2. State Library of NSW
One of Australia’s leading libraries comprising:
• The Mitchell Library, the Dixson Library, and the
State Reference Library
• Staff include librarians, library technicians,
archivists, conservators, curators, designers and
IT experts
• 148 volunteers
• Over 790,000 visitors to the building and more
than 4,288,000 online visits to the website
6. Public Library and Learning Services
Three branches, 23 staff, and lots of programs and
services to support public libraries
• Public Library Services
• NSW.net
• LIAC and drug info
7. Public Library Services
Manager Funding and Advisory Services Cameron Morley
Consultants Anne Doherty
Ellen Forsyth
Mylee Joseph
Kate O’Grady
Project Officer Edwina Duffy
Grants and Subsidies Clerk Kathy Morrison
Clerical Officer Lesley Targ
Multicultural Services Consultant Oriana Acevedo
Coordinator Multicultural Cooperative Shauna Miller
Multicultural bulk loans team Abby Dawson
8. Public libraries
• Are heavily used by the people of NSW
• 370 locations across NSW – 102 central library
services, 268 branch libraries and 22 mobile
libraries
• 3.2 million members (44% of the population)
• Over 35 million visits per annum
• More than 1.2 million people attended over
56,000 public programs and events
• Over 46 million loans
State Library of NSW (2014) Public Library Statistics 2012/13
10. Other indicators
• The Internet has made libraries busier
over 3.6 million bookings per year
• Library staff answer more than 4.7 million
requests for information per annum
• Collections in all formats including books,
DVDs, talking books, CDs and digital items
continue to grow
• In 2012/13 13.5 million items were held
across NSW public libraries
12. Library Act 1939 - Objects
• to promote, provide and maintain library services and
information services for the people of New South Wales
through the State Library and through co-operation with
local libraries…
• to advise the Minister, local authorities .. on matters of
policy and administration relating to library services ..
that are or may be provided through local libraries
• to advise the Minister on the provision of assistance
to local libraries or other libraries.
13. Library Act 1939 – Duties of Library
Council of NSW
• (a) to make .. careful inquiry into the administration
and management of every local library which is provided,
controlled and managed .. by a local authority which has
adopted this Act
• (b) to cause every local library.. which is provided,
controlled and managed .. by a local authority which has
adopted this Act, to be inspected from time to time
• (c) to report to the Minister as to the sums required
to be provided in each year to meet the cost of
subsidies payable under this Act
14. Public Libraries Consultative
Committee, 2014
• Jan Richards, Chair & Library Council of NSW Representative; Manager Library Services,
Central West Libraries
• Andrew Tink, Library Council of NSW Representative
• Susan Doyle, Library Council of NSW Representative
• Noel Baum, Strategy Manager, Local Government Association of NSW & Shires Associations of
NSW
• Michelle Simon, NSW Metropolitan Public Libraries Association; Manager, Canterbury City
Library
• Clr Veronique Marchandeau, President, NSW Metropolitan Public Libraries Association;
Councillor, North Sydney Council
• Paul Scully, NSW Metropolitan Public Libraries Association; Manager, Fairfield City Library
• Clr Graham Smith, Chair, Public Libraries New South Wales; Councillor, Cessnock City Council
• Keryl Collard, Public Libraries New South Wales; Manager, Maitland City Library
• Robert Knight, Public Libraries New South Wales; Director, Riverina Regional Library
• Clr Julie Hegarty, Local Government and Shires Association (LGSA); Councillor, Pittwater
Council
• Natasa Mitic, NSW Office of Local Government, Ministerial Liaison Officer
• Dr Alex Byrne, State Librarian & Chief Executive, State Library of NSW
• Frances Sims, Director, Public Library and Community Learning Services, SLNSW
• Cameron Morley, Executive Officer & Manager, Public Library Services, SLNSW
15. Library Act 1939 – Part 3 Local Libraries
• s8 Adoption or revocation of the Act by Local
Authorities
• s10 Requirements as to services to be provided by
local libraries
• s10 (1) A local authority must comply with and observe
the following requirements in relation to the provision,
control and management by it of any local library
16. Library Act 1939 – Part 3 Section 10
s10 (1)
a) Residents and ratepayers entitled to free membership
b) Free access to certain materials on library premises
c) Free loans of certain library material to members
d) Free delivery to sick or disabled members
e) Free basic reference services to members
f)Restriction on use of State subsidy
Also covers some provisions on borrowing entitlements
and reciprocal membership enablement.
17. Funding – Public Libraries Grants and
Subsidies for 2013/14
• Subsidy - $1.85 per capita $13,481,109
• Disability & Geographic Adjustments $6,501,545
• NSW.net $2,440,000
• Outback Letterbox Library $100,000
• Strategic Network Projects $808,246
• State Library services to public libraries $697,100
• Library Development Grants (LDG) $2,000,000
• Revitalising Regional Libraries $500,000
Total $26,528,000
18. Strategic Network Projects
• Multicultural Purchasing Cooperative $92K
• Research $80K
• Professional development $80K
• Inter library loan van $50K
• Statistics database $50K
• Statewide network development $80K
19. Statewide Network Development
• support for the Public Library Association secretariats
• support for Association conferences
• travel assistance for PLCC members and Regional
Library Managers to attend meetings
• travelling exhibitions and events
• Summer Reading Club materials for all NSW public
libraries
• funding of network wide email lists and wikis
• publication of Public Library News, Public Library
Statistics, and Guidelines such as People Places
• legal advice relevant to NSW public libraries (e.g.
policy guidelines)
20. Public Library Services and NSW public
libraries
What we do
• Visit over 100 public libraries per year
• Conduct reviews of library services or of
specific aspects of a library service such
as collections
• Speak at library or council meetings on
topics such as library trends, social media
21. What we do cont.
• Write or contribute to guidelines and
policies for library buildings, Internet,
Children’s services and more
• Work on research projects with groups of
public library staff on areas such as cost
benefit of RFID, local studies audit, early
literacy project, Readers Advisory
• Advise on a range of issues related to
libraries in NSW
22. Connect with PLS
• Public Library News is on Pinterest
• We are posting photos on Instagram when we visit
public libraries using #nswpubliclibraries
• We encourage you to use #nswpubliclibraries when you
post to facebook, twitter, Instagram, Flickr
We are part of the Department of Trade, Investment, Regional Infrastructure and services.
We are going through a period of change at the moment and this structure reflects that. There are likely to be more changes in the coming months.
The division that I belong to.
You will be hearing more about NSW.net, LIAC and drug info later today.
A major part of our branch is the Multicultural team. The look after loans, purchasing and a range of things related to delivery to MC communities. You will hear more about their work later on this afternoon.
Before I talk more about what we do in my branch, I’d like to share some information about the public library network so that you can see the context that we all work in.
I will give you a moment to read these impressive stats.
As you know - many more people use public libraries than are members – to use a computer, read the newspaper, attend an author talk, bring their children to holiday activities and so on.
All these stats are available on our website, we collect and publish each year.
Materials available for loan include books, CDs, DVDs, large print, ebooks, audio books and toys.
Loans are steadily growing.
There was a fear that the internet would mean that libraries weren’t needed or used anymore. Didn’t happen.
There are many people using the internet in libraries because they don’t have access elsewhere, or they are visiting libraries for collections and using the internet and staff expertise while there.
As you know there are many inquiries that people need the assistance of a librarian to answer.
The change in libraries to a community a hub or ‘living room’, a space to hang out in, means that people will visit a library to use the internet even if they have access at home. It is a space where they can be with people, even if they are not interacting directly with them.
More than 1.2 million people attended public programs
Now back to the background to why PLS is here and what we do.
The library act is basically the reason why PLS exists.
A major part of our work is based on the Act.
Library Council is like our Board
Governing body of the State Library made up of members of the public nominated by the State Government.
Always includes a rep with significant experience working in local govt (Jan Richards, Manager Central West Libraries) and someone from the education sector.
PLS provide info to LC that they then report to the Minister.
The Public Libraries Consultative Committee, established in 1996, is a sub-committee of the Library Council of New South Wales.
The Committee meets regularly and provides policy advice to Library Council.
Includes members from Library Council, country and metropolitan public libraries and State Library staff – the State Librarian, my director and manager.
Councils choose to adopt the act.
All councils in NSW have done this.
Adoption of the act means that they have access to state government funding, including grants.
It also means that they commit to providing free public library services as outlined in the act.
It is easy to adopt the act but hard to revoke must have a poll of electors.
(one has tried to revoke but residents voted overwhelmingly to maintain council provision of public library)
In agreeing to the Act libraries agree to the following:
Under the act the State Library administers funding to NSW Councils through subsidies and grants
This is the 13/14 split
The 14/15 grants and subsidies are in the process of being approved. Once approved the breakdown will be announced to public libraries.
Subsidy and DGA is provided to every NSW council.
NSW.net provides wifi, consortia access to databases
Strategic network projects on next slide.
2 million is for grants. There will be some kind of grants program this year but it has not been finalised.
Public Library Infrastructure fund - $3m for this year and $4m each year for the next 3 years
For the PL network to access
Multicultural purchasing – we buy books on behalf of PLs and get discounts, assist with cataloguing
Research – a committee that comes up with projects that will benefit the PL network eg. Mobile and outreach services, local studies collections
PD – we run training and seminars for PL staff
Interlibrary loan van – metro public libraries who use the van also add to funds (approx $140,000 total).
Statistics database – libraries input there own info and can pull data out of it to compare with other libraries and over years
Statewide network development on next slide
Some of the programs include:
Travelling versions of our exhibitions in a panel format – these travel around the state, a couple of weeks per library and are generally out and about for a couple of years.
We contribute to the national Summer Reading Club program and purchase a kit for each council.
We run email lists and encourage you to join. We will show you where they are later today during the ‘web tour’.
Publishing of key documents comes under this section.
I am currently working on a project looking at mobile and outreach services, survey, visits, will end with guidelines that libraries can use in developing or improving outreach services.
PL News on pinterest so we can show the photos in colour …..
At the moment a lot of our social media is around the 75th anniversary of the library act. Take a look at our website and you will see photos of NSW libraries from the past (on pinterest). We have posted a lot from our records and we are asking you to share your photos too.
There is also info on Tumblr
