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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2184 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

Belconnen supposedly has a much larger catchment of 72,087, loans of 506,995 and visits of 306,529, about the same as Civic. There has been no break-up of the total loans figures into categories such as fiction, non-fiction, videos, talking books and so on. How can we discuss the future of certain libraries without this basic information?

I have been contacted by constituents who are very upset by the proposed removal of fiction from Civic. They either live close to Civic or work in Civic and use the library in their lunchtimes. As it is at the bus interchange, bus commuters find it very convenient. The Civic library has one of the highest rates of usage in the ACT. If we accept the catchment figure, it has the highest loans per capita and visits per capita of any ACT library branch. Although I cannot get a break-up of loans figures, librarians feel that most of the Civic borrowings are fiction. Many people will be severely disadvantaged if the fiction option is adopted and fiction goes to Dickson and Civic becomes a reference centre and multimedia centre only. I cannot imagine that the option could even have been included. My constituents feel that fiction is really the bread and butter, the staple food, of a community library service. What market research has been done to indicate the need, as suggested, for a multimedia centre and business information centre in Civic instead of the current library? Civic library is also interesting because of its proximity to the Government shopfront. Sensitive co-location of shopfronts and libraries should be explored. This has been suggested for Woden and Belconnen and could be supported if it does not mean a drop in income, a drop in support. Libraries are used to disseminate information from both the Government and community organisations. Other functions could be added. However, again this should be done without reducing library floor space, reducing service or reducing financial support.

I agree with one recommendation. Sunday opening times for libraries in the ACT are long overdue. Even small country towns like Orange have a library that is open on Sunday. People work all week, and wash, shop and play sport on Saturday. Sunday is an ideal day for some libraries to be open. But there is a threat in this report. It suggests giving a little - that is, opening on Sunday - but taking a lot by closing lots of other times. That is simply unacceptable. The suggestion to close at higher use times, which is Saturday as well, cannot be accepted. Our libraries are a fundamental part of the ACT. The community recognises that. Libraries must be enhanced, not diminished. That enhancement must be in the services provided and in the hours of availability. The Minister said that we have the best system in Australia. Minister, let it grow. Let it expand to serve the important cultural role that libraries have.

MS HORODNY (4.08): I thank Mr Wood for his very interesting speech on libraries. As Mr Whitecross has said, libraries are an essential community facility. They are important as meeting places, as places for reflection, as places where everyone in the community can have access to information and as places where people can broaden their interests or skills. Much is made of the information age and how access to information is now available to everyone. This is by no means a certainty. Certain classes of people will always have the opportunities to have more access to information than others. While much is being made of new technology such as the Internet, the fact remains that for most people access to the Internet is not a reality. While technology is a marvellous thing, it is not for all. Many people in our community feel very intimidated

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