September 7, 2018 McGowan library cuts will restrict access to books and audio Students, teachers and educators will be denied access to valuable resource materials following the McGowan Government’s decision to slash the items available through the Inter Library Loan Service from September 1 Shadow Minister for Culture and the Arts Tony Krsticevic said the McGowan Government’s decision to gut the service would deny thousands of library users, especially in regional centres, local access to books, DVDs and audiotapes “This is yet another McGowan Government-imposed setback for West Australians wanting to be better educated and informed,” Mr Krsticevic said. “In 18 months, the Labor Government has announced $64 million in education cuts, with many affecting regional WA. The Government has been dragged by public opinion to a range of backflips on these cuts, now Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman needs to consider reversing this decision.” The service shares books, audio-visual materials and magazines among WA’s 232 public libraries, however the McGowan Government has removed the following items from the service: · Items with an accession date 12 months or under – this includes all categories and formats including fiction and non-fiction for both metropolitan and country libraries; · Junior items; · Young adult items; · DVDs and audio. Mr Krsticevic said the service was particularly important to regional libraries. “The City of Busselton alone generates an average of 500 inter-library loans every month,” Mr Krsticevic said. “Sight-impaired people, especially the elderly, rely heavily on access to audio material from their local library. “The Minister’s response, to tell local libraries they can simply purchase materials they cannot loan, is unrealistic and shifts the cost burden for supplying the new books and DVDs to local municipalities, which already finance 88 per cent of the State’s library services.” Mr Krsticevic said the hypocrisy of the McGowan Government was breathtaking. “In Opposition now Police Minister Michelle Roberts said the service was ‘vital’ and claimed she was ‘white hot with anger’ when the former Government proposed changes,” Mr Krsticevic said. “Her advocacy, along with that of her colleagues, for the thousands of West Australians who rely on this service, seems to have evaporated.” Media Contact |
