A second battle to save Barwon Heads Library from permanent closure has begun, just five years after people power won the day.
The library was slated for closure, along with libraries at Highton and Chilwell, in 2018, but a public backlash resulted in council reversing its decision, allowing it to stay in operation.
However, Geelong Regional Library Corporation (GRLC) said it could close Barwon Heads, Geelong West and Highton libraries by September this year after the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) suggested it find $1.118 million in response to its draft budget.
GRLC said it asked for a two percent increase to funding in council’s draft budget, and while that has been met, it does not include funds to operate two new libraries – Boronggook Drysdale Library (opened April 2023) and Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library (opening 2024) – leaving a gap in GRLC funding of $1.118 million in 2023-24.
In order to find the extra $1.118 million, GRLC said it may close Barwon Heads, Geelong West and Highton libraries, transition Chilwell Library to an
unstaffed model and Corio and Boronggook Drysdale libraries would close on Sundays, while eight local libraries would close earlier on Saturdays.
Friends of Barwon Heads Library’s Karen Firth said the group was optimistic that their library would stay open.
“It’s completely different this time,” she said.
“It hasn’t come out of a service model review, this is a funding issue so it’s completely different.
“I don’t see the library closing, but the money needs to arrive and I think it will.
“I think the two CEOs need to sort it out and work it out and I think they will.”
Ms Firth said a study revealed for every dollar spent on the library, it gets $4.30 back and was “money well spent”.
She said the library, which is open for 16 hours per week, had 11,000 visits per year.
“The councillors don’t want to close it, Geelong Regional Libraries don’t want to close it, but here we are,” she said.
“We got brand new bookshelves literally last week – the irony of it.”
Ms Firth urged people to sign the petition to save the library at change.org/p/save-the-barwon-heads-community-library.
Ms Firth said she didn’t want the library to fall out of GRLC’s hands and into the hands of council, which was a solution being mooted. She said the relationship between the library and GRLC was positive.
GRLC chief executive Vanessa Schernickau said closing the libraries is the “last thing we want to do”.
“But with the COGG draft budget as it stands we have been left with no choice,” she said.
“A funding shortfall of this size cannot be found by reducing programs or events, or small modifications to our operating models.”
CoGG said it did not support the closure of any library and that GRLC “has options that they are choosing not to take up”.
“We are in the process of assisting the GRLC to identify where they can make savings in senior roles and back office roles to align to an organisation of their size, as well as savings in other discretionary operating costs,” it said in a statement.
“The City has previously supplied payroll, finance and other back office services to the GRLC but the Corporation has chosen to take these responsibilities in house, adding to their overheads.
“We will consider taking library services in-house if the GRLC cannot find a way to operate all of Geelong’s libraries with the funding available.”
