Geelong Regional Library Corporation Annual Report 2019/20 Report Annual Annual Report 2019/20 Geelong Regional Library Corporation This Annual Report celebrates the work and achievements of the past 12 months as informed by the Vision, Mission and Goals articulated in the Geelong Regional Library Corporation’s Strategic Plan, Reading Ahead: Library Plan 2017 to 2021. The Geelong Regional Library Corporation acknowledges Wadawurrung and Eastern Maar Original Owners of the lands on which our library services operate. We pay respect to Wadawurrung and Eastern Maar Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge and celebrate First Nations Peoples of this land as the custodians of learning, literacy, knowledge and story. Geelong Regional Library Corporation | Annual Report 2019/20 Contents 04 Our Vision, Our Mission, Our Goals 06 Message from the Chair 07 Message from the CEO 08 Chapter 1 – About Us 16 Chapter 2 – Our Coronavirus (COVID-19) response 20 Chapter 3 – Our Libraries 44 Chapter 4 – Digital Services 48 Chapter 5 – Inf ormation Services and Collections 52 Chapter 6 – Programs and Events 66 Chapter 7 – Community and Inclusion 72 Chapter 8 – Our People 86 Legislative Compliance 88 Chapter 9 – Statistical Overview 100 Financial Report 3 Our Vision A thriving regional community: • Enriched by reading • Empowered by learning • Inspired by information and ideas. Our Mission To be an exemplary library service. We will create opportunities for our community to read, learn, work and connect with each other and the world: • by delivering innovative and exemplary library services • b y facilitating equitable access to information and technology • through our library staff’s knowledge, expertise and encouragement. Geelong Regional Library Corporation | Annual Report 2019/20 Our Goals The Geelong Regional Library Corporation strives to enrich, empower and inspire the community we serve by providing library services and experiences that create opportunities for people to read, learn, work and connect with one another and the ever-changing world in which they live. During the period from 2017 to 2021, our Library Plan will guide us as we move ahead, striving to leave no community member behind. We will focus on four key goals. Goal One. Goal Three. Join up, join in Great customer experiences To deliver greater benefit to our community we Our library users rate our performance very highly. We must grow library usage and library membership. aim to do even better. The quality of the customer More readers, more loans, more library visits, more experience in our libraries and in library programs downloads, more people participating in library is directly related to the attitudes, knowledge and programs. We will reach out to and engage new library skills of our staff. We will empower and equip them users, especially those in greatest need of support, to respond to users’ needs in the most friendly, so that they can access and benefit from the many professional and expert manner possible. services we offer. Goal Four. Goal Two. Regional strength, local feel Making life better Among the state’s 47 public libraries, the Geelong Regional Library Corporation best displays the desired Everyone is welcome at the library, and the library has combination of high service levels, collections quality something to make everyone’s life better. We will: and usage delivered at average industry cost. We are • foster a love of reading in people of all ages Victoria’s leading public library service. We will strive to remain an industry and community leader. We • support development of reading and digital will build on the strength of a collaborative regional literacies – essential life skills in the modern age approach, realising opportunities for efficient and • facilitate access to authoritative trusted information sustainable service delivery, while retaining a local feel in provision of library services to meet the varying • support digital and social inclusion needs of communities across the Geelong region. • fire the imagination through thought-provoking and inspiring experiences • work with our partners to connect people with the services they need • share stories and celebrate our heritage, our many cultures and our aspirations. 5 Message from our Chair Welcome to the 2019/20 Geelong Regional Library Corporation Annual Report. It is my pleasure to report on another year – which despite highly unusual circumstances, has been one which has seen many achievements for the organisation. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created major Throughout this financial year, community engagement and disruption for the GRLC, as it has done for organisations, big planning for the new Queenscliffe Hub has progressed and we and small, around the globe. However, it has also brought into will look forward to seeing the start of development of the Hub focus just how important public libraries are to communities. – as the new home for the Queenscliff Library – during 2020/21. While our libraries were closed, our social media channels were Planning is also underway for the new Drysdale Library, another flooded with messages of support. People communicated important asset for residents of the Bellarine Peninsula. their regret at not being able to visit their local branches and expressed how much they missed their local library staff, Public libraries are important cultural institutions, and the GRLC but were highly thankful for the services we were still able to is a part of the cultural fabric of our region. During the year a deliver. video was developed which shines a spotlight on the many ways in which the GRLC creates and nurtures cultural activity. It is evident to me that libraries will play a critical role in the (You can view the video on our YouTube channel.) We have rebuilding of communities and economies post-pandemic, been very pleased to be able to host a number of fabulous and such is the importance of the services they offer, as well as diverse exhibitions at the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre this in their capacity as community hubs and spaces for social year, as well as in our community branches, which have drawn connection. high levels of interest from the community and local media. Many Victorian artists and creators have suffered a significant During 2019/20, we undertook a review of library branch opening blow during the pandemic, and the GRLC takes seriously its role hours across our network, with the aim of ensuring that in providing a platform for artists, authors and creators to share opening hours best and most equitably respond to the needs their work and their vision as we transition out of the pandemic. of the community. As part of the project, a comprehensive community engagement exercise was undertaken, with The GRLC participated in the state-wide Annual Survey of Public high levels of engagement resulting in very useful feedback Libraries in 2019 and I am pleased to report that, for the sixth which helped shape the final plan. The new opening hours year in a row, we achieved number one ranking across the were implemented in July 2020, and the changes are a great 10 key performance benchmarks. I believe this great result outcome for local people. is testament to the commitment of the entire GRLC team to deliver a service which is second to none, and I would like to GRLC Member Councils continue to show their commitment thank the CEO, the staff and the volunteers for their hard work to investing in library infrastructure, with a number of this year. refurbishments undertaken in branches across the network during the year. Refurbishments were completed at Belmont, I would also like to acknowledge and thank my fellow Board Waurn Ponds and Highton, much to the delight of their members and our Member Councils for the important role they respective local communities. The City of Greater Geelong play in the success of the Corporation. was able to take advantage of library closures during Stage 3 restrictions in May to undertake further work at Newcomb, Cr Ron Nelson Belmont, Corio and Geelong West libraries. Chair Geelong Regional Library Corporation | Annual Report 2019/20 Message from our CEO As I reflect on the past 12 months, it is rather difficult to think back to a time ‘pre-COVID,’ given the extent to which the virus has impacted on our lives and our work. Yet the 2019/20 year was one which featured many successes for the Geelong Regional Library Corporation – both despite of, and indeed because of, the pandemic. Like organisations around the world, the GRLC has been In September 2019 we were proud to host a polling station for impacted heavily by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria election at the Geelong significant disruption to our service, operations and financial Library & Heritage Centre. The role of the people elected to the position. I’m very proud of our staff who quickly adapted and Assembly is one of great importance, and we will be interested successfully moved a number of programs and services online to see their progress as they work towards the development of while our libraries were closed. Our eCollections were in high Australia’s first Treaty. demand during this period, and it was one of many silver linings to see people in our community discover and explore our digital On 16 November 2019, the Geelong Heritage Centre celebrated th services and eCollections for the first time. its 40 anniversary, marking four decades since the original Geelong Historical Records Centre was opened to the public in During 2019/20, we continued our active participation in the 1979 on the site where the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre state-wide Libraries Change Lives campaign, a joint initiative of now stands. Our Heritage Centre is a wonderful resource for State Library Victoria and Public Libraries Victoria.