‘If you want to reach out to Victorians, libraries are a
great way to demonstrate your values, communicate
your ideas and achieve your ambitions.’
Victorians love libraries, 2012
Space, people, expertise and resources
Council departments, Councillors, government officers and politicians can benefit from
the position of public libraries at the heart of their communities.
They are safe, trusted, neutral spaces.
They are well-frequented by individuals, families and local groups.
They are staffed by information professionals.
They have extensive physical collections and e-resources.
It is the combination of these four elements—space, people, expertise and resources—that
makes libraries so valuable, both to library users and to local and state government.
Libraries are ideal venues for community events and festivals, including theatre, dance,
music and other performances. In larger libraries, floor space is often already available,
in some smaller ones, shelving can be moved to create an open area. Courtyards,
landscaped grounds and car parks can be used to expand the available space.
Many libraries have meeting rooms, with AV facilities, electronic whiteboards and other
presentation support. In addition, some libraries have ICT suites which can be used for
training sessions.
Libraries may be connected to galleries and museums or have their own exhibition space,
which can be used to promote campaigns and initiatives.
Libraries feature community noticeboards and are able to display leaflets, posters, flyers
and other materials.
Libraries are particularly useful for community consultation, providing meeting spaces for
discussion groups, display units for information and curated areas, where architectural
models and other delicate objects can be safely placed on show.
The involvement of residents in local decision-making has become an imperative for
councils and libraries are well-placed to assist with community engagement in its many
forms.
Wall-mounted plasma screens and PC terminals in libraries present an interesting multimedia opportunity for communicating important news and providing public service
announcements. The same video shown on other public screens, for example in
CentreLink offices, could provide a very low cost broadcast campaign.
Searches for library information and remote access to catalogues help drive traffic to
council websites. There is the opportunity to include information on library web pages
about other council services.
Libraries are the place where local, state and federal government can connect online with
adults who don’t have access to computers at home, at TAFE or university, or in the
workplace. Internet access in libraries provides equity of access to e-government.
People are not only able to use the Internet free of charge, but often there will be staff
available to provide assistance.
Library staff include qualified information professionals, local history experts, specialists
in working with children and youth. Their expertise is available to library users and
council colleagues.
Librarians are skilled at research and can often find more comprehensive, relevant and
up-to-date information, faster, and at no additional cost, compared with other providers.
As most subscribe to e-databases, libraries can often be a source of free statistics to assist
departmental planning.
Libraries are high profile, well-used community facilities, which makes them a showcase
for the values of local and state government.
A council that promotes sustainability, for example, can demonstrate its values in action
in the library. This might mean highly visible recycling initiatives, moves to reduce the
building’s carbon footprint, or innovative ways of using grey water.
It only takes a little imagination and creative thought to uncover many ways in which
libraries can deliver the wider local and state government priorities.
More information can be found at www.plvn.net.au.
January 2012