Working group to update what's needed for libraries

Hamilton City Councillor Martin Gallagher

The future of Hamilton's libraries is up for discussion and Councillor Garry Mallett compares them with candlesticks.

Cr Mallett said more and more people want electronic books.

"It has totally changed the way that we think about achieving knowledge.

"People get very passionate about libraries, as people were about candlesticks.

"The issue for the libraries now is - and this isn't going to happen tomorrow but it will happen - as I said the candlestick makers probably thought they were sitting on a great little business, but people didn't want candlesticks, they wanted light.

"People don't particularly want libraries; they want access to literature, knowledge."

Hamilton City Council will form a working group to decide on the next steps for Hamilton's libraries, along with the location and number.

In the report presented to the council it said the plan needs to be updated to reflect trends, and is too broad, making it ineffective to assist in developing plans for the future of the libraries.

Hamilton City councillor Martin Gallagher showed his concern over the possibility of libraries being closed during the strategy and policy meeting.

"I'm supporting this motion, on the basis where I sit is I will not be supporting any notion of closing libraries," Cr Gallagher said.

"I am a strong believer in a good public library service for Hamilton; I am a very strong believer in local community libraries, such as Pukete, Braid Road Library and Hillcrest, unless there is compelling evidence to the contrary."

Cr Mallett said he hoped the working group would be open minded, and libraries have seen the change happening.

"They have seen that they are running business courses, computer courses, they are talking about putting in cafes, those are things that plenty of people in the town can do, ratepayers don't want to be subsidising those sorts of things."

The Libraries Strategic Plan "Toward 2025" was brought in in 2002, and council staff say it is now out of date.

A working group will be formed to clarify what is needed for the future of the city's libraries. It will produce a draft document to update the plan, which will be put out for public consultation mid-year.

Cr Gallagher said he hoped by the end of the working group's task the city would have a great 21st century library service.

"My hope would be a library service moving the library service for the next 10 to 20 years," he said.

"I am acutely aware that a proposed library for the North East has been put on the back burner; I think that is a critical part of building and strengthening a community.

"I think there is potential for a secondary school partnership up there that should definitely be on the table."

Cr Mallett said the cost for council to run the libraries is $8.5m per year with $5.3m of that as direct cost and $3.2m in overheads.