The Democrats will shortly be announcing our position on the Coalition's tax policy. We are concerned about the implications of a GST on books, primarily that it could reduce access to culture. Everywhere, local government, higher education and schools budgets are being savagely pruned, threatening the ability of libraries to remain relevant. Brian Johns, managing director, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Books and libraries have played a central role in my life for a very long time, and my experience is probably no different to many other Australians because we are a nation of readers. It is hard to imagine where we would be without libraries and without organised information.
Libraries are at the centre of our shared knowledge.
Skilled librarians are particularly good at adapting to change. Over a century or more they have been finding new ways to organise information and make it accessible. Cultural and media organisations like the ABC are developing multimedia services, but we couldn't do it without the skills of librarians. We have a rich and extensive archive which is of little use without the people to tell us what's in it and how to gain access to it. Libraries and the skills of information managers are more important than ever in the new information and media environment.