Member for Parramatta Dr Geoff Lee has announced $500,000 in funding for City of Parramatta under the 2021/22 Public Library Infrastructure Grant program.
Dr Lee said the grant is part of $6 million worth of funding for 26 public library projects across NSW.
“This significant grant will help the City of Parramatta provide the furniture, shelving and fitout of the new 4,460 sqm Parramatta City Library, a significant landmark public library co-located with a range of council and community services,” Dr Lee said.
“Good libraries contribute to community resilience with quality facilities, great collections and access to the internet, and we are pleased in assisting in the upgrade of these critical services.”
NSW Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Ben Franklin, said public libraries continue to grow and provide access to services that help people at all stages of their lives.
“This funding is part of the additional $60M over four years the NSW Government is providing to enhance library services and facilities across the state,” Mr Franklin said.
“The NSW Government is committed to working with councils to enhance library services and facilities across the state.
“This funding allocation brings the total of State Government support for NSW libraries in 2021/22 to a record $38.6 million.”
NSW State Librarian Dr John Vallance said the funds will enable councils to develop or improve library buildings and mobile library services.
“Two years of fires, floods and plague have left the people of New South Wales more in need of strong, safe, well-provisioned libraries than ever before. Public library funding is one of the State Government’s most significant contributions to the health of our communities.”
The Library Council of NSW, assisted by the State Library, assessed the applications for grants under the 2021/22 program.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.