Brimbank City Council has adopted a new five-year Library Strategy to guide and prioritise service planning and delivery across Brimbank’s library network to meet the changing needs of the community.
Brimbank Mayor, Cr Georgina Papafotiou said the Library Strategy 2020-2025 articulates Council’s role and sets the strategic directions and priority areas at Brimbank libraries for the next five years.
‘The Library Strategy, which is supported by the Strategic Framework for Library Collections, addresses the challenges facing libraries now and into the future. It includes the planning and development of library services, programs, collections, community engagement and online services.
‘It recognises that the role of public libraries continues to change as community needs shift with social trends and rapid technological advancements, and Brimbank libraries need to be flexible and responsive to meet these changing needs.
‘Our library network plays a critical role in supporting the community through fostering learning into the future and contributes to improving the educational, social and health outcomes of the community.
‘We provide cultural and educational programs that help empower individuals and our libraries also facilitate community cohesion, reduce isolation and contribute to pride of place,’ Cr Papafotiou said.
The Library Strategy underpins five directions which were identified as key elements during the consultation phase with community and internal stakeholders:
- Places and Belonging
- Learning Community
- Future Focussed
- Lifelong Readers
- We are Accountable
These strategic directions will enable Council to continue to provide library resources, services and programs that meet the needs of communities under all situations, including the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally these elements support the role of the library in strengthening and building communities, and create opportunities for community participation going forward.
The Library Strategy, is presented in two parts: (1) An outline of the longer term vision and strategic directions for library services across the City of Brimbank and (2) An Action Plan with a set of specific, targeted and measurable initiatives that will be implemented each year.
