Library decision sparks concern

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Library decision sparks concern

MEMBERS of Save Our Mobile Library (SOML) pleaded their case to the board of the West Gippsland Regional Library Corporation (WGRLC) at its ordinary board meeting, Coal Creek Community Park and Museum, Korumburra, last Friday.
About nine members from SOML attended, with Veronica Dowman and Peter Granger putting their main grievances to the board for consideration.
They contested WGRLC’s decision to scrap mobile bus library services in the South Gippsland and Bass Coast shires due to alleged under-performance.
SOML was formerly allotted five minutes of speaking time.
Ms Dowman contested the board’s calculations to determine whether a mobile library service underperformed or not.
“When calculated on a per population basis, the South Coast Mobile library performs as well, if not better than the Baw Baw service,” she said.
Mr Granger said South Coast patrons have been misled and mistreated, with more people using the service than WGRLC said.
Mr Granger said when population was taken into consideration, he said the benchmark Baw Baw Shire, used by WGRLC as a standard for ‘fit for purpose’ operation, averaged 2.91 percent with respect to loans/hour, per 9007 head of population, compared to the combined Bass Coast and South Gippsland Shires of 4.34 percent with respect to loans/hour, per 6597 head of population.
SOML member Anne Caulfield said the board should have queried the figures.
West Gippsland Libraries CEO Leanne Williams was pleased the board accepted the recommendations to provide a suite of enhanced services to small towns in the South Gippsland and Bass Coast shires.
“The technology now exists to provide services that are more convenient for people by offering them in ways that they expect in 2018,” she said.
“For example, agency-style libraries and ‘click and collect’ points available for as many as 30 hours a week will ensure people can get the books, movies and other materials they want from our catalogue of 140,000 items in a far more convenient manner than a mobile, which only visits for an hour or two every week or fortnight.
“We are now continuing to consult with potential community partners and organisations who share our constructive commitment to providing people with better access to library services.
“We would like to thank those active users of the mobile service who responded to our survey to provide their preferred service options as well as any other feedback.”

Banding together: from left, Save Our Mobile Library members Anne Caulfield, Len Van Der Neut, Veronica Dowman and Peter Granger at West Gippsland Regional Library Corporation’s ordinary board meeting at Coal Creek Community Park and Museum, Korumburra, last Friday.

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Posted by on Dec 11 2018. Filed under Featured, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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