Tauranga is not the first city to contemplate funding the public library through the introduction of charges. National and international experience over the last 20 years show library funding is not resolved by the quick fix of adding user charges.
Through their ease of access, extensive resources, and affordability, Tauranga public libraries have engaged, inspired, and informed citizens, building a strong community. The current proposals will destroy what has been achieved, and waste valuable funds already invested.
The proposals are:
1) charging an initial fee of $0.50 per item for all adult fiction, non-fiction, large print, and audio books from 1 June 2010
2) purchasing fewer items and reducing the collection to well below industry recommendations (by 30,000 items 2010 / 2011)
3) taking shortcuts in capital expenditure including maintenance, and
4) slashing wage bill whilst increasing volunteer hours.
These proposals make a mockery of the benefits of public libraries and directly conflict with ‘Public Libraries of New Zealand: A Strategic Framework 2006-2016', developed and supported by the National Library, Local Government, and public libraries.
In this decade of literacy UNESCO's recommends 'The public library shall in principle be free of charge.”
Tauranga citizens need to work together to provide the library services necessary to take our community dynamically into the 21st Century. To do this we all need to submit our opposition to these random proposals. The best way of doing this is by joining the Raging Readers ‘Save Our Library” campaign on [email protected].
Kate Clark, Pyes Pa.