Regional Libraries
the NSW experience
Jan Richards,
Manager, Central West Libraries
NSW Public Library Network
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97 library services
363 service points
3,301,072 members (46% population)
across all demographics
37,008,871 visits per annum
50,585,814 loans per annum
many more people use libraries on a
“needs” basis
100% internet access
Governance Framework
Public libraries in NSW operate under:
 Library Act 1939
 Library Regulation 2010
 Local Government Act 1993
 …plus other relevant legislation (EEO, Privacy,
OH&S, Copyright) and ALIA policies and standards
Funding
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Local Government: At least 91%
State Government subsidy: $1.85 per
capita plus disability and geographical
adjustments
Library Development
Grants:$1,190,119 plus Country
Public Libraries fund
Public Libraries/SLNSW
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Public Library Services:
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Specialist advice and support to all local
councils
Facilitates grants and subsidies program
Identifies and researches industry-wide
issues
Collects and disseminating data on NSW
public libraries
PLS cont …
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Develops standards and guidelines for
library services and buildings
Supports professional development
Multicultural collections
NSW.net
Provides expert advice to Government
The Models
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Standalone
Regional
Cooperative
Library Models in NSW (2007) John
Liddle
http://www.plnsw.org.au/reports.htm
Regional Libraries
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Regional Libraries are enabled under
S 12 of the Library Act
New legislation S12A provides greater
flexibility
Currently 70 councils (68 in country
NSW) are party to s12 agreements for
regional library services (ie 46%)
Regional Library Services
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19 Regional and Joint Use Library
Services
18 country, 1 metropolitan
No 2 are the same!
Characteristics
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Member Councils represented through a
committee
Executive Council employs ‘shared’ staff.
Other staff can be employed by Executive
Council or individual councils
Regional Library Managers report through
their Committee and through the Executive
Council.
Characteristics cont …
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Executive Councils perform a range of
services which can include library
administration, collection development
and management, IT and
communications, information and
reference services, program
development and support, marketing
and promotion, grant applications and
capital works support
Perceived Benefits
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Economy of scale
Regional responsibility
Compensates for small council's
diseconomies of scale
Employment of specialist staff
Builds unity between staff
Provision of mobile services
IT and communications capabilities
Perceived Concerns
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Small councils lack options
Loss of local identity
Loss of autonomy
Lack of common or minimum service
delivery standards
Threat of withdrawal
Buildings and fittings
Central West Libraries
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Established 1956
Population 81,800
Area 15,700 sq km
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Orange
Cabonne
Blayney
Forbes
Cowra
CWL
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5 councils, 7 libraries
Executive Council = Orange City
CWL Committee meets twice a year
Established funding formula and
service standards
All staff employed by Executive
Council
Single LMS
CWL
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Centralised collection
development
Library wide policies
and procedures
Set processes with inbuilt flexibility
Branding with local
flavour
Shared and individual
programs
CWL
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Specialist staff
Commercial
Couriers
Strong inter-council
team
North Western Library
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Established 1984
Population 14,811
Area 40 241sq km
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Warren
Bogan
Coonamble
Gilgandra
NWL
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4 councils, 4 libraries
Executive Council = Warren Shire
NWL Committee meets once a year
Simple funding formula
All staff employed by Member Councils
Single LMS
NWL
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Centralised
collection
development
Limited policies
and procedures
Set processes
No shared
branding
Individual programs
NWL
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Limited specialist staff
Strong working relationship
Richmond Tweed Regional
Library
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Established 1971
Population 209,196
Area 3,651 sq km
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Lismore
Ballina
Byron
Tweed
RTRL – a case study in
change
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4 councils, 11 libraries, 1 mobile
Executive Council = Lismore City
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Lismore
Ballina
Byron
Tweed
45,645
42,432
32,126
88,993
Riverina Regional Library
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Established 1978
Population 105,832
Area sq km 25,000
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Wagga Wagga
Coolamon
Cootamundra
Gundagai
Junee
Lockhart
Temora
Tumut
RRL
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9 councils, 13 libraries, 1 mobile
Executive Council = Wagga Wagga
Established funding formula and service
standards
Shared specialist staff employed by
Executive Council, other staff by individual
councils
A new direction in collection
development
The ideal model
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Involve some form of cooperative
arrangement
Be flexible and adaptive to change
Be driven by community demand
Maintain a local identity
Be cost effective and have economies
of scale
The ideal model cont …
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Adopt a strategic planning focus
Pursue effective IT and
communications strategies
Have good stakeholder
communications
Have adequate staffing and resource
levels.
Contact details
Jan Richards
Manager
Central West Libraries
jrichards@orange.nsw.gov.au
www.cwl.nsw.gov.au