Library Funding

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (15:33): The written word is something for which many of us have a deep love. Whether we employ it to text a loved one, to pen a poem, to write an essay, to read a novel or, indeed, to type up legislation amended in this place, the written word is a thing to behold. Its power is immense. It is the way we convey our opinions, our dreams, our questions and our emotions. The written word has started wars and indeed it has ended them. Whether it is in English or any other language, the written word is indeed a beautiful thing.

For many of us, our respect and love for the written word, and indeed our innate thirst for knowledge, probably began at a library. It may have even started at the toy library with our very first baby books, and little by little with each book that we borrowed as a child, then a teen, then a student, then into adulthood, we realised the power of words and books and stories and libraries.

It is little wonder then that I have received dozens of beautifully written letters in recent weeks about local libraries and the threat libraries are now facing under this Liberal government. The letters I have received articulate the passion that my community feels for its public libraries, and I have enjoyed hearing about the very special experiences and connections that my constituents have had through our libraries. Mia of Clarence Gardens wrote a charming letter to me. She says:

My two daughters and I have visited the library almost every week of their lives. They are avid readers…the library has always been a welcoming and inclusive space…allowing them to access diversity in their reading interests.

She went on to compliment the staff at Mitcham Library, saying they go above and beyond with a welcoming smile, especially during COVID when the family was homeschooling, and also in sourcing rare books in the Babysitters Club series for her tween, a series that I used to read myself when I was 11 or 12 years old. I do wonder what Kristy, Mallory, Anne-Marie and Claudia are up to these days. Pauline of Glandore wrote to me, saying.

Community means sharing—giving and receiving knowledge, but more importantly companionship and hope.

She described how the Hamra Library in the City of West Torrens benefits her wellbeing. She is a volunteer and teaches English to migrants there. She has also learned how to use computers and loves seeing the mothers and babies group reading and singing together.

Cate of Clarence Park tells me that, as a retiree with a limited income, she uses her local library to continue her education and connect with the community. She is particularly grateful for the One Card system, which is now under threat, she says, under this government. Peter from Clarence Park wrote:

I am 75…and I have loved libraries all my life, even more so [now] today as we have no internet. Give us a break! There is little enough for the community to use without…payment. Please reconsider the impact of cuts in this area.

Iris of Black Forest wrote to me, ‘Libraries are about so much more than just books.’ I agree wholeheartedly, though, of course, as a former journalist I hardly need convincing. Writing and reading was my trade for so many years and one that I owe to an early love of reading instilled in me at public libraries. My family certainly did not have the means to quench my rather insatiable appetite for books as a youngster and, even if they did, the fact that we were moving around the country quite a bit would have meant we could not actually bring all the books with us.

People in Badcoe are concerned about the outcome of the current funding agreement being negotiated by the government with the Local Government Association and, considering the cuts we have seen across government and the privatisation of services, such as our public transport operations, I can understand why they are worried.

A few fast facts: there are more than 130 libraries in this state and there are more than 9.7 million visits annually, supported by over 20 million online library visits each year. The Value of Libraries study by the LGA last year found that more than 50 per cent of us are library members, including me, and also that for every dollar invested in public libraries $2.80 in benefits are generated.

I would like to thank every one of my constituents who are fighting the good fight for our libraries, and I would like to thank the incredibly passionate people who work in our libraries and who cultivate in each of us a similar love for literacy. I would like to thank the LGA for its campaign to ensure ongoing sustainable funding for our libraries. I am with you in this fight, and I will do all I can to ensure proper funding and a long and prosperous future for our libraries so that future generations develop the same adoration for the written word as me.