The Community and Public Sector (Victoria) called a protest, which drew 200 people, on December 13, to oppose cuts to the State Library of Victoria.
The acting State Library Victoria management is rushing through changes to library operations that will degrade and diminish core library services. They include gutting the reference library staff (from 21 down to 10) and replacing them with “self service” options. They also want to pour funds into expensive “digital innovation” projects and “experiences” that few people use.
While management announced on December 12 that it had walked back its restructure plan, the protest went ahead to affirm the importance of the State Library.
Jordi Gilmour, a CPSU industrial organiser told the protest affirmed that the “fight is not over” citing the government’s cuts to public cultural institutions over the past year.
Other speakers including cultural workers and former library workers affirmed the importance of defending it as a public institution and that the community has “every right to hold the trustees of the library to account”.
Two resolutions were passed. One affirmed no confidence in the State Library executive and board of trustees and a second one called on Collin Brooks, minister for creative industries, to review State Library of Victoria’s membership board and to ensure that members of creative industries are well-represented.
[Sign the petition created by CPSU.]