Frankston City Libraries the ultimate community connector
Published on 09 April 2021
The State Member for Carrum, Sonya Kilkenny MP, has joined Frankston City Deputy Mayor Nathan Conroy at Carrum Downs Library to check out the awesome activities on offer and talk to staff about the great range of services.
Ms Kilkenny’s recent visit comes ahead of the upcoming Victorian State Budget 2021 - 22.
Cr Conroy said our public libraries deliver great support and resources to aid the community to recovery from the broad impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said libraries demonstrated agility and creativity over the past 12 months, adding: “At the onset of the pandemic, Frankston City Libraries immediately pivoted services online to ensure they stayed connected and engaged with our Frankston City community.
“This included ramping up the Home Library Service, delivering virtual school holiday programs and attracting big names for author talks thanks to being one of the first libraries to switch to online events.
“We also got rid of library late fines as part of Council’s package of support for the community, during the height of the pandemic. Around 21 per cent of our community had fines on their library membership which discouraged use of the library and we know the library was a great source of comfort to many people over the past year,” Cr Conroy said.
Frankston City Libraries Manager, Tammy Beauchamp said: “Libraries across Victoria attracted 20,000 new members during the first eight weeks of lockdown.
“Libraries built on what we have always done – working closely with all residents looking for support including older Victorians, those looking for work, students (particularly international students), isolated and lonely people, disengaged young people, culturally and linguistically diverse Victorians, and those experiencing homelessness and mental health issues.
“This support goes beyond offering a welcoming space with free internet access and a diverse collection. Libraries offer access to critical skill and community-building services that make our society stronger, more engaged and resilient. There has never been a more crucial time to fund public libraries,” Ms Beauchamp said.
The sector has put forward the following additional investment priorities for consideration as part of the upcoming State Budget:
- an additional $10 million investment from the State Government in the recurrent Public Libraries Funding Program across Victoria to enhance on the ground support to community over the next four years;
- an accompanying commitment to a 2.5 per cent uplift to the Program’s new base each subsequent year over the forward estimates.
It is estimated this funding will support the creation of an additional 90 direct full time jobs in public libraries across Victoria and enable the delivery of a wider set of programs to meet the demonstrated community need.
Frankston City, along with public libraries across the state, welcomed the Victorian Government’s $11.1 million investment into the Living Libraries Infrastructure Program, funded in last year’s State Budget, which will see new libraries built and existing facilities extended or refurbished to give more Victorians a free, safe space to learn, create and belong.