More opportunity for library strategy input

Residents will have greater opportunity for input to the future services and direction of the Armidale region’s libraries, with an additional community forum announced as part of ongoing public consultation.

The extra forum will be held at the Armidale library on Wednesday 21 August from 3.30pm to 5.30pm , to enable all interested people to provide input to a 21st Century Libraries Strategy. A series of seven forums are scheduled for July and August, including four general sessions for all residents.

“Additional sessions are being held from this week for young people (Wednesday 31 July), members of the Aboriginal community (Tuesday 30 July) and residents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (Thursday 15 August), to encourage their contributions,” the Chair of Council’s Community Wellbeing Advisory Committee, Councillor Debra O’Brien, said.

“We would like all of these sessions to be a mix of regular library users and residents who seldom or never visit our libraries or use their services.

“We need the strategy to identify ways to encourage more people use the libraries and make these facilities and their services part of residents’ daily lives. To achieve this, it’s essential to also hear from people who aren’t already making use of the Guyra or Armidale library,” Cr O’Brien said.

“The community forums are a great chance for people to raise and discuss ideas, which can really take an initial concept and grow it into something wonderful.”

A general forum will also be held at the Guyra Council Chambers on Tuesday 30 July at 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

An online forum has been launched this week to make it even easier to provide ideas and comments.

“The online forum on Council’s engagement website, Your Say Armidale, is like a 24/7 version of the community workshops,” Cr O’Brien said.

“People who can’t get along to one of the workshops, or would simply like to provide further input, can visit the online forum at any time – to tell us what they like about the libraries and how they would like to be able to use them in the future.”

An online survey is also available as a quick and easy way to provide feedback.

To participate in the online forums, complete the online survey or to check the times and locations of the community forums, visit https://yoursay.armidale.nsw.gov.au

Published on 29 Jul 2019