By Luke Voogt
Campaigners are stepping up their fight to stop City Hall from closing three libraries and are holding a community meeting at Chilwell Library tomorrow (Saturday).
“We’re extremely committed to keeping this library open,” campaigner Lynne Dowling said.
“You can’t measure the value of this hub to this community. Up until now the council has always fought to keep the library open and realised how valuable a community asset it is.”
The only notice the council gave that the library would close was a message for 10 days on its website, Ms Dowling said, “which most people don’t read”.
Ms Dowling labelled the council administrators’ emphasis on public consultation as hypocritical.
“They’ve consulted for nine months for the 30-year vision for Geelong’s future and spent a full day coming up with a clever and creative city.
“We don’t think closing three libraries is clever and creative.”
City Hall said closing the Chilwell, Highton and Barwon Heads libraries would save $300,000.
About 50 people gathered at Highton Library on Sunday to protest against its closure. Former councillor Ron Nelson said1000 people had signed a petition to keep the library open.
Highton campaigner Jacqui Bennett said many students and elderly residents relied on the library.
“For some users the librarian is the only person they speak to for the day.”
Council minutes say Highton Library met all standards for viability in the last financial year.
Administrators chair Kathy Alexander said Geelong had one of Australia’s highest concentrations of libraries.
“These three libraries recorded the least visits per hour, loans per hour, internet sessions per PC and collections turnover,” she said.
