The State Library of Victoria has scrapped a controversial restructure proposal after a public outcry, saying it had “created unintended concerns”.
Many of Australia’s most prominent writers, researchers and artists, along with thousands of members of the public, had expressed outrage over the proposal to cut 39 jobs and refocus the 171-year-old institution – and Australia’s oldest public library – on tourist-oriented “digital experiences”.
Under the plan, the public-facing workforce of reference librarians was to be more than halved from 25 staff to 10, while many publicly accessible computers would be removed.
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Staff told Guardian Australia they were concerned no public consultation had been conducted before the changes were decided upon, and that such significant changes were being implemented by executives who were acting in their roles.
In a statement issued on Friday morning, SLV management said it had decided to “withdraw the reorganisation proposal” after “careful consideration of feedback received during the consultation period”.
The library will “refine our approach”, it said.
“Any revised proposal will be informed by what we have heard throughout this consultation. Our focus will remain on strengthening services, modernising operations and ensuring the library continues to thrive as a leading home for history, arts, culture and knowledge for the next generation,” the statement said.
Guardian Australia understands the statement from library management regarding the withdrawal was circulated to staff after it was reported in Nine newspapers on Friday morning.
The backdown comes after more than 220 writers, scholars and researchers signed an open letter to the library’s board and executive expressing alarm about the proposal and calling for more public accountability. Signatories included musician Nick Cave, Pulitzer prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks, Nobel prize for literature winner JM Coetzee, Nobel laureate Prof Peter Doherty, Booker prize-winner Thomas Keneally and dual Stella prize-winner Alexis Wright.
Acclaimed writer Helen Garner, also a signatory to the letter, told Guardian Australia the library had been turned into “party central” and the proposed restructure would “bring disgrace on the name of our city”.
A Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) Victoria petition launched in early December in support of library staff and calling for a public meeting had collected more than 4600 signatures, and a separate public petition had nearly 10,000 signatories as of Friday morning.
Journalist Gideon Haigh, who led the open letter campaign, told Guardian Australia the dispute had “illustrated how badly SLV board and management are in need of renewal”.
In a statement on 7 December, library leadership said there had been “unsubstantiated attacks on board and management” and “recent public criticism” was “unfounded”.
The about-face also comes a day before a planned rally on in support of the library staff and Victoria’s public institutions. Union representatives and staff members told Guardian Australia the rally would still go ahead.
Mitch Vandewerdt-Holman, assistant branch secretary of the CPSU Victoria, said the union welcomed the decision to withdraw the proposal.
“This is the result of our members, the writing community, and Victorians standing together to support our beloved public library,” Vandewerdt-Holman said.
State Library management said on Friday that the restructure proposal had been intended to “strengthen its services in response to surging demand and to better manage the new and different ways that people are engaging with the library.”
They said the library’s “commitment to the people of this state has never been stronger.”
