Libraries ACT is taking an imaginative and innovative look into the future to prepare a plan that responds to the changing needs of our community over the next decade. We know the world is changing and how we all go about our lives is also changing. We want to make sure that our libraries of today have a clear plan to emerge as the libraries of tomorrow.

In the last decade there have been many changes in how people access and use information and how we go about our daily life. The way people interact with libraries is also changing and we need to respond to ensure we meet the growing needs of the community.

Before 2020, traditional book lending remained the primary resource used however during the last year there has been a marked shift to digital resource use. Increasingly libraries are becoming community meeting places, supporting book clubs to dance classes through to providing places for work and study.

The Imagine 2030 plan will enable Libraries ACT to look to the future and hear from the community on how we can respond to their evolving and emerging needs.

Co-design is a way of people actively working together to explore, develop and test approaches to a challenge to design a better outcome. For this project, it will allow Libraries ACT to recognise the many different perspectives, experiences and expertise that are needed to really understand our community and design a future that innovatively and sustainably meets community needs. It will engage both existing library members who are familiar with what the library has to offer as well as draw out ideas from non-members on how the library could better serve them into the future.

Libraries ACT want to hear from all parts of the community. You may value public libraries without being a user of our services, or be a former member who can bring a perspective about why you don’t currently use the library. Perhaps you have not found anything at the library which meets your needs right now! These are all important perspectives that will help us broaden our understanding of how to design our libraries of the future.

There are many other ways you can contribute! Each library branch will have a display where you can read some information and drop in your feedback. On the YourSay page, there are two portals to share your ideas by pictures, video or comments called “Imagine if libraries could do anything!”. You can also email Libraries ACT directly with the subject line “Imagine”! Keep checking in with the YourSay site or the Libraries ACT website for information about other ways to engage.

Libraries ACT will take some time to understand the ideas and perspectives the community provides us. We will then co-create a draft roadmap with members of the community to share for further comment.

In preparation for our engagement with the community we have taken some time to understand the “What is?” of the world of libraries and our Canberra community. We have undertaken intercept interviews at our libraries with 30 members of the community to hear how they use libraries now and start to hear some great ideas for the future. We have also completed observations of how customers use libraries. We held a workshop with our Libraries ACT staff who interact every day with our community. They provided valuable perspectives and imagined many hundreds of new ideas for library users and the community.

We have started the conversation with many key stakeholders representing multiple areas of our community and we will continue to understand their dreams for the future and how we can reduce barriers to make our libraries inclusive for all.

We have also researched innovative libraries around Australia and the world to gain insight into what is possible and have developed some case studies to shine a line on the interesting things they are doing.

All our early research has led us to various questions we want to explore with the community throughout the coming months as part of the “What if” phase of engagement.

With nine local public libraries spread across the city, Libraries ACT provide a vital service to our community. We offer access to more than one million items including almost 400,000 digital resources. We champion reading and lifelong learning and contribute to literacy and language development.

In branch you can borrow items such as books, DVDs and magazines as well as access computers, free Wifi, community rooms – which are currently used for things like books clubs, dance lessons, work and study groups – ACT Legal Aid and Justices of the Peace, and digital support. You can also participate in regular and special programs and events such as kids Story Time and Giggle & Wiggle, Bilingual Story Time, English conversation classes and book clubs.

Our online presence has become more popular of the last year as we offer opportunity to digitally borrow e-books and audiobooks; magazines and newspapers; music and movies; language programs; and online story times.

We also have a range of essential outreach programs to help engage with and support our community including the Home Library Services, and tailored connections with indigenous, multicultural, early childhood and disability communities.

In addition to our nine branches, Libraries ACT manages the ACT Heritage Library who which? collect, preserve, promote and provide access to documents that record the lives of Canberrans at home and in the wider community.

In the last year alone, we have:

• loaned 1,292,569 physical items, plus 775,003 eResources.
• delivered 43,219 library items to people via the Home Library and Mystery Box services.
• supported 217 book clubs, by loaning 332 book sets.

Our city is growing and changing so Libraries ACT wants to make sure we remain relevant and viable into the future. This means providing the services the community needs, delivered in convenient and diverse ways and in the right locations.

We want the community to be a part of the design process to help us understand how we can best achieve this over the next decade.

Throughout August and September 2021, we will engage with stakeholders and the community through a variety of face-to-face activities and pop-up sessions at local shops. Using valuable ideas, inspiration and feedback gathered through the co-design process, Libraries ACT will develop a draft plan to be shared with the community for further feedback around November 2021. The final Imagine 2030 plan will be released early 2022.