Photo: Vincent Cooper borrowing a book from the children’s collection at Harrington Library
In great news for local library-lovers, Harrington Library will officially become NSW’s first community access library following a successful trial period.
The library will continue to offer a combination of staffed and community access hours, with staff present until 1pm each weekday.
From 1pm to 5pm on weekdays and on weekends from 8am to 5pm, library members can access the unstaffed library via a swipe card.
MidCoast Council endorsed the innovative new community access model at its most recent meeting, which means Harrington Library users can visit the library for a total of 58 hours weekly instead of the previous 37 hours.
After a successful 12 month trial of the model, Council reports that new memberships at Harrington Library have boomed at double the normal rate.
Meanwhile, more than 200 swipe tags have been issued; self-lending technology usage is up 25% and visitations have increased by 17%. Due to increased staff availability, new programmes are now in place to encourage better engagement with the library.
“We are absolutely delighted to see how well the community has responded to this exciting state-first trial,” said Adrian Panuccio, Council’s General Manager.
“In 12 short months and despite COVID-19 limitations, Harrington Library has gone from being an under-utilised facility to an active community hub that has impressed our local library users and caught the attention of other libraries and local authorities across NSW.
“I would like to thank the community for embracing change and working with our staff to make this trial a success.”
