In 2023, the Springfield Central Library saw a significant increase in visitor numbers, reflecting a growing demand for its services.
Ipswich City Council Chief Executive Officer Sonia Cooper said the 2023 report card showed visitors 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.
“The Ipswich Libraries team continues to focus on delivery of key services while planning for the future in our growing communities.”
Libraries at Springfield and Rosewood were also extremely popular.
Springfield was the busiest branch with 257,000 visitors, a 23% increase, while Rosewood experienced a 31% increase in visitors.
“After several years of dynamic evolution that saw Ipswich Libraries open several new branches at a rapid pace, 2023 has been a year for consolidation,” Ms Cooper said.
“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 remaining to prepare the service for the predicted rapid growth in Ipswich’s population.”
Ms Cooper said more than 50 library programs had been delivered in partnership with other council areas or linked to council initiatives.
There had been a 38% increase in program attendance to more than 85,000, a 16% increase in programming with more than 2,000 events, and more than 400 outreach programs delivered outside library branches.
