Program to fund library facilities

Bethany Lutheran Primary School students check out the new library, watched by Member for Blair Shayne Neumann and school principal Neil Schiller.

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THE Federal Government is paying for 44 new or upgraded school libraries in the Ipswich region through its Building the Education Revolution (BER) program.

Stocking these libraries with books and staffing them is not, however, the Federal Government’s responsibility, according to Member for Blair Shayne Neumann.

School library associations have been critical of the government recently, saying these new buildings are unlikely to operate efficiently without more funds for books and librarians.

“It’s the State Government’s responsibility to pay for staffing, salaries and books,” Cr Neumann said.

“Every school that I go to, I see books, computers and staff.

“More than 90 per cent of principals around the country are happy with the program.”

The Australian School Library Association said the rush to build libraries had highlighted a shortage of teacher-librarians of between 2500 and 3000 around the country.

Only two schools in Ipswich out of the 44 with BER funding have “officially” opened their new libraries – Fernvale State School and Bethany Lutheran School at Raceview.

A third library, at Brassall’s Seventh Day Adventist School, is due to open soon and the others are “on the go”, Mr Neumann said.

Bethany Lutheran principal Neil Schiller said the school had employed a teacher-librarian since the 1990s.