NORTH Arm Cove library members were sent a letter from the Great Lakes Library Service on February 1, advising them that Great Lakes Council is reviewing its provision of Library Services to North Arm Cove.
In the letter it stated that the following factors have been the catalysts for the review:
z Declining levels of usage of the North Arm Cove Service Point;
z The financial commitment of providing such a small service;
z Availability of access to community transport to Tea Gardens; and
z Usage of the Tea Gardens Branch Library by North Arm Cove residents.
Great Lakes Council are giving North Arm Cove residents an opportunity to have input into the future provision of library services to their area.
Great Lakes Library Services sent out in excess of 400 surveys in the mail recently, which gave community members the opportunity to have such input. The survey forms need to be completed and dropped in to North Arm Cove Library Service Point, Tea Gardens Branch Library, or the Tea Gardens District Office by March 6. A public meeting is also being held in the North Arm Cove Community Centre at 5.30pm on Thursday, March 23.
Great Lakes Council's Manager of Library Services, Chris Jones, said he will be present at this meeting and is expecting the Director of Corporate and Community Services as well. "All councillors have been invited to attend but I cannot say at this stage who will be present for certain," he said.
Residents are encouraged to complete the survey and attend this meeting.
"The whole purpose of both the community survey and community consultation is to get the feedback necessary to make decisions regarding the library," explained Mr Jones.
Mr Jones assured that at this stage the issue of closure is completely up in the air.
North Arm Cove Library Coordinator, Elizabeth Hillman, has worked at the library for the past five years and said it would be very sad to see it go.
She predicts that a large crowd will attend this public meeting. "I have had quite a few people ringing me up very upset about the implications of the letter and survey, as they don't want to lose their local library," she said.
Ms Hillman called a meeting on Saturday, February 18, for North Arm Cove residents to discuss the libraries position, and she is also encouraging people to write their concerns to council.
Mr Jones stated that library loans at the North Arm Cove Service Point have dropped 28 per cent since the year 2000, and said that the number of North Arm Cove residents using the Tea Gardens Library instead is growing strongly.
"There has been over a threefold increase in the number of items being borrowed at Tea Gardens by Cove residents," he said.
He explained that Tea Gardens Library has a lot more to offer compared to the North Arm Cove Library.
"They have five times the stock levels (almost 10,000 items), DVDs, CDs, Play station games, magazines and Internet, long with other services," explained Mr Jones.
Ms Hillman believes it is mostly the large population of holidaymakers that frequent North Arm Cove who are using the Tea Gardens Library.
"Many of these holidaymakers are members of our library, but because they head off to Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest to see the sights, they may use the Tea Gardens Library while they are there. Residents may pop in to Tea Gardens to pick up a DVD or to use the Internet, but they still need their local library," said Ms Hillman.
She went on to explain that a large number of Cove residents are seniors and need their local library as quite a few are compromised with health or age related problems.
"Some seniors are not driving anymore, others have no car, their eyesight isn't what it used to be, or they are impaired in some other way. The other major point is that many residents (all ages) are concerned about the dangers of negotiating four entry and exits to and from the Pacific Highway on each trip to the library. And with the dual carriageway imminent and no overpass, it will be even worse," she continued.
Ms Hillman explained that just because the computer shows people aren't borrowing, doesn't mean that they are not using the facilities their library offers.
"We have a fax machine and a photocopier at the library which is very beneficial for the unemployed in the Cove who are seeking employment, as they can copy and fax resumes and job applications. If they were forced to go to Tea Gardens all the time it would be very expensive fuel wise, especially if you are unemployed," she said.
"People here love their library, they don't just use it to borrow books, they come to read the council minutes, the library notice board which informs on local issues and events in the area, and they also come to sit and browse through books and magazines," added Ms Hillman.
In order to assist North Arm Cove residents with transportation issues, a community bus runs to the Cove every alternate Wednesday, with Neighbour Aid. People can use this run but it's not specifically a library one. There is also a run every Friday to the Community Centre at Hawks Nest.
"There is the potential for Community Transport to run a specific library run every alternate Wednesday (opposite to the Neighbour Aid run)," said Mr Jones. "This is still to be implemented but is quite feasible," he said.
Mr Jones said another idea to assist the elderly or people with transportation issues is to incorporate a home delivery library service. "The last thing I would want to happen would be isolation of people in the Cove who had transportation issues," he said.
Ms Hillman said many residents from North Arm Cove have done a lot for their country and their community over the years and they do not deserve to have their library service taken away from them.
North Arm Cove Library Volunteer, Sandy Chappelow, agrees that if the library were to go it would be a sad loss to the Cove.
"I've enjoyed my time volunteering at the library for the past year, along with the other dozen volunteers we have here," she said.
"Since the survey and letter was sent out, we have had so many people wanting to come in and join the library because they don't want to lose it now that it could be a possibility," explained Ms Chappelow.
"All we have at the Cove is a small Community Centre and the library. There is no pool, no sporting fields and no other leisure activities taking place, so to take the library from us is not right, there would be nothing left," she said.
The North Arm Cove Library has been in existence since 1991, (15 years).
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