A decision to close three libraries in Greater Geelong due to budget cuts is attracting criticism, media attention and a warning from the council that it would consider taking back operation of library services.
The Geelong Regional Libraries Corporation (GRLC) last week announced that three of its 19 libraries would be closed and the operating hours of the remaining libraries reduced, due a funding shortfall from the council.
According to the ABC, GRLC will move one library to an unstaffed model and review services to identify further savings in the coming financial year.
GRLC CRO Vanessa Schernickau told the ABC there had been no process leading to the funding decision and board member Owen Sharkey said the funding shortfall was one of the most unstrategic decisions he’d seen.
Geelong MP Christine Couzens, who has been a vocal critic of the council in recent months, said it was a totally unacceptable situation and an absolute disgrace.
The council’s Acting CEO Kaarina Phyland hit back at the criticism on the weekend, releasing a statement in which she said the council requested no libraries be closed, and had asked that GRLC tighten its belt through other options that it had chosen not to take up.
She said the council would consider taking library services in-house if GRLC cannot find a way to operate all Geelong libraries with the funding available.
Source: ABC News; City of Greater Geelong