ML & JM Field

38 Bruxner Crescent

GOONELLABAH

New South Wales 2480

The Secretary, 16.8.02

Senate ECITA References Committee,

Parliament House,

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Secretary,

As a regular and frequent user of public libraries we are very concerned at the disparity in public libraries’ provision of free access to the on-line environment.

We have used public libraries in Melbourne and Sydney, and generally speaking there is reasonable, if limited, access to computers and the internet free of charge, and libraries are open in the evenings and weekends. Moreover, you are never more than a few kilometres from a range of public library branches.

However, it is a totally different story when we moved to rural New South Wales. Here in the Regional Centre of Lismore we find that libraries have very limited opening hours, inadequate staff, no technical staff for computers etc. and inadequate numbers of computers. Here in the country residents just don’t have adequate free access to the on-line environment.

When we enquired why standards are so different in the country, we were told that State Government Funding in New South Wales is over 50% less than any other State, and further that there is no direct Federal Funding for libraries. Why not?

What exacerbates this already inequitable situation is the fact that line costs are higher in the country in many cases, and also there is limited access to broadband. Furthermore, country libraries don’t seem to provide training in internet use: they don’t have enough staff. Thus many country people remain ignorant of the help and information they could derive from the on-line environment.

Australia currently has developed a two-tier system – the information-rich in the metropolitan areas, and the information-poor in rural and regional Australia. This is a national shame and disgrace. Your Committee must highlight this disparity of provision.

I urge the Committee to ensure steps are taken by both Federal and State Governments to provide specific funding for the public libraries in rural and regional Australia so that country folk have fair and equitable access to the on-line environment.

Yours faithfully

(Martin and Judith Field)