Public libraries: it's their funding, stupid.

• Author: Bundy, Alan

The first Australian public libraries summit, commendably convened, organised and largely underwritten by the Australian Library and Information Association, was held on 16 July in Canberra. For a summary of its deliberations and outcomes see www.alia.org.au/governance/ governance/committees/public libraries/summit.sum.

The 50 or so summit delegates saw much confirmation of the work and importance of Australia's public library system. But with little federal, state and local government political or bureaucratic presence there to hear and learn, this belated first summit could only point to the real issue for the sector and its advocates. That issue for public libraries, to paraphrase Bill Clinton, is 'Their funding, stupid'.

It is the issue which now needs to be addressed with much more urgency, energy and collective focus than during the last 20 years or so that it has taken the sector's leaders, and its members who may sometimes be characterised by their poverty make do mentality--to recognize that it is very underfunded, and have the courage to speak out politically and publicly about it, locally and nationally.

So what's the urgency, if already about 60% of people of all ages use, value and rarely openly...