It takes me 10 to 12 minutes to walk to my local library,and 13 to 15 minutes to walk back home. Using a children’s or concession Opal Card on the bus,the trip costs $1.12. For adults,this fare is $2.24.
I view these trips as valuable expenditures due to the overflowing profits I gain from the public library. Did I use the financial jargon correctly? Likely not,though a reading of a finance book held in the library,or a search online via the library’s free Wi-Fi,could clarify this for me. I am grateful to live near fantastic public libraries,and whenever I visit them,I gain hope for the future of Sydney.
When they are well-funded and equipped,the benefits ripple through the community. Beyond books and the internet,libraries often offer free use of computers,air-conditioning in the summer,heating in the winter,water refill stations and places to rest. Some have facilities for recording music or cooking equipment to borrow,or they offer JP services,translators and social workers.
Libraries give us the freedom to learn.
A State Library Victoria report in 2018 revealed that “every dollar invested in public libraries generates $4.30 of benefits to the local community”. If I could observe the benefits of libraries even before conducting research,it is clear evidence of their positive impact. Libraries improve community connection. They reduce waste as resources are passed around. They are cost-effective.
That should be enough to convince higher-ups to continually fund and improve them.
At age nine,children might go to the library to do homework because the power has been shut off at home. At 13,they’ll meet a friend in the magazine aisle. At 17,they’ll submit their final applications for university as the library’s evening lights begin to dim and an automated voice over the loudspeaker informs patrons that the building will be closed in five minutes.