Policies, Strategies and Surveys

Adopted - June 2022

The policy aims to

• Promote freedom of information
• Ensure equal access to the Library’s materials and information for members of the Clarence Regional Library
• Ensure the member understands their responsibilities when using the Library’s resources
• Safeguards the Library’s resources.

View Policy(PDF, 233KB)

For Review - 2026

Adopted - December 2024

The purpose of this Collection Development Policy is to assist in the acquisition and management of library resources and to account to our member councils and the public for the selection of such resources. Success of the policy to meet the collection needs of our communities will be measured through the Collection Needs Survey every two years.

The reasons for preparing a Collection Development Policy include:

• To enable the Library to develop a balanced collection of resources that provide for the educational, informational, recreational, and cultural needs of the people served by the Library.
• To identify the strengths and weaknesses of the collection, and to resolve any weaknesses and to continue to build on strengths
• To act as a guideline for future collection building

View Policy(PDF, 347KB)

For Review - December 2028

Adopted - November 2024

The purpose of this Fee Waiving Policy is to establish guidelines for dealing with customer loans for lost items and/or loans which move to overdue status.

View Policy(PDF, 238KB)

For Review - November 2027

Adopted - April 2025

Young people are core public library users and are the future adult users and supporters of our library services.

The Clarence Regional Library is committed to serving the information and recreation needs of young people. The library strives to provide a welcoming environment and provides targeted resources and programs to meet the needs of young people.

This policy outlines the responsibilities of the Library, Library staff and parents/carers of children and young adults who use Library facilities.

View Policy(PDF, 670KB)

For Review - April 2029

Adopted – April 2025

The purpose of the policy is to:

• Promote the Internet as a valuable and important research tool for information.
• Promote freedom of information.
• Ensure equal access to the Internet for members of the Clarence Regional Library.
• Ensure that the user understands his/her responsibilities when using electronic resources.
• Safeguard the Libraries resources.

View Policy(PDF, 650KB)

For Review - April 2029

Adopted - December 2020

The purpose of the Local Studies Collection is to provide materials relating to the local and family history of the area covered by the member councils of the Clarence Regional Library. Such materials will be relevant to the social, physical, economical and political heritage of the region.

View Policy(PDF, 2MB)

Review - October 2024

Adopted – April 2025

This Policy defines how volunteers are able to assist in operations for Clarence Valley Regional Libraries.

View Policy(PDF, 657KB)

For Review - April 2029

The Clarence Regional Library Strategic Plan 2024-2034 is a blueprint to guide the development of our library services for the next ten years. This Plan will inform our areas of focus and the actions we will take over the coming years to align our services and operational decisions with the needs of our community.

The four essential elements to any library service model – spaces, services, collections, people and culture – form the strategy spine. They provide direction and focus for what needs to be done.

Three new lenses have emerged from the consultation process: stretch, reimagine and stand out. The three lenses bring imagination and creativity to the task of thinking about and planning for the future.

Strategy Plan 2024-2034(PDF, 4MB)

There were four areas of strategic focus for the Regional Library Service that relate to its purpose and vision. They were:

1. Community Service delivery: collections, programs and activities, service delivery and charters, marketing, promotion, community information, community identified needs and access.

2. Learning and Growth: staff professional development, skill and competency identification, staff recognition, celebrating success and team focus.

3. Business Systems and Management: standards, policies, procedures, guidelines, communication and organisational structure.

4. Resourcing: financial management and performance, asset management, staffing (human resources), building partnerships.

Strategic Plan 2012-2022(PDF, 517KB)

Strategic Action-Plan 2012-2022 (Reviewed September 2021)(PDF, 1009KB)

Clarence Regional Library has identified the need to develop a regionally focused Local Studies Strategy that encompasses the collection, access and dissemination of local history and genealogy resources.

The strategy provides a proactive approach to local studies, to help ensure that unique material, information and knowledge is not lost to the community.

Local Studies Plan 2011(PDF, 2MB)

Local Studies Action Plan (Progress report February 2021)(PDF, 800KB)

The purpose of this Collection Management Plan is to provide a summary of the internal policies and procedures and external guidelines that direct the maintenance of a quality collection of library materials for the Clarence Regional Library communities.

The purposes of the documents comprising the Clarence Regional Library Collection Management Plan are:

1. To ensure the Library’s collection meets the needs of the residents of the member councils;
2. To provide a guide to customers about what they can expect to find in the Library and inform them about the principles upon which selection are made;
3. To set down the parameters of the collections;
4. To support freedom of information;
5. To provide a basis for the most effective use of available funds;
6. To ensure that all parts of the collection are up-to-date, attractive and well maintained;
7. To identify responsibility for collection development and provide staff with consistent guidelines for the development and maintenance of the collections;
8. To provide popular and contemporary material including both fiction and non-fiction in a wide range of formats;
9. To provide resources for informal education by the provision of broadly based information and reference services;
10. To provide reference services and in-house research collections for formal education at primary and secondary school level;
11. To provide more in-depth research collections for Local History research within member councils;
12. To provide services and collections that encourages and promotes the joys of reading in children and help foster research skills.
13. To provide guidelines and procedures to follow in the case of a disaster that may threaten the safety of staff or the integrity of the collection.

Collection Management Plan(PDF, 3MB)

A survey of Clarence Valley and Bellingen Shire children to measure their satisfaction with the library collections and activities.

The survey was designed to gauge if the library is meeting the needs of our community’s children and see what current trends and interests are.

Childrens Survey 2020(PDF, 856KB)

A survey of Clarence Valley and Bellingen Shire residents to measure their satisfaction with the library collections.

The survey was designed gauge if the library service was meeting customer needs and see what current trends and interests are.

Collection Needs Survey 2018(PDF, 1MB)

A survey of Clarence Valley and Bellingen Shire residents to measure their use of, and satisfaction with local library services.

Jetty Research was commissioned to conduct a random and representative telephone survey of 400 local residents to: measure performance of its libraries across the Clarence Valley and Bellingen Shires in meeting users’ needs; and identify improvements for the future.

User and Non-User Survey Report 2016(PDF, 2MB)