ALIA submission in response to the Infrastructure Australia Audit, October 2019

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) welcomes the inclusion of education, arts and culture in the review of Social Infrastructure and the recognition of the vital role of libraries and other cultural institutions in supporting the quality of life, education, health and wellbeing of communities.
 
The 2019 Infrastructure Australia Audit report is a good summary of the issues facing National, State, Territory and public libraries. The growth in demand for physical spaces and digital access has rarely been accompanied by any increase in operating budgets and this is something we regularly raise with governments at all three levels. While investment in school libraries is briefly touched on, there is no mention of the disparity between library facilities in public and private schools. We would like to see this articulated in the Australian Infrastructure Plan and a focus on government school libraries included in the Infrastructure Priority List.