Library earmarks $2m for new books

BOOK RICH: Masterton District Library manager Sandy Green with new books. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

Staff at the Masterton library will now be able to provide a more enriching learning experience for residents following an increase in funds from the council.

As part of Masterton District Council's Long-term Plan Proposal, just under $2 million will be invested over the next 10 years for book stock renewals in the library that will allow it to receive books practically shelf-ready, complete with shelf markers, RFID tags and full cataloguing records.

Masterton District Library Manager Sandy Green says the funding will greatly benefit the quality of resources for residents and allow for library staff to use their time to engage with library users more productively.

"The extra funding for book stock is to enable the library to receive the items shelf ready, some of which has been done in the past with the books arriving with a cover applied," she said.

"Receiving shelf-ready materials means that staff time will be freed up to enable more services to promote the book stock through Readers Advisory services, deliver technology sessions and increase user education for our online services, and we will be able to offer more activities and programmes.

"Library staff see serving our customers and satisfying their reading needs as the most rewarding part of their work.

"There is nothing more satisfying than having a reader report back that they really enjoyed a particular item or that the recommendation of a staff member was spot on for them."

Masterton Mayor Lyn Patterson says it is important to ensure the library receives enough funding each year to keep the asset relevant and up to date for residents.

"As a council we recognise that the library is a real hub for us all, and we recognise that we have, I think, 700-plus visitors to our library most days," she said.

"What we realise in the Long Term Plan is that the library also has some constraints size-wise and so we are currently investigating what we can do with the current building.

"We are looking at what we need to do to enlarge it and make it even more of a hub and that is what we have put money aside in our Long Term Plan for."

The Long Term Plan states that the number of books per thousand residents in Masterton was as low as 2.62 compared to the recommended public library standard of 3.5.

Mrs Patterson said that this is "a work in progress" but that the library doesn't have the capacity in terms of size to increase what is already there.

Mrs Green agrees that a higher book to resident ratio is unachievable with the current shelf space at the library.

"Our space problem is highlighted by the fact that we have 10,000 items stored in the basement and staff make trips to the basement to retrieve an average of 20 items per day," she said.

"This is more about book stock renewal and having the latest books available for our users."

"We are very conscious of the huge asset that belongs to the Masterton District, and that it is financially supported through decisions by the council, and like any good business we feel that as custodians of the asset it is our responsibility to ensure that it is as relevant as possible to our customers and that we maximise the use of the asset."

Within the council's Long-term Plan the budget for archive renewals, technology replacements, and furniture and building renewals including a re-roof, are outlined.

The total budget over the next 10 years for the Masterton library is about $4 million, which currently equates to an investment by the council of $17.72 per resident per year for library services.

Of this amount, a majority is funded from depreciation reserves that has been put aside by council to maintain assets.