Community consultation to guide future planning for Mount Barker Library

The growing popularity of the Mount Barker Community Library, which saw nearly 150,000 visits in the 2023-24 financial year, emphasises the need for detailed consideration of its future. Community participation in library programs has also seen consistent growth, with nearly 20,000 people attending children’s programs, school holiday activities, and speaker events over the past year.

Ben Footner, the council’s Manager Customer Experience, said the consultation period would allow the community to share their vision and ideas to create a library service that continues to meet their future needs.

“There has been significant growth in the use of the library in recent years,” Mr Footner said. “The ongoing demand highlights the need for a thorough analysis to ensure our library services are well placed to cater for our community.”

The needs analysis will consider a range of matters, including the ideal future location of the library. Early concept plans suggested relocating the library to the proposed Mount Barker City Centre site, between Druids Avenue and Morphett Street. Given the power of libraries to activate community spaces, this location was initially considered a viable option. However, council has recognised there are differing community views about the library’s future locations and the need to consider several factors including accessibility. Further analysis and in-depth community consultation are essential to determine whether relocating to the city centre site – or any other site - is appropriate.

The needs analysis will consider other site options around Mount Barker, including remaining at the existing Dumas Street site, which it currently shares with TAFE SA.

“Community feedback is crucial in shaping current and future library services and will enable the council to make informed and well-considered decisions based on a solid understanding of the community’s needs and expectations,” Mr Footner said.

"We expect strong community engagement, similar to past consultations on significant projects like the aquatic centre in 2019, which saw unprecedented participation over a four-week period.

“We are ramping up our promotional efforts to ensure the community is aware of the consultation and has the opportunity to share their views. We’ll also be out and about in person meeting with many in our community to collect their thoughts.”

Promotional activities will include an online survey (hard copies will also be available), a social media campaign, local newspaper advertisements, posters in frequently visited locations such as the library and shopping centres, engagement with local schools, and direct face-to-face conversations between stakeholders and library staff.

“The library is a much-loved space for many within our community, and I encourage everyone to join in the conversation about its future,” Mr Footner said.

“We want to hear the views of all users – not just on their preferred location, but also on their vision for library services into the future. That could include things like creating more meeting spaces, providing access to different materials, or hosting more events to bring more people into the library. We’re open to all ideas and suggestions.

“We also want to hear from people who don’t currently use the library to determine if there are any other needs or service gaps that can be met in future.”

The outcomes of the needs analysis will provide the council with insights into broader library industry trends, the necessity for investment, and potential consequences of inaction. Various options for the location of an expanded library service, including the possibility of remaining at the current site, will be thoroughly examined based on community feedback, projected usage, population growth, and benchmark participation rates.

The survey will be open for four weeks from Wednesday, 28 August until 5pm on Wednesday, 25 September. Results of consultation, needs and options analyses will be reported back to the council in November 2024.

For more information, or to complete the survey, visit council’s Your Say website yoursay.mountbarker.sa.gov.au/library-survey.