Colac Otway libraries want to check in to Geelong’s network

THE Geelong Regional Library Corporation (GRLC) will open a new chapter in its history if the Colac Otway Shire council’s plan to join it comes to fruition.
Presently a member of the Corangamite Regional Library Corporation, the Colac Otway Shire council resolved in February 2019 to start a detailed investigation and review of its library services.
Based on the review findings and community feedback, the review recommended the Colac Otway Shire withdraw from the Corangamite Regional Library Corporation and seek to join the GRLC.
In June this year, the GRLC board (which contains representatives from the City of Greater Geelong council) unanimously endorsed Colac Otway Shire joining GRLC as a member council in principle, and Geelong councillors considered endorsing the decision at their meeting on Tuesday this week.
The report to councillors at Tuesday’s meeting listed four advantages for approving the move:

• Increased community access to quality collections (an extra 40,000 collection items), strengthened collaboration and delivery of shared library services
• Reduced costs due to economies of scale through sharing of regional administrative costs with an additional partner
• Greater state government grant contributions received through Colac Otway Shire’s membership of GRLC, and
• Enhanced strategic planning, capacity building and expertise.

If endorsed, the move would see Apollo Bay Library, Colac Library and mobile library services integrated into the GRLC, and up to 10 staff transfer to GRLC.
The report to councillors states the overall services delivered by the Corangamite Regional Library Corporation are of good quality, with a customer satisfaction rating of 95 per cent last year.
“The collection is quite up to date with 67 per cent of items purchased in the past five years.
“However, on 20 of the key performance indicators reported on in the Annual Survey of Public Libraries, performance falls below GRLC performance.
“Colac Otway Shire is seeking to improve their industry standing through improved service delivery to their residents, and for this reason has indicated it is willing to increase its contributions per capita to library services to meet GRLC standards and requirements.”