FINANCIAL DATA
Public libraries are particularly reliant on government funding for their operation, with 93% of their total income of $839m in 2003-04 coming from this source. The total expenses of public libraries in 2003-04 were $852.8m, of which $447.7m (53%) were labour costs. Other major expenses were purchases of library materials, and repairs and maintenance. The eight national and state archives were also highly dependent on government funding with $97.9m of their total $109.1m coming from this source.
10.8 INCOME AND EXPENSES OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES - 2003-04 |
|  |
| | | Local libraries | National and state libraries | All public libraries | |
| | | $m | $m | $m | |
| |
| Income | | | | |
| Government funding | | | | |
| | Australia and state/territory | 106.6 | 259.4 | 366.0 | |
| | Local | 415.2 | - | 415.2 | |
| | Total | 521.9 | 259.4 | 781.2 | |
| Income from services to clients | 18.3 | 12.0 | 30.3 | |
| Total income(a) | 545.2 | 293.7 | 839.0 | |
| Expenses | | | | |
| Labour costs | 340.8 | 106.9 | 447.7 | |
| Telecommunication services | 10.9 | 4.0 | 15.0 | |
| Repair and maintenance | 20.6 | 9.5 | 30.1 | |
| Purchases of library materials | 47.8 | 8.2 | 56.0 | |
| Total expenses(b) | 545.2 | 307.6 | 852.8 | |
| |
| - nil or rounded to zero (including null cells) |
| (a) Total includes other income such as fundraising, sales of goods etc. |
| (b) Total includes other expenses such as subscription payments, freight, etc. |
| Source: ABS, Public Libraries, Australia, 2003-04 (cat. no. 8561.0). |
According to
Cultural Funding by Government, 2005-06 (cat. no. 4183.0), the Australian Government increased funding for public libraries from $54.9m in 2004-05 to $66.7m in 2005-06, an increase of 21.5%. State and territory government funding of libraries increased by 16.9% over the same period, from $337.1m to $394.0m.
Australian Government funding for archives also increased, from $65.2m in 2004-05 to $67.4m in 2005-06. By comparison, state and territory government funding for archives fell by 22.3% over the same period, from $61.4m to $47.7m.
Substantial funding of libraries and archives also occurs at the local government level, but these data were not available for 2005-06.
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