Grants and Funding
Public Library Grant
The Queensland Government, through State Library of Queensland, contributes funding to local government to deliver library services to the Queensland public.
- Independent libraries - State Library provides cash grants to local governments that operate Independent public libraries. The grant is provided for the purchase of library materials in line with the broad definition of material prescribed by section 70 of the Libraries Act 1988. A proportion (up to 30%) of the grant may be spent on discretionary projects. The remaining funding must be spent on new library materials and does not include purchases for corporate libraries.
- Rural Libraries Queensland - State Library provides a notional grant allocation to local governments (under 15,000 population) which are members of Rural Libraries Queensland. This notional allocation collectively funds one central library collections, from which members libraries exchange of library materials four times each year. In addition, a cash grant is paid directly to member libraries that operate 6 hours or more per week. This allocation enables the libraries to self-purchase equipment/resources such as newspapers/magazines at the local level. The grant funding is automatically indexed each year for population growth, and is administered under a Service Level Agreement.
The methodology used to distribute the grants is calculated as follows:
- 66% is distributed as an equal per capita component
- 30% is distributed on weightings reflecting:
- population growth rates
- proportion of people aged 55 years and over
- proportion of people aged 0-14
- 4% is distributed relative to proportion of the Indigenous population.
This total is then weighted by:
- a location index (derived from Local Government Grants Commission)
- a dispersion index derived from the number of separate library services (including mobile libraries) and the population density.
Up to 30% of the funding can be spent on discretionary projects. The balance must be applied to collection purchases. The funding amount is indexed each year for population growth. The current model is in place until 30 June 2014. The grant funding is automatically indexed each year for population growth, and is administered under a Service Level Agreement.
Expanding Horizons grants
State Library provides annual funding of $250,000 to encourage the enhancement of Queensland public library service delivery through the support of key projects which support with the themes of Expanding Horizons. Funds are distributed to Queensland public libraries every second year under a competitive grant program for local library projects. In alternate years, State Library retains the funds to deliver state-wide projects which benefit public libraries across Queensland. Under the 2010-2011 grant round, funding was provided to 8 public libraries to promote and deliver family literacy initiatives.
Library facilities (capital works) grants
Capital works funding for public libraries is critical to ensure they remain vibrant community hubs. All library buildings require significant investment and regular enhancement. The Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program (LGGSP) targets councils that have limited capacity to meet their priority infrastructure needs and capital works projects.
Library buildings should be attractive facilities designed for efficiency, sustainability, accessibility and functionality. The Library building standards, Shared facilities standard, Mobile libraries standards and a Check list for new library buildings should be noted prior to commencing any building program.
Other grants
Find out about the other sources of funding that may be relevent for public libraries.
Funding acknowledgement
As a condition of funding, Councils are required to acknowledge the financial assistance provided by State Library of Queensland. By acknowledging this support, local governments are informing the community about how public funding is being spent.
If you are having difficulty downloading or viewing documents, please refer to our help page.
Last updated: 21st May 2012
Creatively engaging people with information, knowledge and community
