Challenges facing public libraries 1 challenges and issues

Challenges facing public libraries 1. …challenges and issues of collection management in public libraries… 2. …issues associated with the outsourcing of acquisitions and cataloguing… 3. …whole-of-state arrangements for South Australian public libraries, and any thoughts on the future of this collaboration.

Public Libraries are big business 10. 1 M active borrowers - 45% of the pop. 188 M loans p. a. - 8. 4 per capita 114 M visits p. a. - 5. 12 per capita 41 M items in collections 50% of collections are older than 5 years 8, 500 staff 1, 500 locations (2009/10 NSLA public library statistics)

The Money $936 M p. a. total expenditure ($42 per capita) $190 M (26%) increase over 5 years Per capita growth = 16% over 5 years $117 M p. a. for collections ($5. 22 per capita) $13 M (12%) increase over 5 years Per capita growth = 3% over 5 years $4. 7 M for e-resources ($0. 28 per capita) (2009/10 NSLA public library statistics)

Collection Management in Public Libraries Risks & challenges Historic models barely apply All things to all people Static collections budgets Plethora of media Moving away from physical objects Rapid changes in “publishing” Community expectations

Outsourcing & collaboration… The South Australian model Central acquisitions (not selection) Union catalogue & automated ILL Cataloguing & end processing State-wide courier Free public Internet & wireless access State-wide collections Databases

Building on collaboration Shared State-wide Library Management System 4. 6 M items Single card Reserve anything Borrow & return anywhere Local autonomy 51% of the State online by Sept 2012 RFID interoperability specification New e-procurement model within 2 years