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https://theconversation.com/australias-public-libraries-are-thriving-as-the-cost-of-living-rises-we-cant-afford-to-lose-them-267964>
"Library visits in the United States have almost halved over the past decade.
But in Australia, they’re up 10% compared to a year ago, according to a new
report. In fact, our public libraries are thriving – and cost of living
pressures seem to be playing a role.
Public engagement with library programs and events has increased by one
million. Loans of books, DVDs and other items are at their highest rate in five
years, and overall loans are up 23%. On average, every person in Australia
borrowed 6.5 library items in the year 2023-2024. While libraries increasingly
provide online access and borrowing (32% of all loans are now digital),
physical borrowing is still important.
But there’s bad news, too: adjusted for inflation, Australian library funding
has decreased 12% in the past five years. And spending on library collections
is similarly down, by 14%. Libraries are also hiring less trained librarians,
and relying more on volunteer staffers.
“This reduction in funding for libraries comes at a time when local governments
are reporting cost-shifting from State and Federal governments to councils,”
said Cathie Warburton, CEO of Australian Library and Information Association,
one of two organisations behind the report (the other is the National and State
Libraries Australasia).
I’ve published my own research into the cultural value of libraries and the
vital services they provide for our communities, focusing on the State Library
of South Australia. I found that libraries are highly prized by members of the
public as free “politically neutral space”, and as shared community resources
which are “part of a civilised society and must be upheld and adequately funded
and staffed”.
Libraries are nothing less than our secret weapon in the war against ignorance
and isolation."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
