Annual Report 2022-23

Insights

The research shows that communities overwhelmingly agree that libraries play an important role and are felt to be safe and welcoming places. Libraries are also succeeding strongly in their more traditional literacy and learning roles, encouraging users to read more and enjoy learning. Over two thirds of respondents also agreed that their library is changing and becoming more relevant to them and their needs, indicating that greater outcomes may follow in newer library focus areas, such as digital inclusion and enterprise.

Year on year comparisons indicate that libraries participating in the network have increased their impact from 2021-22 across six library dimensions and recorded the same levels of agreement for three dimensions. Two dimensions have seen lower levels of agreement in 2022-23 following a spike in 2020-21, and only two dimensions have decreased slightly overall since the project started in 2019-20.

A small selection of insights derived from filtering the dynamic dashboard by age, identity, status and location include:

• Respondents of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ancestry recorded higher than average scores for all outcome areas except for Relevance and Role

• Respondents who speak a language other than English recorded higher than average outcomes for all dimensions. They also scored highly in all event and program dimensions, particularly Learning, Creativity and Cultural Contribution

• Respondents across most age cohorts highly agree that they feel safe and welcome when using the library service and that the library is an important part of the place where they live

• Respondents aged over 80 are most likely to find that the library meets their informational and reading needs. They also feel that the library encourages them to read more, plays an important role and is a safe and trusted space, but have lower outcomes across other areas

• There were no significant differences in outcomes experienced by male and female respondents, however respondents identifying as an alternative gender recorded below average scores for four of the recorded dimensions

• Non-members scored below average in all dimensions besides Information and Skills, indicating they were most likely to value the library for information and reading needs, learning and gaining new skills, but less likely to value the role of the library than members

• Respondents who had used the library within the last week scored slightly higher than average results for most dimensions, particularly Time with Children and Enterprise

Insights

Strong levels of agreement - greater than 70% of respondents across the network - were recorded for four of the six ALIA/APLA outcome areas, with libraries felt to contribute most to the development of Stronger and Creative Communities (82%) and Personal Development and Wellbeing (76%).

Year-on-year data shows that four out of the six outcome areas increased in 2022-23 compared with the previous year, whilst Digital Inclusion remained the same. Community Engagement saw a minor decrease from 2021-22.

Results recorded by libraries for Stronger and Creative Communities, Community Engagement, Personal Development and Wellbeing, Literacy and Lifelong Learning and Economic Workforce Development were higher in 2022-23 than when the project began, while Digital Inclusion remained 3% lower. Economic & Workforce Development saw the greatest variation in results across the year-on-year data.

Insights

Strong levels of agreement - greater than 80% of respondents across the network - were recorded for three of the ILFA Learning outcome areas, with libraries felt to contribute significantly to Enjoyment, Inspiration and Creativity (82%); Attitudes and Values (81%); and Knowledge and Understanding (80%).

Year-on-year data shows that results for Knowledge and Understanding have improved from 2021-22, while Activity, Behaviour & Progress and Skills improved when compared with the 2021-22 outcomes but fell slightly short of their peak in 2020-21. Attitudes and Values recorded the highest levels of agreement every year, except for 2022-23 where it fell one percentage point below Enjoyment, Inspiration and Creativity.

Insights

Strong levels of agreement - greater than 80% of respondents across the network - were recorded for the ILFA Social outcome area related to Strengthening Public Life (81%).

Year-on-year data shows that results recorded by libraries in the network increased in Health and Wellbeing and Stronger and Safer Communities. Despite recording the highest scores, Strengthening Public Life fell slightly short of the 2021-22 results. Both Health and Wellbeing and Stronger and Safer Communities have increased overall since the project started in 2019-20.

Insights

As illustrated by the dimension results, libraries appear to be succeeding in raising awareness and facilitating learning in the traditional areas of reading and education, while also playing an important role as a safe civic space for their communities to connect. Increasing awareness of the changing role of libraries in developing business opportunities and job skills may lead to improvements in learning, application and confidence in these areas.

Year-on-year data shows that awareness, learning and application has increased in areas such as civic/community engagement, education, lifelong and digital learning. Reading and literacy, and early childhood literacy outcomes have fallen slightly across the three areas, particularly application which saw a peak in 2021-22.

Confidence surrounding community involvement, digital resources and education saw a sharp increase in 2022-23. Confidence levels for reading remained steady, with about half of the sample indicating the library helped them feel more confident in this area.

A small selection of insights derived from filtering the dynamic dashboard by age and gender include:

• Respondents aged under 20 recorded much higher awareness, learning and application associated with reading/literacy, and education; and higher confidence with reading, education and the learning process as a result of their library experience

• Respondents aged 20-29 demonstrated much higher awareness, learning and application associated with civic/community engagement and economic/business development, and greater confidence about reading and education and the process of learning

• Respondents aged 40-49 demonstrated much higher awareness, learning and application associated with early childhood literacy; and greater confidence with helping children learn

• Respondents aged 50-59 had higher than average awareness, learning and application in all areas except early childhood literacy. This cohort also showed higher than average confidence with their education and the process of learning, and lower results for community involvement

• Respondents aged 70-79 had greater than average awareness of digital learning services, and lower than average awareness of childhood literacy, job skills and economic/business development

• Respondents aged over 80 years had higher than average confidence when using digital resources

• Respondents who identified as female demonstrated higher awareness, learning and application associated with reading and literacy, and civic/community engagement

Insights

The data shows that survey respondents are most likely to be engaged users of the library, with more than half having accessed the library service within the last week. This figure has remained constant over the four years of the project, along with the percentage of respondents who haven't used the library in longer than six months.

80% used the facilities or services at the library (just 2% down from 2021-22), while 56% used library services online from home (up from 53% in 2021-22). Just under one third (29%) attended an event or program at the library, indicating a return to figures demonstrated in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

In 2022-23, 3% of respondents were not library members. This was slightly down from 2% in 2021-22, and of significant difference from 2020-21 when 20% of respondents were not library members. This is believed to reflect the increased use of online programs, services and activities provided by libraries during the Covid lockdowns, which encouraged the use of the library by people who were not traditional users.

A small selection of insights derived from filtering the dynamic dashboard by age, gender and identity include:

• Respondents aged 20-29 years are more likely to access library services online from home, and less likely to attend an event or program at the library

• Respondents aged 30-39 years are much more likely than average to attend an event or program, and more likely to identify as female

• Respondents aged 60-69 were less likely than average to attend an event or program. Over half of this sample indicated they had visited their library within the last week

• Respondents that identified as living with a disability were more likely to use the facilities or services at the library, but less likely to attend an event

• Respondents of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ancestry are more likely to be under 40, and less likely to access library services online from home

Insights

The data shows that survey respondents are most likely to be female (74%, up from 73% in 2021-22 and down from 76% in 2020-21), and in the 60-79 age group (42% in 2022-23, dropping from 43% in 2021-22). The largest percentage of respondents identified as speaking a language other than English at home (13% in 2022-23, down from 17% in 2021-22). The percentage of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander respondents remained the same from 2021-22, but saw an overall decrease from 2019-2020 and 2020-21. Those identifying as LGBTIQA+ increased from 5% in 2021-22 to 8% in 2022-23. The percentage of respondents living with disability increased from 7% in 2021-22 to 8% in 2022-23.

Insights

The data shows that the differences in dimension results by age group are not significant for eight of the 11 dimensions, with larger differences occurring for Skills (outcomes falling as age increases), Time with Children (lower outcomes for respondents over 60 years), and Digital Connection (lower outcomes for respondents under 20). The most consistent dimension amongst age groups is Safe and Trusted, with average scores ranging from 88-90%.

The data shows that there were not significant differences in the outcomes experienced by male and female respondents, with females recording marginally higher outcomes for nine of the 11 dimensions and equal outcomes for one dimension (Digital Connection). The one significant difference was for the Time with Children outcome, in which females recorded average scores 9% higher than male respondents. Respondents who identified as an alternative gender recorded slightly higher averages for seven dimensions, when compared to males. This cohort also recorded the highest average for Creativity and Enterprise.