Surf Coast looks to improve its library

THE Surf Coast Shire is looking into expanding Torquay’s library in order to boost library participation across the region.

The shire’ general manager of culture and community Chris Pike says the council was eager to have facilities that properly cater to the community.

“Council recognises the current library is inadequate to meet the community’s needs as the town grows.

“Therefore, Council has funded a project in the 2019-20 budget to explore the feasibility of a cultural hub including an expanded library.”

The agenda for the September 12 council meeting notes that active library members make up 18.78 per cent of the population but 41 per cent of the population in the wider Geelong area.

The agenda subsequently stated “this is a definite improvement opportunity for council.”

Yet Geelong Regional Libraries Corporation (GRLC) acting chief executive officer Deb Sansom said these figures are not comparable.

The Surf Coast Shire’s figure of 18.78 per cent was reached using the Local Government Performance Reporting Framework.

Ms Sanson says this framework has a much narrower definition of active library membership than the GLRC of what constitutes an “active library member.”

“This definition excludes other forms of library activity, such as using a public PC or accessing WiFi at a library branch.”

Ms Sanson says the Surf Coast Shire libraries are actually thriving when the data is contextualised.

“In the 2018/19 financial year, by this definition, GRLC membership (across our four member council areas) as a percentage of the total population was 42 per cent.

“In the same year, library membership as a percentage of the population of the Surf Coast Shire was 42 per cent. Furthermore, library membership in the Surf Coast Shire has increased by 22 per cent in the five year period from July 2014.”

The expansion will then aim to accommodate the growing participation in libraries in the area, with the population not being as disenfranchised with libraries as the council report implies.

Mr Pike says a timely resolution is necessary.

“A new facility is required in three to five years’ time.”