The QPLA Executive Board undertook a tour of SLQ’s Public Library Services headquarters locate in Cannon Hill, Brisbane.
A big thank you to Margretha and the team at PLS for hosting and sharing so much information around PLS operations and the amazing services they provide to support public libraries throughout Queensland. QPLA highly recommend taking the time to drop into PLS if you’re in Brisbane so you can see what is on offer to your library service.
PLS provides equitable access to information for the RLQ and IKCs across Queensland. There are 29 RLQs with 68 branches and 29 IKCs. PLS supports the collections across these services points for both physical and online collections.
Fast facts:
- PLS manages over 4000kg of freight weekly – they have some robust manual handling processes
- Australia Post is used for deliveries, however libraries located in Brisbane area select and transport their LOTE or bulk loan materials from Cannon Hill
- there are 6.5FTE doing the collections work for the RLQ/IKCs
- PLS budget covers freight costs both in/out of the facility for the RLQ and IKC collections, with Independent services paying their return freight costs
- there are 3 exchanges per year to rotate stock for RLQ and IKCs – a minimum of 1000 items per branch per exchange
- 150,000 items are located onsite at Cannon Hill, with over 250,000 items out in branches across the state
- PLS manage the new and deleted stock for this collection supported by profiles managed by Peter Pal, James Bennett, ALS and the range of large print vendors to provide a stable common use collection – for every new item added another item is weeded
- bulk loans for LOTE materials are provided for all Qld Public Libraries statewide LOTE materials – 58 languages with around 50,000 books on site and around 40,000 items out in branches across the state
- Aurora is the library management system
- PLS manage access to digital collections for RLQ/IKCs which includes Bolinda, Libby, StoryBox Library
- The PLS team also oversee the statewide subscriptions to Ancestry, LinkedIn Learning, LOTE via Cloud Library, AustLit, Parent TV and Gale Interactive.
- Statewide access to other collections for bulk loans includes: manga, LOTE, the new Dyslexia collection, audio books and Book Club sets – over 375 sets available to borrow>
Nicole Hunt
QPLA President