2009-10
Annual Survey of
Public Library Services
in Victoria
2009-10
ISSN 1035-4832
January 2011
Published by
Local Government Victoria
Department of Planning and Community Development
55 Collins Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000
http://www.localgovernment.vic.gov.au
Disclaimer
Statistics provided in the Annual Survey of Public Library Services are
submitted by all Public Library Services in Victoria. Data is collected and
collated annually by Local Government Victoria, who remains committed to
publishing the Annual Survey. The Survey can be downloaded from
http://www.localgovernment.vic.gov.au
Every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of the published data.
However, some errors and omissions in the submitted data may not have
been detected.
Population data - The population figures used in each Annual Survey is the
Estimated Residential Population (ERP) as provided by the Australian
Bureau of Statistics. The State Library of NSW kindly provide the NSW
population figures for bordering library services.
Copyright & Disclaimer
The materials presented in this report are for information purposes only. The
information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making
their own assessments of the matters discussed and are advised to verify all relevant
representations, statements and information and obtain independent advice before
acting on any information contained in or in connection with this report.
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate, the
Department of Planning and Community Development will not accept any liability for
any loss or damage which may be incurred by any person acting in reliance upon the
information.
Copyright © State of Victoria 2011
This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process
except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.
Contents
Overview
1
Public Library Services Statistics
3
1
General
4
2
Service Points
5
3
Membership
8
4
Collection – Print Material
9
5
Collection – Non-Print Material
18
6
Collection – eResources
24
7
Collection – Subscriptions
25
8
Collection – Overall
28
9
Programs
32
10
Information Technology
34
11
Staff
36
12
Finance
38
Supporting Notes from Public Library Services
42
Indicators
47
Summary of Statistics 1950 to present
57
Annual Survey Questionnaire
61
Overview
Victoria has 290 public libraries
and 26 mobile libraries
Collections contain
nearly 9 million items
There are 290 branches across Victoria including
many that are joint-use or multi-use facilities with
other community services.
The public library collections contain over
8.7 million items, giving people access to a wide
range of books, audiovisual and reference
materials.
In addition to these permanent branches there
are 26 mobile libraries servicing 400 locations
often in isolated rural and regional communities
with nearly 450,000 visits. These mobile libraries
provide a range of services including internet and
computer access as well as traditional borrowing
services.
Over 52 million items
are borrowed each year
A wide range of items are borrowed each year
from Victoria’s public libraries, these include:
• 36 million books;
• 12 million audio visual items; and
• 3.2 million newspapers and serials (including
newspapers in languages other than English).
Every member of a public library borrows more
than 20 items per year on average.
Library also conducted over 30,000 programs,
attended by over 900,000 participants.
Over 50% of new material were purchased over
the last 5 years and last year 1 million items were
replaced, keeping the collections modern and
relevant.
48% of Victorians are
members of local libraries
There are 2.5 million Victorians who are
members of a library.
Victorians make over 28 million visits to libraries
Libraries are the most used community facility in
Victoria, along with parks and gardens, and are
used by 51% of the population (Australian Bureau
of Statistics General Social Survey 2002). Other
community facilities, such as art galleries and
museums, are used by about half as many
Victorians (Australian Bureau of Statistics Survey
of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and
Events 2005-6).
There are 3.4 million bookings
for use of the internet
Despite the increase in the number of people that
have internet access at home there is still
significant internet use in libraries.
Bookings were made for 2.2 million hours of
internet time and over 300,000 wireless sessions.
Public access computers in libraries has grown
to over 4,000 giving library members more
access to both the internet and computer
applications.
1
2
Public Library Services
Statistics
3
Supporting Notes from Public Library Services
Bayside Library Service
7.6, 7.7, 7.10, 7.11
These periodicals are included in the
general periodical collection or the LOTE
collection.
10.5 No record kept of Wireless sessions
10.6 Users do not book wireless PCs they bring
their own
10.7 Council server only tracks page views
12.10 Includes cataloguing and processing
$104,973
City of Boroondara Library Service
6.5
Stats not available for all databases
10.8 Not a figure collected during the year
Brimbank Libraries
4 & 5 The shelf ready component of materials
expenditure is an estimate only, as
processing & cataloguing costs are not
broken down by collection category.
5.22 Other non-print material acquisitions excludes approx 400 new Wii games titles
purchased. Not yet added to catalogue.
5.25 Other non-print material expenditure
includes $21,951 for new Wii games
collection.
6.1
e-book titles subscriptions: 4 products.
Figures provided include Safari (50 titles),
plus Gale Virtual Reference Library (115
titles), Tumblebooks (270 titles) & Bookflix
(170 titles).
10.2 We have 90 public PC's operational for 6
months of the year instead of the full 125.
10.5 WiFi was launched in 2009, and accurate
stats were not available until February 2010
10.6 Our WiFi customer do not book sessions
and are able to connect to the internet for
any period time they require during opening
hours.
12.2 Resources budget $905,528; St Albans
redevelopment $685,008; Sunshine Library
minor works $39,000
12.4 St Albans Library Living Libraries grant final
payment $280,000
12.5 Premiers Reading Challenge $29,020
12.10 This includes magazines, e-collection &
25% internal charges on non capital
(magazines, e-collections, processing &
cataloguing)
12.13 This includes $1,248,898 Council internal
charges for the Department
12.14 All other operating cost - Depreciation of
RFID equipment
Campaspe Regional Library
10.5 and 10.6
Wireless statistics not available, only just
commenced with this system
10.7 and 10.8
Unfortunately due to IT staffing constraints
these statistics cannot be provided.
42
Casey-Cardinia Library Corporation
2.15 Visits down slightly due to temporary
building/mobile library closures for
refurbishment works
3.6
Figure is an estimate based on extrapolated
data. Specific data for 30 June 2010 is not
available
8.4
Overall loans down slightly due to
temporary building/mobile library closures
for refurbishment works
12.10 Variation in materials expenditure due to
holding of $100,000 in Pakenham Library
reserve collection for opening of new
branch.
Central Highlands Regional Library
2.5
Sebastopol College - provide library
management system, cataloguing services,
access to collection and delivery of items.
Staff provided by Sebastopol College.
2.7
Sebastopol College - we don't have their
details for visits.
4.4
The additions were donations
5.10 The additions were donations
7.8
Children's subscriptions expenditure
included as part of total Adult expenditure
12.4 Living Libraries $18,000 for Avoca Library
paid to Pyrenees Shire Council
Corangamite Regional Library Corporation
3.6
Collection out on Loan on 30 June 2010 LMS cannot provide figures
4
No LOTE collection
6
No downloadable material
7
No LOTE serials
10.4 Number of PC hours booked - information
unavailable
10.5 & 10.6 WiFi not available between 1 July
2009 and June 30 2010
11.5 Number of work experience & other
placement staff not available
Darebin Libraries
3.4
Clearance of inactive users. Currently we
are unable to do this, but are able to
accurately measure members active in the
previous three years.
10.6 Number of wireless sessions hours booked.
Unable to measure number of hours
East Gippsland Shire Library
2.17 Home library service - Selection and
delivery is conducted by volunteers who are
coordinated by Gippsland Lakes
Community Health.
2.22 Hours undertaking home service - Library
administration = 2.5 hours per fortnight and
volunteers = 15 hours per fortnight.
Multiplied by 26 fortnights in the financial
year = 455 hours.
8.13 - 8.14 Reference enquiries – It was decided
that we should not keep count of our
reference enquiries. We recently started
recording those statistics again.
8.5
10.7
10.8
Total Collection Expenditure formula - The
heading is (Calculation of all categories
within Print and Non-Print. Also includes
Loans for eResources and Subscriptions)
This figure does not include subscription
expenditure 7.16, but we wondered if it
should.
Website visits - We currently don't have the
ability to measure the number of hits to our
Online Public Access Catalogue. Some of
the visits to the library website will have
continued to the OPAC link, but many
would have that link saved in their
favourites and therefore not be recorded.
Page views - As discussed in the previous
note, OPAC visits won't be included in this
figure at all. We are currently working on
setting OPAC pages up for Google stats
Eastern Regional Libraries
Frankston Library Service
1
Taken from Community profile page
http://profile.id.com.au/Default.aspx?id=111
&pg=210 Source: ABS)
7.7
Children's loans not available separately.
8.14 Continuous count
Glen Eira Library & Information Service
4-7
We do not break down our expenditure in
these categories, only included the total
collection expenditure in Q8.5
10.5 Wireless reporting tool not yet in place
10.6 Wireless sessions are not booked
10.7 Reporting tool not yet in place
10.8 as above"
12.13 Does not include some internal accounting
charges
Glenelg Libraries
Goldfields Library Corporation
2
Romsey Library joined the Goldfields
Library Corporation in December 2009.
Statistics for the Pyramid Hill RTC are not
available.
6
Did not subscribe to downloads in 2009-10
7
GLC does not have any LOTE material
9
Includes schools visits
10
We do not book wireless sessions.
12
This grant went directly to Council, but it
benefitted the RLC (kangaroo Flat library
refurbishment)
Goulburn Valley Regional Library Corporation
Gannawarra Library Service
2.8
Mobile service is contracted out to, and
vehicle owned by Swan Hill Regional
Library Service.
2.11 Unable to provide figures due to service
being contracted out.
2.12 One stop on behalf of Gannawarra Library
Service. Additional stops for Swan Hill
Library Service.
3.4
Membership files cleared monthly through
Swift Symphony management.
4.26 - 4.30 No LOTE Collection held.
5.11 - 5.15 No CD (music) Collection held.
6.5
See 5.24 (other non-print material)
7.9 - 7.12 No LOTE Newspapers or Serials held.
8.13 - 8.14 Unable to provide data for 2009/2010.
10.4 Do not record number of hours booked.
10.5 - 10.6
Wireless Access was not in place 2009/10.
Greater Dandenong Libraries
3.5
Figure was calculated using borrower last
activity for a 12 month period.
4.10 Includes Let's Read and Premier's Read
Challenge expenditure.
5.25 Expenditure for Online Resources including
Gulliver and Bolinda E-Books.
9.4
Includes Adult Learners Week and
Neighbourhood House Week participants
10.3 & 10.4
Includes English Language and Literacy
Access PC Usage.
12.2 Library Materials are funded as part of
capital works.
12.4 Partial Wireless and Computer
Management Grant received in 2009/10 &
Premier's reading challenge.
12.5 Let's Read Communities for Children
Federal Funding.
Geelong Regional Library Corporation
1
Home Library service operated by DoCare
Geelong
2
Children and young adult copies, loans and
expenditure are included in the adult count
2.16 Home Library Service operated by Do Care
Geelong
3
March-June 2010 only
6.2
March-Jun 2010 only
6.5
includes full text downloads only
7.5-7.8Children & Youth Adult copies, loans and
expenditure are included in the adult count.
12
State Government Grants figure includes
$1,517,235 operational and local priorities
grant, 21,054 Computer and wireless grant,
49,522 Premiers Reading Challenge grant.
User fees and Charges amount includes all
library generated income including for
example photocopying fees, fines, meeting
room hire, etc.
High Country Library Corporation
1
LGV used June 2008 ABS ERP population
figure for 2009/10 funding.
4
Discard figure includes all categories.
Expenditure to make all items shelf ready
included here.
5
Music CDs - We do not have any holdings
of these, but our patrons are able to place
holds directly on them from out SWIFT
partners, and they are issued and counted
as music cds in out circulation statistics.
6.5
$11,389 was spent on online databases.
7
Expenditure includes junior and teen
subscriptions
7
All expenditure on subscriptions is included
in the Adult subscriptions total - we do not
separate the subscriptions in our budget.
10
HCLC uses SirsiDynix Rooms software for
our web page and it does not have the
functionality to count visits or page views.
43
Hobsons Bay Libraries
5
Other non print material = equipment - bike
locks, headphones, controllers etc
10
Wi Fi sessions - unable to obtain exact data
in this version of booking system.
Extrapolated from downloads and available
times. Unable to provide hours.
11.1 Full time 8: part time 7
Melbourne Library Service
7
Children and Young Adult subscriptions are
included in Adult subscriptions
10.7 This includes 725,0008 visits to the website
and 666,741 visits to the webopac.
10.8 This includes 1,398856 page views on the
website and 1,333,462 page views on the
webopac.
Hume Libraries
3.6
Unable to collect this figure as we were
unaware of its inclusion
5.24 Non-print loans are 0 due to SCIS website
holdings.
6.1-6.4Do not have e-books or music downloads
6.5
This information is not available in full
10.8 Unable to collect this figure due to software
restrictions
11.10 Includes Superannuation, Workcover
premiums, does NOT include leave.
Melton Library & Information Service
3.3
Membership considerably reduced as after
changing LMS systems in May 2007. Many
old, inactive memberships received a new
"activity" date in May 2007 and these were
all purged May 2010 if they had not used
their card.
4.38 Discards given in other categories eg
nonfiction.
4.39 Mostly staff loans that are not checked out.
5.18 Video collection mostly discarded.
5.21 Sports Library and Console Games
included here.
5.22 Acquisition of console games - existing
titles swapped for newer titles.
5.24 Loans for Console games only internal.
5.25 Sports Library purchased through other
funds, not out of library budget.
5.3
Discards Talking book cassette collection
dismantled.
5.9
No loans as CDROMs for use in library
only.
6.2
E-book titles only new, so very few
downloads.
11.2 Includes an allowance of 1.6 EFT in Casual
staff
12.8 Includes income from sale of service to
Caroline Springs College at Caroline
Springs Library
Kingston Information & Library Service
2.2
Warrigal Road hours transferred to Clarinda
in February 2009.
2.17 Home Library Service is provided by Staff
and Volunteers. This option could not be
entered correctly from the drop down menu.
4.27 517 LOTE items purchased before 30 June
were processed after this date and are not
included in the acquisitions total.
8.2
Acquisitions include 2,000 items purchased
for Patterson Lakes Library. Expenditure
for these was included in 2008-09 survey.
Latrobe City Library Service
3.2
Institutional members includes other
libraries that are members for inter-library
loan purposes.
3.14 Membership file is cleared monthly of
inactive users in past three years
4.36 Figure includes the ex-Yallourn Collection
and some Local Collection material.
5.21 Online database subscriptions, e.g.
Ancestory.com.
6.5
The figures includes use of yourtutor®
online tutoring website.
7.3
Loan figure is an aggregate of loans of
adult, children and young adult and LOTE
titles.
12.13 Library service expenditure excludes paper
for printing and photocopying, postage, IT
support and equipment and internet costs
all of which are absorbed within relevant
Council departments such as Information
Technology.
Maribyrnong Library Service
1
8% pop increase from 2006 Figure
3.6
Date used was 15th Sept 2010
10
PC Bookings - Hours of usage taken as
number of bookings as in 09-10 we did not
have Pharos in place, so PCS were walk up
one hour use Webpage visits/views are for
the Library pages on the Maribyrnong
Council web page. These figures do not
include visits to our OPAC pages by home
users.
44
Mildura Rural City Council Library Service
3.5
Items on loan on Friday 27th August. I
could not retrospectively get the figures for
30th June.
4 & 5 & 12.10
The cost of making items shelf-ready is not
included in the figures of expenditure as we
don't collect this information separately.
Most of this is done in-house. The cost of
materials plus some outsourcing totalled
$27,268. A rough estimate of in-house
labour cost would be $43,550.
4.36-4.40
Other print material includes our stack
collection and our literacy collection which
have a variety of formats and levels
included. It was too difficult to accurately
add the items to specific collections.
7.8
Children's and Young Adult serials
expenditure included in Adult expenditure.
12.2 Includes Capital works for new Mobile
Library, Library materials and furniture.
12.4 Includes final payment for Living Library
Program - Mobile Library and Premiers
Reading Challenge Funding.
12.11 Includes Mobile Library project and furniture
purchases.
Mitchell Shire Library & Information Service
1
Provided sale of service to Macedon
Ranges Shire for the Romsey Library until
December 2009.
2
Joined SWIFT consortium in March 2010.
8.13 Reference statistics were not collected this
year
10.7 Fault with system and unable to get figure
Monash Public Library Service
4.4
Expend on Other print is Subscriptions.
Loans are captured in section 7 but not the
expend, so added it here. I had done this
to catch the spend on Serials which is
otherwise not being captured in total
expenditure.
5.25 Other Non Book expend is online
databases
6
e-book downloads and titles includes safar
and tumblebooks titles available and counts
from those sites of titles viewed.
Moonee Valley Library Service
9.2
Figures affected due to temporary
relocation of Milleara Library to portable.
Storytime was unable to continue in the
portable space from August 2009.
Moreland City Libraries
3.1
Current version of Spydus does not allow
archiving of borrowers
4.35 Expenditure on databases included in
Reference
5
LOTE AV (CD ROMs, CDs, DVDs and
Videos) have been counted in this section
and not included in sections 4.26 - 4.30
7.5-7.8Breakdown for Children and Young Adult
data not available
8.6-8.8Unable to provide age of collection data
9.7
This figure does not include involvement in
local community festivals
10.3 Number of PC bookings not recorded
10.5-10.6 Wireless service not available 2009-10
12.14 The depreciation amount of $752,340 has
not been included in the
income/contribution from Council
Mornington Peninsula Library
4
Other Print Material = Local History and
Library Management
10
Our WiFi software does not take bookings it allows for unlimited users so no bookings
necessary.
10
Website stats ourlibrary.mornpen.vic.gov.au
only and do NOT include the Online
catalogues uages"
Murrindindi Library Service
2.15 We do not record visits as two of our
service points are joint use facilities with
council services, and it is not possible to
separate visits to each service area at these
sites.
12.5 Other grants: $90,000 was received by
Murrindindi Shire Council via the Victorian
Bushfire Relief Fund to plan and deliver an
Arts and Cultural program across 10 towns
affected by the February 2009 bushfires.
Port Phillip Library Service
7
Children's and Young Adult subscriptions
included in Adult subscriptions. One budget
for LOTE, Adult and Young Adult serials.
10.7-10.8 Includes access to online catalogue
Stonnington Library & Information Service
5
LOTE AV has been included in this section.
Pedomoeters have been included in other
non-print material
7
Comics have been included in subscriptions
10
Number of wireless sessions is approximate
only & from Nov 09-Jun10 between the
hours of 8am -9pm each day. Do not
distinguish between webpage visits and
page views
12
Could not balance expenditure exactly to
the dollar amount.
Swan Hill Regional Library Service
2.3
One of the NSW branches has reduced its
opening hours by 3 hours
2.9
Figure provided for 2008/09 report was for
total fortnightly opening hours not weekly.
The Mobile Library operates on a 9 day
roster so 2009/10 total opening hours have
been averaged
3.6
Unaware this stat needed to be collected so
have used figure from another Wednesday
but figure will be fairly accurate as loans
don't vary much
4.36 Is for Local History and Archive items
7.1
Adult, children's and young adult combined
8.13 Statistics not kept in 2009/10
10
Does not include NSW branch staff as they
are paid by Wakool Council
12.4 This figure is only for depreciation of the
Mobile Library. Building not owned by
Council, furniture and equipment older than
number of years allowed for in standard
accounting depreciation formulas,
Computers depreciated and replaced
through Council's IT Department.
Upper Murray Regional Library
1.1
One less shire in NSW (Albury City Council
withdrew from regional library service)
1.2 Less population due to withdrawal
1.3 Less square kms due to withdrawal
2
Due to the withdrawal of Albury City Council
from UMRL. Two major branches Albury
and Lavington are no longer with UMRL.
3
Members file cleared, figures shown less
the Albury City Council members.
8
Collections numbers down due to
withdrawal and massive weeding of old
items.
9
Programs down in numbers due to
withdrawal of Albury City Council libraries
10
Public Access PCs numbers down due to
withdrawal. Five Victorian branches
supplied with wireless hotspots.
Wellington Shire Library
West Gippsland Regional Library Corporation
3.6
How can we supply this when not made
aware of the requirement until mid August
45
4.35
9
10.5
Includes expenditure on electronic
databases
An open day was held for our new library at
Inverloch, as well as the introduction of
story time at Mirboo North, a trial of an early
years program and the introduction of baby
rhyme time to increase our figures
dramatically.
Partial year (2 months) - Commenced
wireless service stat collection May 2010 at
6 libraries.
5.20
7
7.8
10.6
Whitehorse Manningham Regional Library
Corporation
3.6
This figure is for the date 1 September 2010
as cannot retrieve the figure retrospectively
from LMS
4.15 Includes Junior and Adult Non - Fiction
4.39 Wonga Park Loans
4.5
Does not include shelf ready costs
5.25 Electronic resources
7.4
Includes LOTE and Children’s (unable to
separate expenditure)
8.6, 8.7, 8.8 Unable to provide figures due to new
LMS March 2006
Wimmera Regional Library Corporation
1.2
Population based on 42.8% of Buloke Shire
= 3,012 + 50,050 = 53,062
2.17 Provided by Library staff & volunteers, not
Volunteers only
4.36 Unformatted Stock, 4.38 = Informatted
Discards, 4.39 = Unformatted loans
including from other Swift libraries, 4.40 =
PRC $64804 & Discretionary $9852
expenditure
5.10 No expenditure separated into CD-ROM,
the 11 acquisitions expended funds are
including in the non-fiction figure.
5.25 Expenditure on electronic resources
(databases etc)
7.14 Serial copies only, excludes newspaper
copies
11.10 Based on Income Statement (Profit/Loss
Statement)
12.12 Based on Cash Flow Statement includes
GST, excludes Adjustment for Employee
Entitlements eg. Long Service Leave, etc.
Wyndham City Library Service
3.6
Data not available for 30 June 2010 as
responsible staff member wasn't aware of
this requirement when generating the data
on 1 July 2010. Data was sourced for items
checked out on 23rd September 2010.
10.7 Google Analytics metric that we are using to
measure site visits is "unique page views"
12.10 Total expenditure includes shelf ready costs
& tender management fee for Point Cook
Library Opening Day Collection.
Yarra Libraries
4.4
Other print material is a variety of undefined
category items and ephemeral material
including interlibrary loans that can't be
allocated a cost. Expenditure in 4.5,
4.10,4.15 and 4.20 has received allocations
from the Ewing Trust.4.31 includes local
history items.
46
11.9
12.1
12.4
12.4
Includes material purchased through the
Ewing Trust. 5.25 Other non print are Light
meters that were donated by the
sustainable department of the council.
LOTE subscriptions expenditure was
slightly down due to going to tender but will
be higher in the next year's figures.
Expenditure Collections and Subscriptions,
Children and Adult: as we don't separate
costs for children's subscriptions they are
incorporated into adult figures total.
We can't provide this figure as wireless
users don't book with the current system.
Number of staff employed includes 16
casuals who work only as required.
Grant from Ewing bequest,
Computer Management and Wireless
Internet in Public Libraries Grant 2009/10.
Other depreciation costs not available.
Yarra Plenty Regional Library Service
2.10 This figure does not include visits to the
Outreach Services Vehicle, which visits 38
institutes.
2.19 These institutes are visited by the Outreach
Services Vehicle, not by Home Library
Service. Each institute is visited 16 times
per year.
3.3
Membership database cleared monthly of
inactive borrowers after two years
4.1, 4.2, 4.4 Includes paperbacks
4.3
Includes Children's & YA
4.6, 4.7, 4.9 Includes picture books, ES and
graphic novels
4.8
Included in 4.3
4.13 Includes Children's Non Fiction
4.18 Included in adult count
4.26, 4.27, 4.28 & 4.29
Includes LOTE magazines
4.31, 4.32, 4.33 & 4.34 Includes Local History
5.7-5.8 Included in total CD & DVD count
5.13 Included in total CD & DVD count
5.18 Includes CDRom, CD & DVDs
7.1
Included in print collection
7.6
Included with Adult
7.7
Included with Adult
7.10, 7.11, 7.12 Included in LOTE print
12.1 In the 2008/09 financial year the Board
received the following contributions from
municipalities that related to the 09/10
financial year: $1,186,971
Vision Australia Information Library Service
1.2
ABS 2007-8 National health survey figure
for Blindness and Other visual disturbances
or loss of vision.
3.6
Not relevant due to Burn on Demand ability
which only creates items in response to
client need.
5
Talking books includes cassette, CD and
Daisy. Other non-print material includes
Braille.
6.4
Figure includes magazines, newspapers,
podcasts and Braille music scores
downloaded.
8.6-8.8Due to transition to Burn on Demand, this
figure is not providable
Indicators
47
56
Summary of Statistics
57
60
Annual Survey Questionnaire
61