Library gets loud about funding cuts

“We want people to get out there and shout out on social media how much they love their library, and how much they support increased funding,” Sonya said. “It’s going to be ‘This is what we need’, as loud as they can make it.

“Libraries aren’t asking for a huge amount. They want sustainable funding from the government. At the moment they’re looking for a $3.5 million immediate injection of funding to ensure that next year we have at least the same level of funding we had this year.”

Ms Lange said libraries wanted the Infrastructure Grants Program, which is worth $15 million over four years to become a permanent program.

“So that we know that it’s there into the future and the amount of funding will increase as well,” she said.

Inverell Shire councillor Di Baker attended the day to speak to people and demonstrate council’s support. She described the library as our community lounge room, and said people went there for all sorts of reasons.

“These days, libraries are very interactive and not the quiet places they once were,” Cr Baker said.

“The Day of Action is very necessary. We have a funding crisis that has been growing over the years. The state government is now only supplying seven cents in the dollar to support libraries.”

Last financial year, Inverell Shire Council contributed $735,000 to the library’s upkeep, while state government invested $57,500. Cr Baker said local government was being financially squeezed in so many ways as the cost of running services always increases, but the funding does not.

“Local government has had to fill in the missing funding to support the service,” Cr Baker said. “We need the state government to realise how serious this is. Nearly 50 per cent of the population are library members, and a lot of them vote, and a lot of library lovers vote too, enough of them to change the government.”