot more with the assistance of great teachers at her school.

There she understood the power of the novel and access to reading. Currently, on her bedside table is the new novel Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko.

Ms Manolis reads paperbacks as there is still more available to read in hard copy than to download.

However, she admits to being partial to her Kobo e-reader especially when binge reading on holidays as it saves many kilos of books in a suitcase.

“I am a fan actually of any format that brings books to readers.”