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A new chapter

15/11/2018

13 Comments

 
Picture
Farewelling our much loved mobile library is a wrench, writes Cr Geoff Ellis, but there has to be a better way to deliver library services to our small communities.

By Geoff Ellis
 
THE sight of our mobile library on the Bass Highway raises a proud smile. It sends a message as it rolls into town, swings into its parking place and is tethered to its power supply. Its doors open, full of promise and connection – a social contract enshrined in our service agreement.
 
As the dust settles and that stairway is deployed, however, some things need to be reconciled.
 
First, the untiring librarian behind wheel spends much more time driving than actually helping our patrons.
 
Second, the prime mover breaks down with increasing frequency. The trailer has structural damage. Leaks threaten the collection. A new truck and trailer would cost over a million dollars. Effective repair would require a total rebuild, probably even more expensive.
 
Third, many of our current patrons have trouble getting up the mobile’s steps. One person I know had to wait outside in the car while their carer fetched books. Wheelchair access? There's a rarely used lift.  As chairperson of council’s access and inclusion advisory committee, I believe everyone deserves equitable and amenable access.
 
Last month the West Gippsland Regional Library Corporation announced plans to talk to users of the mobile library about how we can evolve a range of library facilities in the Waterline community prior to retirement of the South Coast Mobile truck and trailer by the end of June 2019.  
 
There was a swift response. As Joy Button wrote in Reading the riot act (November 2, 2018), campaigns are under way to preserve the current service.
 
On November 2, a number of library users from Grantville, Coronet Bay and Tenby Point attended the WGRLC board meeting in Cowes. They told us how important the service is to their communities. One person even travelled from Trafalgar – a journey of over 200km in one day – to share his knowledge and passion. That’s just one measure of how much our service matters.
 
Questions asked at the meeting, and the answers provided, are available on the WGRLC website and will be included in the public record of that meeting. The WGRLC agreement guarantees continuation of the service well beyond that date and there will be no break in continuity.
 
When people refer to our data as propaganda we realise there is more openness required. We want people to know where we are coming from with this. Our WGRLC four year plan commits us to provide library services across our region. To provide insight into our process up to this point, we released the previously ‘in camera’ service report that informed our decision, to the public at that November meeting.
 
In Bass Coast, our mobile library visits Grantville, Corinella, Coronet Bay, Kilcunda and San Remo. Just 252 people solely used the mobile for their library services last year. Another group of people use the mobile in concert with a static library and the total number of users is a small percentage of our total membership.
 
In discussion of our service, I can cite facts and figures but in many cases it’s about the people rather than the collection. I have spent some time on the Western Port foreshore, sitting near the mobile library, in the company of an eclectic group of people drawn together by coffee and companionship. Music adds to the ambience and the views of Western Port are breathtaking. In Grantville its presence is more circumspect but just as valued by the dozens who use it.
 
I’ve sat down the back of that old truck while the librarian talks to people about their lives. The other day I watched a fellow, not much older than me, enjoy the delightful surprise of receiving the latest book by his favorite author, which the librarian had set aside for him.
 
I know that saying farewell to such a well-loved vehicle is heart rending. People are grieving and the broader community is coming together in support. I applaud the Waterline membership drive. As a campaign Facebook post stated, I am “always promoting the library” at resident and ratepayer meetings and I am glad people are listening intently.
 
It’s also heartening to see people from other  towns support retention of the current mobile service. As a Western Port councillor I often talk to people about bringing library access to towns such as Kernot or onto the Island. Nimble vehicles, agencies and outreach will enable that.
 
I know how valuable the current service is to the people of our small coastal towns and how much it means to them. We need to ensure that the current users retain their connection. We are talking to people about how to achieve this. Access to a range of books and a librarian is the obvious starting point. We want to extend our service to more people and increase the available hours per week.
 
Many of our programs, including author talks and Baby Rhyme Time, can be made available in community buildings that already exist. Corinella Community House and The Grantville Transaction Centre, among others, can meet community expectations with a range of options and a variety of vehicles.

A new truck and trailer would cost over a million dollars. If the State Government, or anyone else, was going to give me a million dollars to spend on the Waterline community I’d rather ask for extensions to neighbourhood houses to provide amenity for our library users as well as the general population.

Over the next six months we’ll be talking to people across the Waterline about their ideas for comfortable and creative places to enjoy books and library programs.
 
We’ll include anyone who wants to talk to us in this conversation. We value everyone’s input and I implore everyone to work with us to ensure that the services we provide meet the needs of our users and bring a sense of place, and pride, to our towns, through a range of options that aren’t dependent on the purchase of a new rig.
 
Over the years I have become aware of the large number of people who depend on their library, wherever and whatever it is. Books, computers, internet access, newspapers, a comfortable chair and companionship are all part of that library. For many people it is about job searching, or interactive gaming.
 
Just over fifty years ago Joe Chambers, school teacher and borough councillor, wrote: “A library is much more than a collection of thrillers, westerns, romances and travelogues. It is also a reading room, a meeting place, a discussion centre – a very important focal point in the life of a country town. Everybody benefits from a library.”

The next WGRLC Board meeting commences at Coal Creek, Korumburra, at 11.30am on December 7. Our meetings are open to the public – please come and talk to us about your ideas.
​
Cr Geoff Ellis is the Bass Coast Shire Council representative on the West Gippsland Regional Library Corporation and its current chairman.
13 Comments
Joy Button
17/11/2018 01:10:37 pm

In reply to Councillor Ellis’ article can I state that there has been no transparency, openness or consultation with regard to the closure of the mobile library service or the services that the community would like to see. The decision was made without any community consultation. Senior staff have advised that the decision was made as a result of a 2014 survey.
Statistics that have been provided by the library service have been flawed.
The survey currently being circulated is inept and driven to give restrictive answers. It is not open to detail of what the community ….. the residents …. want.
The Councillor indicates that the librarian spends time driving to the outlying townships. The service is an outreach service and an outreach service is defined as: ” Outreach is an activity of providing services to any populations who might not otherwise have access to those services. A key component of outreach is that the groups providing it are not stationary, but mobile; in other words they are meeting those in need of outreach services at the locations where those in need are”. (Outreach from Wikipedia).
The populations in need of outreach services are minority populations who still are liable for the same rates and taxes as those communities in the larger townships.
The withdrawal of the mobile library service and the replacement of a service inferior to the one being provided by the mobile library service is nothing short of social injustice.
Mention is made by the Councillor of Corinella Community House, but its actual title is Corinella Community Centre. The handkerchief foyer of Corinella Community Centre is, I understand, being considered as the site for a replacement service. The Grantville Transaction Centre is also quoted as a possible provider of a library service. As a regular visitor to the Grantville Transaction Centre, I can only say I am dumbstruck! This tiny building is totally inadequate to provide extra services. Perhaps the car park under the trees is being considered as a possible site. The lack of attention to detail may seem minor but instils doubt into the detail provided regarding alternative services.
I am indeed, still disappointed, Councillor Ellis.

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Sunny
17/11/2018 01:59:35 pm

The one thing that WGRLC never did was advertise enough to new residents that the mobile library even existed, I have even heard people who have lived here for awhile not know of it's existence. I also do not believe in their statistics, they are just counting families as one, not individuals, like all the kids that love the mobile library. I feel sorry for the little ones too, not everyone can attend the major libraries.

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Tony Hughes
17/11/2018 05:17:38 pm

For me, maintaining or replacing the mobile library is not the issue here. Surely, providing the best library service outcome to "remote individuals and communities" is what it is all about.
What a wonderful thing it would be for a disabled bus access service that picks up people from remote communities on a regular basis and takes them to a modern library with a full range of fully staffed and supported services. With a bit of imagination, these visits could coincide with library, community events and promotions. Just imagine the joy of being picked up with a few friends, catching up with the latest goss along the way, browsing or using all the latest things the library has on offer, perhaps taking the scooter or walker across the road to buy a few things not available locally, then returning home with all the latest books, gossip, news and specials on board.
To me it is a no-brainer. No more special vehicles with limited access, stock or services. It wouldn't matter where you lived, the latest is only a short drive away.

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veronica dowman
18/11/2018 08:15:29 am

A bus service for people with disabilities to visit the central library,to do shopping etc should happen anyway Tony. To me that is a no-brainer too. What about the other hundreds of people in the small towns who are not disabled, and those who cannot drive? In Cardinia Shire a state of the art mobile library was funded by their Council & State Government this year. To talk about limited stock is nonsense. The mobile library orders books from all over,

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Carol Gallagher
17/11/2018 07:47:07 pm

this is a 'service' to the people, even if only a few people use it. I do not think the council should look at this in a monetory sense but as a service to the people of the shire.
Maybe the council could cut back on some of their dinners or council trips as these only benefit the 'few'.
It is sad that money takes priority over everything and that people who cannot travel miss out, even ones who can travel, cannot always afford to.
the council must step into a new era of 'helping' instead of 'taking'. They remind me of 'the riverhorse's daughters'.

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Pete Granger
18/11/2018 09:09:55 am

Hi Geoff,

I will perhaps attempt to respond more directly to your comments in a later response. This issue takes me way back to 1996. The Hawthorn football club told us we were finished and had to merge. I purchased a Melbourne football jumper, and separately a Hawthorn logo. Stuck velcro onto the back of hawk logo and front of the Demons jumper. On the day of the vote I traveled to Glenferrie Oval to button-hole the late, great Alan Jeans, who was leading the charge for the merger. Pleaded with him to ‘sit on the fence’ on this issue. ‘Too late’ he said. ‘We have tried everything, and there is no other option. As a businessman you understand. A merge is the only way to save the club’. Took myself and bespoke jumper down to the Camberwell Civic Centre were the vote was to be held. It was packed to the rafters. Totally transfixed by ‘Jeansy’ loudly berating the Hawthorn members at his bellicose best. As if it were three quarter time in the grand final and we were 10 goals down. The Hawthorn members screaming back abuse at the ‘never-say-die’ man they all loved to death, but had chosen instead to deliver their epitaph. To just lay down and die. It was announced Melbourne had voted in favour of the merger. Then Don Scott made his remarkable speech. It culminated in him holding up my jumper, and pulling-off the velcro-attached hawk logo. Just as we had pre-planned. The audience response was just indescribable. The building shook to its foundations, the noise was deafening, the emotion palpable. Tears were edging down my cheeks, but I knew at that very moment we had won the seemingly impossible battle. Fast forward to today, and Hawthorn is the most successful successful AFL club since that time. Why? Great leadership and management that succeeded the old board. They found a way to prevail over the seemingly impossible. John Silvester (The Age) described it as follows:

‘So what have we learned? Those in authority who pretend to have the answers often don't, apathy is the enemy of democracy, optimism beats cynicism and people power is the ultimate power’
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/proud-passionate-and-paid-up--how-hawthorn-fans-saved-their-club-20160804-gqkthw.html.

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Joy Button
18/11/2018 10:03:59 am

Thank you Peter Granger …… your response is amazing and so moving and inspirational. Go people power!!

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Cr Geoff Ellis
19/11/2018 01:06:16 am

G'day Pete,

If the Post awarded a 'comment of the year award' I would vote for this comment. Brilliant writing.

Second: Much as I go for the Cats, I look forward to discussing your ideas about shipping containers further. Keep at it.


Cr Geoff Ellis

Mobile: 0428 840 868
Email: geoff.ellis@basscoast.vic.gov.au

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Veronica Dowman
18/11/2018 11:42:23 am

I was saddened, for a number of reasons, to read Geoff's comment, " I’d rather ask for extensions to neighbourhood houses to provide amenity for our library users as well as the general population"
Extensions, even to one of the two community centres in the Waterline area, would cost a lot more than a state-of-the-art, nimble, fuel efficient mobile van. (2) Please Geoff, don't adopt the negative mind-set of the Library CEO who does not recognise the extraordinary social value of an outreach service that visits 10 small rural towns.

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Sharrie
18/11/2018 09:56:48 pm

Geoff Ellis
Total disappointment in your words, they read like an ignorant attempt at empathy – a new chapter???. If you had of signed it off as ‘’confused councillor’’ I would have had some empathy for the writer. Your attempt to describe a community you are supposedly kin to dictated punishment in the same chapter and lack true understanding of your audience and isolated community needs. It’s not your claytons attempt at writing a storybook, its access to real authors books and support for isolated community’s just deserts. Where’s your prowess?
You clearly are confused with your elected honour to understand and serve the community you’re your conflicting interest in another organisation. We have had the conversation before whereby I challenged your ideas around consumer participation and the council’s ability to truly include and consult their community. You scoffed at my comment and responded that that was what councillors were there for, as consumer representatives/rate payers and community members. Well it’s clear which side of the fence you are sitting on and it’s not with Bass Coasts nor largely the Gippsland South Coast vulnerable and isolated residents.
To say the librarian is seemingly wasting time driving to these isolated communities is ignorant of their unique needs, and demographics. I would have thought having you on the WGRLS committee would have ensured this understanding. There is nothing else to be taken off this community once the mobile library service stops however you could advocate for the postal service to stop as well, oh forgot, not all in the waterline even get that! Council happily allow isolated communities to populate without infrastructure and resources, seems their interest is to raise revenue through rates and nothing more. You would be fully aware in the last couple of years, at just how little was allocated from the BCSC budgets for the waterline, it’s shameful.
The community want a library where they can touch, look feel and make random or researched selections, to suggest any service that offers any less in available quantity is appalling. It is ridiculous and a reduction in service to suggest the Corinella Community Centre and Grantville Transaction Centre, both would not be able to accommodate the same quantity and you are assuming residents of CB would easily be able to get to either. .
To say a carer left someone in the car whilst they grabbed the books for them, this is not the communities fault, clearly the person you outlined did not want to go in and chose to stay in the care, or are you suggesting the carer did not take the persons rights into consideration or the librarian had not promoted the access for people with disability adequately. How would any of this be different in any of the alternative sites you suggested? Where is the WGRLS accountability? There has not been any campaign in the 15 years I have lived here to raise awareness about the Mobile Library, nor try alternative time slots to boost numbers, appears totally thwarted!
Once again, a familiar story, people of these communities are having to self-advocate their worth and value to the larger population and are paying the price on their health & wellbeing. All this because an inadequate board of management who have not been transparent nor had the skills to forecast and plan the service appropriately. If the loss is imminent I have no faith in the libraries board of management nor councillors to manage any outreach service.
The know your library statistics when compared with the other councils in the WGLRS clearly show Bass Coast residents are the highest users of the library service and cost less per person than any other shire significantly, why is it we can’t even support our own vulnerable communities.
You spoke of transparency, the survey doesn’t cut the mustard and your story writing leaves us in suspense, please tell us what the options really are so people can make informed decisions and whilst you are at it please publish the 2014 survey results, let’s see how many actually responded and what they had to say in this perfunctory attempt. disgruntled resident

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Sunny
18/11/2018 10:19:53 pm

Well said Sharrie,I have been trying to point out that WGLRS never advertise that the mobile library is available and new residents often do not know about it, and yes the hours have never changed and no thought that these hours do not agree with everyone. I too would like to see the 2014 survey results which I never even knew about.

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Joy Button
19/11/2018 07:33:15 am

Support all that you said Sharrie and so disappointed and disillusioned that we are in a position to fight to retain a mobile library service in remote townships. Councillor talks of openness and refers to the Service Review that was distributed at the last Board meeting. A succession of graphs and one line comments with no reference to supporting the documentation or statistics. Cannot grasp why this was presented ín camera' as lack of detail is mind blowing. Bass Coast Council's saving with the loss of the mobile library is $166K ….. that is a figure quoted in the Service Report. Appalling …. no other words.

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Diana Lutz
19/11/2018 11:33:00 am

I support most of the comments of others and I can only speak personally but I lived in Bass Coast for 3 years before I knew of the Bus. I was travelling miles to go to a Library, now we are to lose it. My daughter was involved in the fight to save the Olinda Pool successfully by garnering local support and demonstrating at council meetings. They won the day and now the area is becoming home to a younger demographic it is very successful. It was to be wasted because of cost of repairs. Sound familiar. Councillors who wanted to remain in there privileged positions listened to the people who pay rates. (Councillors wages) I still see cars with stickers saying "Save our Pool"
Please "listen".

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