Imagine NSW without Public Libraries!

...You wouldn't read about it.
Public library funding has now reached crisis point in NSW.

• One in two people are public library members and use our libraries 32 million times every year.
• Our state government provides the lowest per capita funding to public libraries in Australia.
• Services most at risk are: story times, home delivery, learning English, internet access, study and meeting places, opening hours, new books and branch libraries.
• The young, old, culturally diverse and disadvantaged have the most to lose.
• In a democratic society free public libraries are everybody's right.

Protest the ever decreasing level of state government funding by joining the Public Libraries Day of Action on Thursday 29 November 2007. We are urging all Sutherland Shire Residents to sign a petition decrying the low level of State Government funding for public libraries. The petition will be available in all branch libraries all this week.

Some Background...
State Government funding for public libraries has been reduced during the past 25 years. In 1980 the State Government contributed 23.6 per cent of the total operating costs of public libraries. This contribution dwindled to 7.8 per cent in 2004-05 with a massive cut of $1,023,000 (4.16 per cent) in 2006-07.

NSW has the lowest State Government per capita contribution to public libraries of all state and territories in Australia. Since 1980 State Government contribution to public libraries has increased by three times, from $8.5m to $22.4m, while Local Government contributions have increased by a massive 10 times from $27.5m to $265m.

OK. It's your turn...
Tell us what library services you would hate to lose because we didn't have enough money in the budget to fund them. Leave a comment and let us know what you think.