Note) The Korean version of this article is a translation of an original press release written in English.

As we translated it back to English, we mostly adopted the original English sentences.

According to the latest Public Library Statistical Report of Australia, Australians now borrow six books from their public library per year on average and are borrowing more e-books and audiobooks than they were before the pandemic.

The Public Library Statistical Report, which is published annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA), found that community residents have been returning to library collections and physical spaces after the pandemic. It notes that the use of digital resources and programs is growing as well.

“You can feel the positive energy when you walk into a public library,” says ALIA President Jane Cowell. “Every day is different as libraries continue to respond to local community needs. It’s coming into peak study season now, so the afternoons will see lots of students coming in to study, the morning might have had a multicultural storytime, followed by a book club, digital support group, or one on one tech help sessions.”

“People come to libraries to meet a range of needs,” says Chair of the ALIA Australian Public Library Alliance Nicole Hunt. “You can see this in the numbers. For example, in 2022-23 public library programs welcomed 6.1 million participants, public library spaces were booked for 646,583 hours and public computers were booked for 5.34 million hours.”

The key findings of the 2022-23 report include:

● Public library collections were accessed over 159 million times.

● Physical visits have increased by 40% and online visits by 27% since Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.

● Libraries lent more than 43 million items (1.7 per person) and invested $143.5 million to keep their collections current.

● The number of library programs offered nationwide increased from 259,000 in 2021-2022 to 354,000 in 2022-2023.

During the same period, the number of program participants increased from 3.5 million to 6.1 million.

● 1,918 rooms and meeting spaces were booked for a total of 646,000 hours, a 25% increase.

“These statistics remind us that a strong investment in libraries is a strong investment in local communities,” said Nicole Hunt.

Deputy Chair of NSLA Catherine Clark notes that this report offers an opportunity for us to reflect on the positive impact that libraries have across Australian society.

(Source)

https://www.alia.org.au/Web/News/Articles/2024/October-2024/ALIA_NSLA_report%20.aspx