Library proposals may prompt march

Queenstown Lakes District Council proposals regarding Wanaka Library staff have upset members of...
Queenstown Lakes District Council proposals regarding Wanaka Library staff have upset members of the Wanaka Residents' Association. Photo by Mark Price.
Members of the Wanaka Residents' Association are pledging to march in the streets, upset by a lack of public consultation over changes the Queenstown Lakes District Council is proposing to make to the town's library.

President Graham Dickson said yesterday he was concerned by suggestions of staff cuts and changes in the library's functions. He had been contacted by concerned members of the community who had offered to march down Wanaka's main street in protest, if necessary.

The Otago Daily Times reported yesterday a leaked council document proposes the Queenstown and Wanaka libraries lose a total of five of their 15.2 full-time positions and that libraries should become one-stop shops where the public can pay council bills and also borrow books.

Mr Dickson said the Wanaka Library was ''heavily used'' and issued more books than Queenstown.

''It is an important part of the social fabric of the town.''

Mr Dickson said library services were determined transparently by way of the annual plan.

''The current service levels result from this process and should not be altered without proper consultation.

''It is what the community has asked for and what it expects.

''It is difficult to see how the staff reductions proposed will not result in a reduction from the current level of service.''

Mr Dickson said any review of services should not just be about cost cutting ''which after all is best achieved by giving no service at all''.

''A review should address how to most efficiently provide the services the community wants and is prepared to pay for.''

He did not consider the Wanaka library building was designed to be a council service centre and any modification would compromise library functions.

Mr Dickson did not believe there was any ''commonality'' between council regulatory functions, which required knowledge of rules and policies, and the library function which required knowledge of books.

''Different specialised knowledge and skill are needed for each function with no overlap.

''They will be uncomfortable bedmates and result in a poorer level of service for each function if staff are expected to have a dual role.''

Council communications manager Meaghan Miller said yesterday there was no proposal to change ''either service standards, as set out in the annual plan, or to the hours or location of libraries''.

''Accordingly, no consultation has been considered appropriate.

''The entire tenor of the review is not about staff reductions but rather providing better services which properly reflect good value for money.

''The suggestion that the community does not want to have a greater number of council services provided from a single location does not appear to have any basis.''

''The stakeholder feedback to the review team was an unequivocal desire to have a wider range of council services at each office.''

Ms Miller said the Central Otago District Council was already using the ''service centre model'' and it was being ''positively embraced'' by the community.

- mark.price@odt.co.nz

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement