VISITOR numbers at Rosewood Library have increased by 31 percent on 2022 with more than 57,000 people using the new centre in 2023.
The Ipswich Libraries Report Card 2023, handed down to council in the latest round of committee meetings, attributed the increase to a focus on increasing library programs. More than 2,300 people took part in 144 sessions hosted by the Rosewood Library.
Ipswich libraries experienced an increase in visitation at all locations in the last
year.
Access to free internet was a big drawcard at the libraries with more than 55,000 people accessing internet sessions. More than 7,000 people also accessed digital programs run by the libraries.
The most borrowed books were ‘Spare’ by Prince Harry and ‘Simply Lies’ by David Baldacci. The book Shadowlands from the Australian hit TV show Bluey was the most borrowed children’s book.
Ipswich City Council CEO Sonia Cooper said the 2023 report card showed visitor numbers at all branches increased considerably and the library programs experienced a resurgence in popularity exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels.
“Libraries perform such an important role for the community and customer demand has increased across all service points and outreach locations in 2023,” Ms Cooper said.
“Ipswich Libraries continues to focus on literacy as a foundation skill and provides key services to the community through face-to-face interaction, self-service and the online virtual branch … the team continues to focus on delivery of key services while planning for the future in our growing communities.”
The award-winning standalone Ipswich Children’s Library experienced the fastest growing annual visitation, an 85 percent increase to almost 230,000 visitors.
During the June-July school holiday period, an average 1,902 visitors daily and almost 6,000 loans were recorded.
“Quiet zones are in demand and after-school traffic has increased,” Ms Cooper said.
“Partnerships with council departments and community organisations have led to the formation of the Rosewood Collective Action Group and subsequently mitigated after-school pressure-points and over-crowding,” Ms Cooper said.
“After several years of dynamic evolution that saw Ipswich Libraries open a number of new branches at a rapid pace, 2023 has been a year for consolidation.
“An increased focus on business-as-usual improvements prompted reviews of library collection practices, outreach activities and staffing at all library branches, with considerable work still remaining to prepare the service for the predicted rapid growth in Ipswich’s population.”
