City of Newcastle books top spot with State’s most popular libraries

City of Newcastle Libraries are the best in NSW according to the State Library of NSW, out-performing library services across the state with loans of more than 1.5 million items annually.

The result puts Newcastle's libraries in first place on the annual statewide list, with Newcastle residents borrowing almost four times more than the NSW average.

Cr Deahnna Richardson, City of Newcastle Director of Museum Archive, Libraries and Learning Julie Baird, Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and regular library user Benta Okumu enjoying the children's corner at Wallsend Library with Gene and Taron Walker, Harry Ballantyne and Lamara Opiyo.

Newcastle Libraries smashed State averages across a range of categories, receiving more than double the number of visits, and running twice as many events and programs for twice as many attendees.

The statistics were compiled by the State Library of NSW for the 2022-23 financial year.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Newcastle Libraries are achieving excellent results across the board.

"Newcastle Libraries provide a great value, much-loved, convenient service that consistently out-performs other public libraries across NSW,” Cr Nelmes said.

"With long opening hours and plenty of branches, we make it easy for our customers to visit their library when and where it suits them."

Newcastle Libraries hold the largest collection in the state, with almost a million items ranging from books, artworks and subdivision maps to countless treasures that tell the stories and history of Newcastle and the Hunter Region.

"Our libraries play a pivotal role in the local community and with more than 130,000 library members across Newcastle, we know our community values them," Cr Nelmes said.

“That’s why we’ve invested close to $7 million into our library facilities over five years of capital works programs, including almost $1 million in the 2023/24 Budget to enhance and upgrade these popular community facilities and ensure the extensive collection remains up to date.

“This continued significant investment in our library infrastructure will ensure the much-loved facilities meet members' expectations and changing needs now and into the future.”

City of Newcastle Director of Museum Archive, Libraries and Learning Julie Baird said Newcastle libraries are more than just buildings that holds books.

"City of Newcastle’s libraries are a vibrant hub for borrowers, visitors and event attendees," Ms Baird said. 

"Our libraries ran almost 1900 events and programs during the 12-month period, fostering rich cultural, social and educational opportunities for almost 30,000 incredibly engaged visitors.

"This includes everything from linguistically diverse storytime sessions for babies and toddlers, to author talks, touring and locally curated exhibitions, and sustainability initiatives such as the Repair Café.

"We also run programs to support people in our community living with dementia, encourage lifelong learning, and deliver events and activities for both Youth Week and the NSW Seniors Festival.

"This is in addition to the commitment and dedication our hard-working staff extend to other core service areas, with every Newcastle Library staff member loaning out approximately 20,000 items per year, or 36 per cent more than the State average."

Newcastle Libraries Statewide ranking

• 1st in NSW for total items borrowed  
• 1^st in NSW for largest collection  
• 2^nd in NSW for the most opening hours  
• 3^rd in NSW for number of library branches
• 5^th in NSW for audio and e-books borrowed
• 8th in NSW for loans per staff member 
• 11th in NSW for total visitor numbers  

Highlights from the State Library of NSW 2022-23 Statistics about Newcastle Libraries

• Total visits: Newcastle - 620,984 / NSW average - 253,887
• Total items borrowed: Newcastle - 1,553,805 / NSW average - 399,017
• Number of events or programs held: Newcastle -1,892 / NSW average - 996
• Total event or program attendees: Newcastle - 28,593 / NSW average - 16,012
• Loans per staff member: Newcastle - 20,775 / NSW average - 13,286

Newcastle Libraries fast facts

• Total members: 138,228
• Number of branches: 11
• Items in collection: 963,793