Public Library Funding  - a press release from the MAV:

A brighter future for libraries one step closer

4 August 2011

The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has welcomed the Victorian Government’s acknowledgement that public libraries are a vital community service that deserves protection and fairer funding.

Cr Bill McArthur, MAV President said the outpouring of community passion for local libraries in recent weeks, and the constructive and speedy response by Minister Powell had resulted in an improvement in recurrent funding while fairer long-term funding arrangements are developed.

"It’s vital that we protect the ongoing provision of diverse library services and programs that are so valued by Victorian communities and this outcome brings us one step closer.

"While the improvement in this year’s funding will not meet the full expectation of councils, from next year we will see more substantial progress in the State’s recurrent funding commitment.

"Importantly the review to be undertaken by a bipartisan Libraries Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) will include local government representation, and offers light at the end of the tunnel for councils who have been tipping in extra funding each year to offset reducing State contributions," he said.

Following negotiations with the MAV, the Victorian Government has agreed:

1. For this current year, to restore the funding difference for libraries that received less than their 2010-11 allocation. This includes upfront payments, but no indexation.
2. For next year, to provide an additional $3.1 million in recurrent funding for public libraries. This reverses two years of funding cuts and includes indexation.
3. To continue indexation in 2013-14, notwithstanding other funding improvements that may result from the MAC review, which will deliver a report in advance of the 2013-14 State Budget.

Cr McArthur said sustainable funding was critical and any future agreement from 2013-14 would be contingent upon councils, as the primary funder of public libraries, agreeing to the proposed funding deal.

"We’ll continue to seek the establishment of a formal funding partnership agreement to be signed with the MAV, similar to agreements already operating in other areas of joint responsibility, such as maternal and child health.

"At a minimum, we’d expect to see a better base allocation of recurrent State funding that recognises the role of modern libraries, plus annual indexation that ensures grants increase in line with population and core library costs such as wages, books and technology.

"We all want a brighter future for our much loved public libraries, and the negotiations have achieved a genuine review of the funding, which was never agreed to by the former Government.

"As a result of the Minister’s welcome commitments, the MAV will be urging councils to sign a new two-year funding agreement to be sent out by the Department, and to participate in the libraries review in good faith," he said.

MAV is encouraging libraries, councils and the community to keep pushing the message of how valuabale libraries are.  Comments can be posted to the facebook page:

 https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/stoplibrarycuts

 

 

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Dollars, Sense and Public Libraries - a landmark report

 

 

 

This important report was launched at Geelong City Hall on April 19th.

The research measures the value of Victorian public libraries’ contribution to the community through a cost benefit analysis and an economic impact assessment. Dollars, Sense and Public Libraries found that the benefits contributed by public libraries significantly outweigh their provisioning costs and represent a sound return on community investment.

SGS Economics & Planning was engaged to undertake the Dollars, Sense and Public Libraries study, for which it received the Planning Institute of Australia’s 2011 Social and Community Based Planning Award.

This Statewide Public Library Development Project was funded by the Library Board of Victoria and was delivered by the State Library of Victoria in collaboration with Public Libraries Victoria.

The public  report and Technical report can be accessed here.  Please click on the name of the appropriate document:

Key Findings factsheet

Public report  - summary of findings

Technical Report

Technical Report appendices