‘Modest wins, major disappointments’ for libraries in federal Budget 2019-20: ALIA

The Australian Libraries and Information Alliance (ALIA) has responded to the federal government’s 2019-2020 budget, describing ‘a few modest wins’ as well as some ‘major disappointments’ for libraries and the galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM) sector.

ALIA praised a new $30.2m fund for upgrades to school’s libraries, classrooms and play equipment, as well as the announcement of $62m for new language, literacy, numeracy and digital literacy programs for ‘at-risk’ workers and remote Indigenous communities.

The National Library of Australia (NLA) will receive $9.5m over 2019-20 to acquire heritage and cultural assets, as well as $10m over four years to establish a Digitisation Fund. The fund, which will seek private donations, will continue Trove’s work digitising the library’s collection.

The NLA and six other collecting institutions in the Communications and Arts Portfolio lost a combined $16.8m in year-on-year government funding, due to the efficiency dividend. The NLA was also warned the planned cessation of the Public Service Modernisation Fund would lead to the loss of $5m in funding in 2020-2021.

To see ALIA’s full response, click here.

Category: Library news