Your library needs new books

The WA Local Government Librarians Association [WALGLA] and the peak body for councils in WA [WALGA] are running a campaign to improve funding for public library stock. The State has two responsibilities in the partnership that delivers library service to the people of WA. One is to provide a base stock at 1.25 items per capita, and the other is to maintain that stock by regular injections of new stock so that the local librarians can withdraw stock that is out-of-date, read out or worn out.

The State, through SLWA, has been loyal to the per capita standard, and - statewide - the figure hovers around 1.1. But by meeting, at least partially, the needs of population growth without the additional funding to match it, their other responsibility has been neglected.

The maintenance standard has fallen badly. Long experience has shown that stock is well maintained if 15 per cent of it is replaced with new items, annually. Translated into shelf life for the three main categories (eg Junior items 5 years) this standard is embedded in the 1994 Library Board of WA policy document Provision of Resources for Public Libraries. The new item maintenance provision in 2002/2003 for almost all the metropolitan libraries was below 7 per cent, which means that each item must last on average 15 years. For many libraries, shelves are full, but the proportion of old items past their use-by date is far too high.

The integrity of WA's public libraries is at stake; it is not possible to offer excellent service with so much out-of-date material on the shelves. So drop into your local library where you will almost certainly find a display with confronting messages, and draft letters to politicians, bumper stickers, etc. Or visit the WALGA website and go to the campaign pages.

Please help the public librarians improve the public library service in WA - you never know when you might need it!

Betty McGeever
Lobbying campaign convenor for WALGLA

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