Challenges facing public libraries

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

2. Public Libraries are big business • 10.1M active borrowers - 45% of the pop. • 188M loans p.a. - 8.4 per capita • 114M visits p.a. - 5.12 per capita • 41M items in collections • 50% of collections are older than 5 years • 8,500 staff • 1,500 locations (2009/10 NSLA public library statistics)

3. The Money • $936M p.a. total expenditure ($42 per capita) • $190M (26%) increase over 5 years • Per capita growth = 16% over 5 years • $117M p.a. for collections ($5.22 per capita) • $13M (12%) increase over 5 years • Per capita growth = 3% over 5 years • $4.7M for e-resources ($0.28 per capita) (2009/10 NSLA public library statistics)

4. 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

5. 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

6. Building on collaboration Shared State-wide Library Management System • 4.6M 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