Victorian Public Libraries 2030

Last week our library colleagues across the border launched Victorian Public Libraries 2030.

Funded by the Library Board of Victoria for the State Library of Victoria and Public Libraries Victoria, the report provides a strategic framework for Victorian public libraries, focusing on longer term planning to ensure public libraries’ ongoing relevance to the future needs of their communities.

The objectives as set out in the report were to:

•        assist Victorian public library managers and staff to identify global trends that may impact public library services into the future (2030)

•        explore alternative futures, identify tipping points and devise strategic responses to perceived trends

•        develop and extend the strategic-thinking capacity of the Victorian public library sector and ensure buy-in to the project process and outcomes

•        collaboratively create a strategic framework for Victorian public libraries that is applicable to a wide range of public library services (metropolitan, regional, rural, single municipality, regional corporation), which can be used to guide their own strategic planning, and which is meaningful at a local and state level.

The report makes for interesting reading, particularly given that the South Australian public library network will be undertaking an exploration of its own future in 2014.

Links to the Victorian report can be found at:

Full Report

Summary Report

Jo Freeman
Acting Associate Director
Public Library Services