Digitisation of Hamilton too risky
Hamilton city councillor Garry Mallett argues that the cost of repairing the central library and ongoing operational expenses is not good value for ratepayers.
Our response is that libraries are an investment in the future of our people.
Many studies have demonstrated the value of libraries to the community, both economically and socially. e.g the 2011 report Dollars, Sense and Public Libraries from the state of Victoria, Australia.
Local governments invest in human capital (intangibles—such as the collective knowledge, talents and skills of an individual or a group of people) by adequately funding libraries, which, in turn, results in less crime and poverty through higher literacy rates and a skilled workforce.
Councillor Mallett believes there are digital alternatives for ‘‘nearly everyone’’ asserting the internet provides access to all forms of human knowledge and entertainment and that the internet is more convenient being accessible from anywhere at any time.
Our reply is not all households do have access to the internet, nor do all employees at work, nor do people necessarily have devices or phone plans that include data.
Libraries ensure everyone can have access to the internet, and also provide reliable, curated digital content, in contrast to the morass of unreliable or false content on the internet.
Furthermore libraries teach the skills of the internet needed by government departments and prospective employers. Information and digital literacy skills are made available through libraries to residents.
Councillor Mallett does not consider a ‘‘community hub’’ to be a primary or even a secondary function of a library, nor designed for meetings.
We say that public libraries have always acted as a community hub - informing, educating and entertaining with spaces for meetings and leisure activities.
Ideas and resources are shared and many people learn and thrive this way.
Councillor Mallett believes that storage of historic and heritage material can, in many respects, be achieved digitally and be accomplished better by specialist storage providers.
The Friends say it is risky to rely on preserving content only in digital form, as consistent and reliable digital preservation is not yet in place.
Content carriers can become obsolete, servers may crash.
There is value in seeing an original heritage document as many who visit the Tiriti o Waitangi and Women’s Suffrage Petition at the National Library of NZ will attest.
Locally there are over 800 metres of unique archives and manuscripts held at the Hamilton City Libraries’ archives.
Digitisation of this volume of material would be a significant task.
Lastly commercial storage providers do not usually keep the constant temperature and humidity levels needed for long term preservation and care of fragile documents or photographs.
- Friends of Hamilton Public Libraries Association Inc.
YOUR FEEDBACK
Do you think the city should retain a library? Or do you think the money spent on maintaining the library should be spent on other items in Hamilton? Have your say by joining the conversation online via our Neighbourly.co.nz page or write a letter to the paper. Send to: kelley.tantau@fairfaxmedia.co.nz