30 Frances St Randwick 2031 Tel: 02 9399 0999 Fax 02 9319 1510 DX 4121 Maroubra Junction general.manager@randwick.nsw.gov.au |
INCORPORATED AS A MUNICIPALITY 22 FEBRUARY 1859 PROCLAIMED AS A CITY JULY 1990 |
2nd April, 2002
COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANDWICK WILL BE HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, TOWN HALL, 90 AVOCA STREET, RANDWICK, ON TUESDAY, 9TH APRIL, 2002 AT 5:30 PM.
Committee Members: His Worship, the Mayor, Cr D. Sullivan, Crs Backes (Chairperson), Matson, Notley-Smith, Procopiadis, Tracey (Deputy Chairperson), and Whitehead.
Quorum: Four (4) members.
NOTE: AT THE EXTRAORDINARY MEETING HELD ON 5TH SEPTEMBER, 2000, THE COUNCIL RESOLVED THAT THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE BE CONSTITUTED AS A COMMITTEE WITH FULL DELEGATION TO DETERMINE MATTERS ON THE AGENDA. |
2 Minutes
CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, 12TH MARCH, 2002.
3 Addresses to Committee by the Public
4 Mayoral Minutes
5 Library
DIRECTOR GOVERNANCE MANAGEMENT & INFORMATION SERVICES' REPORT 9/2002 - LOAN PERIODS FOR LIBRARY MATERIAL. |
2 |
5.2 |
DIRECTOR GOVERNANCE MANAGEMENT & INFORMATION SERVICES' REPORT 10/2002 - NESTLE WRITE AROUND AUSTRALIA 2002. |
5 |
5.3 |
DIRECTOR GOVERNANCE MANAGEMENT & INFORMATION SERVICES' REPORT 11/2002 - REDESIGN OF RANDWICK CITY TOY & GAME LIBRARY. |
7 |
6 General Business
7 Notice of Rescission Motions
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GENERAL MANAGER
Director Governance Management & Information Services' Report 9/2002
SUBJECT: |
DATE: |
26 March, 2002 |
FILE NO: |
REPORT BY: DIRECTOR GOVERNANCE MANAGEMENT & INFORMATION SERVICES
INTRODUCTION:
The purpose of this document is to report on a survey conducted at Bowen Library and Randwick and Matraville Libraries asking members for their opinion on the loan period of library material.
ISSUES:
Loan periods for items lent by Randwick City Library and Information Service are:
HSC material, DVD's, Toys & Games 14 days
All other items 28 days
With the option for one renewal for each item
Results from a previous survey of magazines, and requests made to staff, indicated a degree of borrower dissatisfaction with the loan period of magazines, videos and CDs. Borrowers believed it was too long.
· Borrowers complained that recent issues of magazines never seemed to be available.
· The bulk of magazines the Library subscribes to are issued monthly. A 28-day loan and one renewal result in only one borrower having access to a current magazine.
· Borrowers also complained that new CDs and videos never seemed to be available.
Magazines, videos and CDs are used differently to books. Magazines and videos are seldom watched or read more than a couple of times. CDs are often used as a preview before purchase.
A survey was conducted to more broadly gauge borrower attitude to a shorter loan period for magazines, videos and CDs.
1. THE SURVEY
The Survey (Attachment 1) was conducted during February at all three library locations. It was a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 3 prescribed and 1 comments option.
1.1 Results
260 questionnaires were returned.
121 favoured no change
139 favoured a reduced loan period
Of these 139, 76 favoured reducing the loan period of magazines, videos and DVDs to 14 days.
Several borrowers wanted the loan period for videos and DVDs reduced to 7 days or less.
Not all respondents borrowed magazines, videos or CDs and were satisfied with the existing loan period because it did not affect them.
CONCLUSION:
The Survey indicates borrower support for the reduction of loan periods for magazines, videos and DVDs to 14 days. It is proposed that the new loan periods will apply from Saturday 1st June 2002. The change in loan periods will be widely publicised prior to commencement.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the report on the Change to Loan periods for magazines, videos and DVD’s to 14 days be noted.
ATTACHMENT/S:
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Director Governance Management & Information Services' Report 10/2002
SUBJECT: |
DATE: |
26 March, 2002 |
FILE NO: |
REPORT BY: DIRECTOR GOVERNANCE MANAGEMENT & INFORMATION SERVICES
INTRODUCTION:
This report outlines the Nestle Write Around Australia launch for the Central Metropolitan Zone and the associated program at the Bowen Library including the involvement by staff of Randwick City Library & Information Service in the Nestle Write Around Australia program.
ISSUES:
Randwick City Library & Information Service was invited to be one of the hosts for NESTLE Write Around Australia for 2002. This unique opportunity provides the library with the opportunity to be a part of a national program which encourages young writers and focuses on the important role public libraries play in the development of literacy and the literacy skills of the next generation.
In 2001 NESTLE Write Around Australia attracted a record 33,000 entries, making it the largest creative writing competition in Australia. A further 19,000 primary school students participated in the creative writing workshops held in 50 public libraries across the country.
The annual creative writing programme targets young people in Years 5 and 6 in all Australian states and territories. The programme’s intention is to encourage young writers to be involved in the creative writing process by entering a writing competition and participating in creative writing workshops. Published Australian children’s author Patricia Barnard will conduct the workshops for local primary school students in Randwick City, for one week in July.
On 20th March, over 45 Maroubra Junction Public School students from Years 5 and 6 formed a large part of the audience in attendance for the Central Metropolitan’s Zone launch of the Nestle Write Around Australia Competition at the Bowen Library. Also present and representing the State Library of NSW was Virginia Mason who read one of last years winning entries and guest author Susanne Gervay who conducted a group writing exercise.
The Central Metropolitan Zone Competition was officially launched by the Mayor of Randwick City, Councillor Dominic Sullivan, who stated that competitions such as this can assist in encouraging in students, a real interest in writing and as such can only aid in increasing the number of young writers in the Randwick community.
One of the highlights of the launch was a story- writing segment by children’s author, Susanne Gervay. Susanne enthused the children with the “feeling of freedom everyone can achieve through writing” and demonstrated how to create a story as she lead them in composing a group story from beginning to end
A panel of judges, comprising staff from the library service, the Children’s Librarian from Waverley Library and the Zone Co-ordinator, RCC’s Children’s and Youth Services Librarian, look forward to reading the competition entries in the next phase of the program when entries are submitted for the first round of judging in June.
CONCLUSION:
The Nestle Write Around Australia Competition is an excellent medium for encouraging and developing creative writing in the children of the Randwick community. It complements the Lionel Bowen Young Writers Award in focussing on the younger age groups and will enhance the quality of entries for the future following student involvement in the writing workshops.
Hosting the zone program also highlights the library, and Council involvement in the broader push for improved literacy levels in the community and for increased public awareness of the commitment of Council to providing similar programs to the residents of the City.
RECOMMENDATION:
a) That the report be noted and the committee endorses the Nestle Write Around Australia competition as with the Lionel Bowen Young Writers Award, as an annual creative writing program for young people in Randwick City.
b) A follow-up report is provided to the committee upon conclusion of the competition.
ATTACHMENT/S:
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Director Governance Management & Information Services' Report 11/2002
SUBJECT: |
REDESIGN OF RANDWICK CITY TOY & GAME LIBRARY |
DATE: |
26 March, 2002 |
FILE NO: |
REPORT BY: DIRECTOR GOVERNANCE MANAGEMENT & INFORMATION SERVICES
INTRODUCTION:
In response to one of the many issues raised by library customers in the user survey conducted in April 2000 the 1st floor of the Bowen Library and in particular the area provided for the toy and game collection was redesigned in January this year. The library now has a dedicated toy and game space, which is brightly coloured and spacious. The enclosed area uses glass partitioning to provide a barrier to the rest of the library, significantly lowering the noise levels generated by the children and parents/carers when they are choosing toys to take home.
ISSUES:
The extra space, shelving and bench tops have addressed the occupational health and safety issues of overcrowding. The redesign has hopefully created a stimulating, child friendly environment for parents/carers to visit the library and borrow toys and games with their children. Borrower feedback has been positive and has attracted library customers to become members of the toy library after observing the new space.
The following are loan statistics for the period October to February with a comparison to the figures for the same period in 2000/01:
|
October |
November |
December |
January |
February |
2000/2001 |
1645 |
1858 |
1189 |
1564 |
1624 |
2001/2002 |
1704 |
1578 |
947 |
925 |
1630 |
The introduction of the annual fee for membership to the Toy and Game Library in October 2001 has proceeded smoothly and to date the total number of toy library members is 479 with $8,521.91 raised as income. Approximately one quarter of the members are not required to pay a fee due to qualification under the requirement for Randwick residents to produce a valid Centrelink, Healthcare or pension card for the fee to be waived. The fee has not made a significant difference to loans compared to October/November 2000. Loans did however fall in December and January as a result of extended loan periods over Christmas and the library’s ten day closure during the redesign. The summer holidays also always produce a fall in demand for toys and games. February 2002 loan statistics have since increased significantly and loans are now at the same level as in 2001.
The number of toys currently in the collection is 1173. At the end of last year a significant number of old puzzles and games were discarded from the collection, making for a very successful Toy Sale to the public in November. The budget for 20001/2 for the purchase of Toy & Game Library resources is $7,885. Two major orders have so far been completed this financial year, concentrating on new puzzles and games and duplicates of toys in high demand. With the introduction of the new fee Toy Library members can now borrow up to 5 toys at a time with their toy library card. The major concern is to ensure that there is a sufficient number and range of toys and games for all members to borrow. To this end the selecting and processing of new toys has a high priority.
CONCLUSION:
The Toy and Game Library has undergone a number of major changes in the last two years. With the completion of the redesign, the Council has provided the residents of Randwick City with a state of the art toy and game library that will set a benchmark for toy libraries everywhere.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the report on the redesign of the Randwick City Toy & Game Library be noted.
ATTACHMENT/S:
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