The number of books being borrowed from Macquarie Regional Library may be in decline, but it’s not all bad news.
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There were 254,379 loans back in 2009/10 and in the last financial year that figure dropped by 24.5 per cent to 192,122.
However in the annual report on the library, Dubbo Regional Council director community services David Dwyer said the library was one of council’s most popular and well patronised community services with more than 50 per cent of the population as registered borrowers.
Mr Dwyer said there were many reasons for the decline in loans, but the main were the sourcing of information from the internet and cheap e-books and audiobooks.
To keep up, the library was evolving in the digital age, Mr Dwyer said, and there was greater access to the library’s e-resources. For the 2015/16 financial year there were 5130 e-audio book loans, 3077 e-book loans and 3328 e-magazine loans.
While expenditure levels for the Macquarie Regional Library Service have been below similar services in NSW, Mr Dwyer said gained had been made in recent years.
The library had an operating expenditure of $48.33 per capita in 2014/15, compared to the NSW average of $48.32 per capita. When it came to the expenditure on library materials such as books and DVDs, the library spent $5.25 per capita in the same year. The NSW average was $4.87.
Given the libraries high patronage additional funding would be appropriate and relevant, Mr Dwyer said.
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