WA libraries warn services helping a surge in cost-of-living demand could be limited due to funding woes

WA councils have warned that library services could soon be limited as funding fails to kept pace with demand — as the cost-of-living crisis drives more people to use public resources. Libraries are now a far cry from being merely a book-lending service, synonymous with hushed silence. Now they deliver workshops, house video conferencing rooms, offer 3D printing, virtual reality headsets and eBooks. Most no longer even charge late fees on returns. Such is the array of things on offer that WA libraries now contend with roughly 145,000 visits a week. But WA Local Government Association president Karen Chappel said funding gaps meant it was getting harder for librarians to keep up — who were increasingly forced to do more with less. “Public libraries are changing to meet the growing and diverse needs of our community,” she said. “No longer just about books, libraries are places where people gather, share knowledge, and feel connected. In a cost-of-living crisis, the community need for libraries is clearly evident.” She claims that WA lags, per capita, behind much of the other States in spending on its 233 public libraries, with a total $30 million funding gap. Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said staff in the port city’s library were among those feeling the budget strain, in the face of growing demand. “Pre-COVID, we had 108,000 people using our library. Now, we’ve got 250,000 using our library and our funding has actually gone backwards during that time,” she said. This has been exacerbated by people using libraries as a free work space post-COVID, after employees got used to working from home. Another drawcard has been the rise in outreach support services, which are mostly hosted weekly and targeted at connecting vulnerable residents, like the homeless or domestic violence victims. Early childhood programs have also hit a yearly attendance high of 274,977, and forecasts for next year tip this figure to double. “Libraries have always been important. They’re critical social infrastructure,” Ms Fitzhardinge said. “But I think with the cost-of-living crisis, they become even more critical because it is a free place that anyone can come to. “It can provide avenues to learning, support, services, and enjoyment. It’s also temperature regulated, so air-conditioned in summer. “In a time when more and more people are experiencing poverty, things like books are going to go straight out the off the shopping list.” Avid reader Megan Scott, a former STEM teacher in New York before calling Fremantle home, said access to technology and interactive learning at libraries was important to assist families who might not have equal access to resources at home. “I read a lot, so I visit libraries for general services related to reading but I think the devices on offer is great, especially for teens and kids,” she said. “I’ve been a teacher in the past, so I think that there’s a lot to say for the resources that can be provided that are free.” In the most recently reported figures there were more than 1180 recorded uses of library devices like laser cutters, sewing machines, podcasting equipment, recording equipment, green screens and gaming devices. “I think Fremantle is uniquely spaced and we’ve got a lot on offer, like VR headsets, a 3D printer, 3D scanner and a Minecraft server, in addition to the books, programs we run and all the other classic library things,” Fremantle librarian John Geijsman said. It’s part of a digital shift being witnessed in most State libraries, with readers also turning to digital books, magazines, newspapers and audiobooks in droves— up 30 per cent across most local governments. But it all comes with a growing cost for councils. Library resources are typically funded through the State Government, however, councils contribute $3 million in additional funds for print resources and $1.4 million for e-resources to help met demand. They cover the cost of loaning electronic editions, which typically expire after a year and often require re-purchasing. The average cost per e-book is $26.15 while audiobooks set them back $80.38. Physical copies are still loaned in huge numbers, with 11 million items borrowed in the last reporting year with an average three-week loan period. Ms Chappel said WALGA was advocating for greater financial support to ensure growing costs didn’t prevent libraries from keeping up with technological advances. “In the 10 years to 2022-23, State Government funding for public libraries has increased by just 4 per cent, while WA’s population has grown by 15pc, and inflation by 28pc,” she said.