From fitness to finance sessions, local libraries evolving as patrons soar

From fitness classes to financial information sessions, public libraries are modernising and offering more amid a surge in users and a cost-of-living crisis. Plenty on offer The latest annual report produced by The Australian Library and Information Association and National and State Libraries Australasia shows attendance for library programs has almost doubled nationally in recent years, up from 3.5 million participants in 2020-21 to more than 6.1 million in 2022-23. In the Rockhampton region, almost 60,000 people attended programs last financial year, an increase of 37 per cent on the 2022-23 financial year and the highest number ever recorded. "Libraries always change to reflect their community and what the community's needs are," Ms Warburton said. "A library, for example, in Rockhampton is probably very different to a library on the Gold Coast because those communities are different and have different needs," Ms Warburton said.