2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT | PAGE THE LIBRARY BOARD OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA 1 Annual Report 2019–2020 of the Library Board of Western Australia 68th Annual Report of the Board Annual Report 2019–2020 Statement of Compliance of the Library Board of Western Australia The State Library of Western Australia Annual Report 2019–2020 of the Library Board of Western Australia 68th Annual Report of the Board 68th Annual Report of the Board To Hon. David Templeman MLA R State Library staff member and a patron in Minister for Culture and the Arts the Foyer of the State Library building, March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound In accordance with Section 61 of the Financial Perth Cultural Centre effect on all Western Australians, especially Management Act 2006, and in fulfillment of 25 Francis Street those that do not have access to a computer Perth Western Australia 6000 obligations imposed on the Board by the Library or the Internet at home. While the State Library Board of Western Australia Act 1951, we hereby was closed to the general public, a service was CONTACT US submit for your information and presentation to made available for those in the community that tel (08) 9427 3111 Parliament the Annual Report of the Library Board did not have access so that they could engage tel 1800 198 107 (WA country callers) of Western Australia for the year ended 30 June 2020. with government service and support providers, fax (08) 9427 3256 email [email protected] seek employment and stay in touch with family This Report has been prepared in accordance with and friends. the provisions of the Financial Management Act slwa.wa.gov.au 2006 and Treasurer’s Instructions 903. This annual report can be made available in other formats on request. It may be copied in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes @statelibrarywa provided that the State Library is appropriately @slwastorylines acknowledged. Annual reports for previous years Hon. John Day @betterbeginningsslwa may be found at s slwa.wa.gov.au Chairman The State Library of Western Australia Library Board of Western Australia HOURS OF OPENING acknowledges the traditional owners of 3 September 2020 Monday to Thursday 9:00am–8:00pm Country throughout Western Australia and their Friday 9:00am–5:30pm continuing connection to land and culture. We Saturday and Sunday 10:00am–5:30pm pay our respects to Elders past, present and Public Holidays Closed emerging. The Library is honoured to be located on Whadjuk Country, the ancestral lands of the Anne Banks-McAllister AM Noongar people. Vice Chairman Aboriginal and Torres Strait readers are advised Library Board of Western Australia that this document may contain images of 3 September 2020 deceased people. 2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT | PAGE THE LIBRARY BOARD OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA 1 Contents SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................ 2 Government policy requirements .............................................44 Chairman’s report ............................................................ 2 SECTION 6: FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ......................................46 Chief Executive Officer’s report ................................................ 3 Financial statements ........................................................46 Executive summary .......................................................... 5 SECTION 7: KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ..............................84 SECTION 2: OVERVIEW .....................................................10 Key Performance Indicators ..................................................84 Enabling legislation .........................................................10 SECTION 8: APPENDICES ..................................................88 Responsible Minister ........................................................10 Staff members ..............................................................89 Library Board of Western Australia ............................................10 Partners and collaborators ...................................................91 Board Committees ..........................................................13 Volunteers ..................................................................92 Agency operational structure .................................................13 Service delivery .............................................................93 Organisational chart .........................................................14 Stock ......................................................................94 Performance management framework ........................................16 Shared responsibilities with other agencies ....................................17 SECTION 3: AGENCY PERFORMANCE ......................................18 A State Library for everyone ..................................................18 A State Library that embraces digital transformation ............................30 A State Library that builds skills for the future ..................................33 SECTION 4: SIGNIFICANT ISSUES IMPACTING THE AGENCY ................40 SECTION 5: DISCLOSURES AND LEGAL COMPLIANCE ......................41 Ministerial directives ........................................................41 Other financial disclosures ...................................................41 Governance disclosures .....................................................42 Other legal requirements ....................................................42 2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT | PAGE THE LIBRARY BOARD OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA 2 SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION Chairman’s report I am delighted to be presenting my second annual report as the Chairman of the Library Board of Western Australia. This reporting period has been unlike any we have witnessed, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting our lives in many ways. Under the declared State of Emergency, all libraries in Western Australia, including the State Library and the 233 public libraries throughout the State, had to close from noon on 23 March 2020. Due to the vision and creativity of were supported by digitisation of Friends of Battye Library Inc. have interest in, and support of the Library, our dedicated staff, this did not stop collection items on request which been recognised for their continued my Library Board colleagues, CEO our engagement with the Western were made available online (within outstanding support of the State and State Librarian Margaret Allen, Australian community. copyright legislation). Library and the State Records Office volunteers and, as I have mentioned, in the collection, preservation and our dedicated staff. Significantly, within the first few weeks What became abundantly clear over making access available to Western of closing on 23 March 2020, more the 56 days that our State Library Our State Library of Western Australia Australian materials. It is an honour than 4,000 new members signed up was closed, is that many Western is your library and I urge you to enjoy to recognise the work of past and to the State Library and access to our Australians reached out to us for all that it offers. present Friends who have supported online resources soared. support, information and recreation – our community since their inception demonstrating our immense value to To ensure strong community in 1981. the community. connections continued, our Library I also take this opportunity to launched Better Beginnings at Home On behalf of the Library Board, I acknowledge Sonja Heath for her and distributed more than 2,000 would like to say how proud we are of contribution to the Board from 2012, Mystery Boxes to encourage reading our State Library staff, their positive Hon. John Day until her term expired in 2019. At the during self isolation. Our Library also attitude, innovation and flexibility Chairman of the Library Board of same time, I have great pleasure in moved quickly to offer a safe and during such a challenging time. Western Australia welcoming three new Board members accessible Internet service, albeit The Library Board was delighted with – Yvonne Loveland, Wayne Scheggia limited, for vulnerable members of our the appointment of a new Fellow and Paul Nielsen. community who might not otherwise of the Library Board of Western have had access to essential online My thanks also to the Minister for Australia. This year, instead of being government services and support. Culture and the Arts, Hon. David awarded to an individual person, the Researchers and family historians Templeman MLA, for his continued 2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT | PAGE THE LIBRARY BOARD OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA 3 SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION Chief Executive Officer’s report It is hard not to dwell on the impact of COVID-19 focus on Western Australian writers for patrons who had no other access when considering our last 12 months, but before and their works. to the Internet from 30 March 2020. this overwhelmed us all, the State Library had been At noon on Monday 23 March 2020, The service was staffed by a single progressing a range of important projects. the Library was closed under the staff member and security between We made significant progress on the WA Public Libraries declared State of Emergency in 9:00am and 5:00pm weekdays, Strategy with the finalisation of the new model of support response to the emerging COVID-19 providing access to computers, for public libraries and the change to ownership and pandemic. This was the first time the printing and online services. A limit of responsibility for public library materials. State Library had closed its doors four people