Writing on the wall? Libraries spared the axe, but opening hours slashed

Three libraries facing closure in the Geelong region have been given a last-minute reprieve, but some operating hours will be slashed across the local network and the opening of a new branch delayed as economic woes deepen for the council.

Library branches in Geelong West, Highton and the coastal hamlet of Barwon Heads had been earmarked for closure by the Geelong Regional Library Corporation following a funding spat with the city council.

Friends of Barwon Heads Community Library’s Karen Firth says her library is a special place.Credit: Wayne Taylor

But late this week, the corporation announced they would stay open despite what it said was a $762,000 shortfall in the council’s 2023-24 draft budget.

The library corporation released a statement on Friday saying its chief executive Vanessa Schernickau had met with City of Greater Geelong acting chief executive Kaarina Phyland to hammer out a deal to prevent the closures.

Under the arrangement, the opening of a new library will be delayed in the growth area of Armstrong Creek until at least mid-2024. Opening hours would be cut with all branches in Greater Geelong closed on Sundays except for Geelong library, which will also be the only one open on Saturday afternoons, the corporation statement said.

Schernickau said the libraries provided valued services, but the corporation had prioritised keeping branches open.

“However, the budget shortfall that remains is still significant and your experience at your local library in the City of Greater Geelong will look different,” she said.

Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan said he was glad the corporation had collaborated with the council and found a way to keep the libraries open.

“We look forward to the [corporation] minimising service impacts on the community through the means they have available,” he said.

The City of Greater Geelong builds and funds libraries, while the library corporation is responsible for delivering the services.

The City of Greater Geelong is under severe financial strain and is preparing to slash services.Credit: Justin McManus

There are more than 20 branches across the corporation’s network covering five council areas in Victoria’s south-west, but City of Greater Geelong contributes most of its operating budget. Most of the corporation’s libraries are located in Greater Geelong.

The libraries in the other municipalities are unaffected by the latest developments.

The community in Barwon Heads had been gearing up for a campaign to keep their library open this week and a petition to save it had gathered about 850 signatures.

Karen Firth, a spokeswoman for Friends of Barwon Heads Community Library, said the branch notched up about 11,000 visits a year and should be considered an essential service.

She said the library was popular for more than just its books, with toddler story times, IT lessons for senior citizens or just staying warm in the winter.

“It’s a special place,” she said.

But Firth said she was worried about the reduction in operating hours across the library network, warning it did not bode well for the future of her branch.

“Beyond a repository for books it is a place of social connection and learning,” she said. “You don’t have to buy a coffee or play sport to walk in here.”

Bella Lloyd says the Barwon Heads community has a love of reading.Credit: Wayne Taylor

In 2017, administrators who were then running the Greater Geelong council recommended closing the Barwon Heads, Highton and Chilwell libraries. But the administrators backed down amid a fierce community backlash.

Both the library corporation and Greater Geelong are seeking feedback on their respective draft budgets.

The council is preparing to raise parking fees and waste collection charges, while putting more than 25 projects on hold including drainage upgrades and library redevelopments.

Before the library dispute, Sullivan told The Age that financial pressures were weighing heavily on the council, with inflation double the 3.5 per cent rates cap.

“We are making some hard funding decisions and looking for efficiencies in our operations so that we can protect as much as possible of the core council services the community expects of us,” he said.

Bella Lloyd, co-owner of Heads & Tales Bookstore in Barwon Heads, said her recently opened business had benefited from the library.

“Both libraries and bookstores share a common goal: to get people reading,” she said.

“I have no doubt the reason our bookstore has been so successful immediately is because our community had its love of reading nurtured.”

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