Library Plans and Policies
Library Services Strategic Plan
Bega Valley Shire Library Service is highly valued by our local and visiting community. Alongside our more traditional library services and our tailored collections of books and other resources, our libraries are also know for delivering a range of cultural, creative and learning opportunities, and as places where the community can come together and connect.
The Bega Valley Shire Library Service Strategic Plan 2020 – 2025 will lead the direction of the library services over the next five years. The plan is informed by feedback from library users, our community partners and library staff who know and understand our customer needs well. It is also informed by peer review and research into the library sector, an analysis of our changing demographics and of the performance of the Library Service against other libraries in NSW.
Collection Development Plan
The Vision of the Bega Valley Shire Library Strategic Plan 2020-2025 is to ‘enrich the community through creative, future focused services, supporting lifelong learning and strong community connection’.
The collection, both in traditional and new technological formats, is at the core of its service provision and is considered a shared resource for the whole community.
Public libraries, by tradition, are expected to serve their communities without limits being imposed by customer groups or cohorts. It is, however, impossible for any library to have, locate, or provide every item that is required by every customer and to service all to the same degree. The quantity and range of materials that can be purchased in any financial year are limited by budgetary considerations. The collection building strategy is therefore based on clear priorities, with major collections and areas of perceived need being targeted on an annual basis for the purpose of allocating resources.
This Collection Development Plan (CDP) document will provide the guidelines for developing a collection that is relevant to both current and potential customers.
Library Services Procedure
Bega Valley Library services are an integral part of Council’s community services, supporting the Bega Valley Shire as a learning community. Our libraries support the cultural, economic and social wellbeing of the Bega Valley and its communities and aim to enrich the community through creative, future-focused library services, supporting lifelong learning and strong community connections.
The Library Services Procedure identifies the way in which Bega Valley Libraries aim to support our communities and provides information about library membership and conditions, library services and programs, loans, renewals, overdue items, and computer use guidelines.
Overdue Materials Procedure
Bega Valley Library Overdue Materials is guided by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) standards and advises of the process for overdue library materials. If a borrower fails to return items by the due date the library will suspend borrowing privileges until items are returned to the branch