Library Funding Review Welcomed

April 24, 2008:  Bega Valley Shire Council’s acting library manager Ros Raward has welcomed the findings of a strategic review examining public library funding in NSW.

The review, by former Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal chair Dr Tom Parry, was commissioned by the Arts Minister, Frank Sartor, to help ensure Government funding was distributed in the most effective way.

Ms Raward said the report recommended a new State funding distribution arrangement under which councils would continue to receive the State Government per-capita subsidy and the balance of funding would then be distributed in the form of access and strategic grants - for which clear, new criteria would be developed.

"This new formula will maintain budget certainty by ensuring per capita subsidy arrangements stay the same," Ms Raward said.

"It is satisfying to see that an independent authority recognises the value-adding public libraries achieves for regional areas," she said.

"Dr Parry’s Report summarises the contribution by public libraries to NSW as:

• Community social hubs – making available areas for community interaction for all ages;

• Delivering electronic Government services to people without private internet access;

• Delivering State Plan objectives; and

• Delivering benefits across Government portfolios, benefits that lead to savings in different areas of government expenditure.

Ms Raward said the while the report did not change the funding pool available it did propose a new funding formula that included retention of a per capita subsidy.

She said it was a positive report that endorsed the value of public libraries.

For a copy of the report of the Review of Public Library Funding, go to www.arts.nsw.gov.au