Tamworth library: COVID-19 sees a drop in physical loans and increase in online use, Central Northern Regional Library annual report shows

Restrictions saw a 16 per cent drop in physical loans and a 75 per cent increase in e-loans and e-magazine use, the Central Northern Regional Library (CNRL) annual report showed.

When the library was forced to close its doors, staff had to quickly come up with alternative options, Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) cultural and community service manager Kay Delahunt said.

"Really the staff were busier than they have ever been, there hasn't been downtime at all," she said.

"I think libraries are really used to adapting to change, if you look at how much they have changed in the last five to 10 years we were poised and prepared for anything.

"Within two days we had click and collect operating.

"We have had an enormous response to it and it's up to the public whether we keep that going, we will ask the public."

The CNRL report showed that South Tamworth Library had the highest rate of self-serve checkout in the region.

E-movie use increased by 71 per cent and 20 per cent more readers chose to check out their books using self-serve than last year.

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During lockdown the library still ran online author talks and ran 50 hands-on at home Innovation Studio workshops with more than 3000 views.

Librarians originally found when the doors first reopened with a limit of 50, bookworms didn't stay as long.

Ms Delahunt said she expects that to change as COVID-19 restrictions relax further.

"The knitters group can now come back as a full group and we have Multicultural Tamworth doing their language coaching," she said.

At the CNRL annual general meeting, Walcha councillor Bill Heazlett was re-elected as chair.

TRC pays about $809,906 each financial year to be a member of CNRL.