NSW Public Libraries Country

I worked at a number of country councils, commencing at my home town Council at Wellington, then Narrabri, Corowa - Deputy Shire Clerk, Dubbo City - City Treasurer and Deputy Town Clerk, Parkes - Shire Clerk and finally the metropolitan area of Sydney at Marrickville Council as General Manager.

I completed my tertiary study by correspondence with the School of External Studies, which was later to become the University of Technology, Sydney.

I have had a particular interest in employment, education and training which was no doubt influenced by the lack of information resources whilst undertaking tertiary studies in the country and the need for employment opportunities in country towns.

In many ways public libraries were another function of local government but if resourced adequately and operated in a user-friendly manner could make a significant improvement to the development of individuals and ultimately their communities.

More detailed interest occurred when I was involved at Parkes in the planning and construction of a new administration and library centre. This provided the opportunity to be part of the design of a new library from scratch and to consider how best to appeal to potential users of the library within the community. It was not to remain simply a building with limited resources but more importantly the active development of communication links with potential users who did not know that there were resources available to help them.

The Institute of Municipal Management in 1987 invited people interested in representing the Institute on a Local Government & Shires Association library advisory party and my expression of interest was accepted.

In 1989 I was contacted by library supporters from the Riverina area as to whether I would be interested in assisting the formation of a country public library body. The result of our first meeting was Parkes hosting the first Country Public Library Conference that set the scene for a friendly but hard working group of people interested in the development of resourceful library services for their communities to come together to promote country public libraries.

The then Minister for the Arts, Peter Collins, opened the Conference and was so impressed with the strength and fervour of the delegates that the then State Government made the first significant increase in funding for public libraries over a three year period. The level did not match the levels achieved in other states but it was a start.

The Country Public Libraries Association of New South Wales network had begun and there was significant satisfaction in being part of the rallying of the troops to storm the barricades of funding inadequacies, ignorance of the role of libraries and barriers to development opportunities for library staff.

In late 1989 I was advised that I was to be appointed to the Library Council of New South Wales from 1st January, 1990 which was a bit of a tall order given that I was not exactly a literary guru.

The State Librarian, Ms Alison Crook and the Director of Public Library Services at the State Library of New South Wales, Ms Janette Wright, played significant roles over a number of years in travelling the State and playing hard-ball behind the scenes. The development of criteria in grant allocation, that would lift public libraries to more equitable standards and provide integration across the State, was certainly visionary and eventually appreciated.

The advances in the more disadvantaged public libraries were very satisfying and the changes acted as incentives to elected people to not only better understand what a decent public library could achieve for employment and education in their communities but also how properly trained professionals could take giant strides using the emerging and powerful new technologies.

Over this time the Country Public Libraries Association of New South Wales conferences were being held in communities that could never host the major local government gatherings and these councils relished the opportunity.

Election to the New South Wales Institute of Municipal Management in 1988 until 1996 and appointment as General Manager of Marrickville Council in 1990 until retirement from ill health in June 1997, broadened the opportunities to advocate the public library resource and encourage the development of broader support from elected people and senior management of local government.

The importance of public libraries to New South Wales and ultimately Australia's multicultural community has been and is paramount and the users of public libraries from many different social, economic, trade and professional backgrounds are very appreciative of the educational and personal development that has resulted for them.

Involvement with the Library Council of New South Wales as the local government representative, until the completion of my third term in December, 1996, provided the opportunity to regularly encourage other members to understand the public library resource and network and its economic, recreational and social worth.

There are always highs and lows. The lost opportunity by the Federal Government to pursue the course set out in the 'Innovation Statement' and advocated in the submission 'Bushtrack to Super Highway' and which was part of both major parties election platforms was a low. It was disappointing because of the chance it provided for communities across Australia to be economically linked in a common standard to the resources of information in Australia as well as overseas.

There have been many satisfying experiences, including the opportunity to be part of the New South Wales library network of individuals, who have accepted the challenge of modernising the library resources of the State for the benefit of their communities.

A more specific satisfying experience, for both its historical and symbolic reasons, was the opportunity on behalf of the State Library of New South Wales, to present the Matthew Flinders 'Voyage to Terra Australis' to the Alexandria Library in Egypt as part of a largely personal trip. The new Alexandria Library is a magnificently architectured modern building under construction and due for completion in 1999.

I am a current member of the New South Wales Heritage Council and have been representing local government since December, 1996.

I received the Public Service Medal announced in the Australia Day Honours January, 1998.

I am indebted to the Country Public Libraries Association of New South Wales for their decision to fund a scholarship in my name for the purpose of assisting library staff to participate in on-going education and training.

The purpose is particularly important because it is so easy for organisations to say 'there is no money available to send staff to courses because there are other higher priorities'. One of the highest priorities in the operation of an organisation is to have staff skilled in their work so that the resources and equipment on hand can be utilised to their maximum capacity.

The personal development of individuals in key positions in communities is essential for the people of those communities to have a chance to achieve both economically and socially.

Colin Mills, March 1998.