A growing chorus of voices from the literary world is rising in protest against the proposed cuts to Victoria's State Library. Renowned authors, journalists, and scholars, including Helen Garner, Trent Dalton, Geraldine Brooks, and JM Coetzee, have penned an urgent open letter to the outgoing chair of the State Library Victoria board, Christine Christian. The letter, signed by over 200 individuals, demands transparency and a public meeting to address the management's plans for the library, which include significant staff reductions and service overhauls. The letter also calls for a new governance structure to safeguard the library's future.
The concerns come to light following revelations by The Age that the library's executive team, many of whom are in acting positions, is proposing substantial changes to the services offered. With a lack of library experience among the board members and only a few members of the executive team, the proposal has sparked alarm. A petition, a community outcry, and an Instagram campaign have all emerged in response, with thousands of signatures and growing support.
Current and former staff, speaking anonymously, have shared concerns about the restructuring process, using terms like 'spill and fill' to describe the treatment of experienced staff. Several senior staff have left the institution in recent years, further fueling the controversy. The open letter is supported by library alumni, such as Shane Carmody and Des Cowley, as well as prominent figures like musicians Paul Kelly and Tim Rogers, Professor Peter Doherty, and Brit Tom Holland.
The letter emphasizes the library's importance as a public institution, serving as a vital source of knowledge and community support. It criticizes the management's focus on the library as a cultural destination or events space rather than a place for knowledge dissemination and community nourishment. Gideon Haigh, a journalist and regular library user, highlights this point, drawing a parallel to a hospital without patients.
Despite the library's denial of some reports, the restructuring document has been seen by the media, and the concerns of the literary community continue to grow. The call for transparency and public engagement in the library's future remains strong, as the community strives to protect this cherished institution.
