NSW Libraries Return $4.25 for Every Dollar Invested

When Lindsay Nunez arrived in Australia from Chile in 2019, she faced a daunting challenge: helping her three-year-old son learn English in a new country. Her solution was free, welcoming, and just down the street.

The Lionel Bowen Library in Maroubra became the Nunez family's "second home." Her son didn't just learn English there. He made friends with Australian children, absorbed cultural customs, and found his place in a new community.

"It's not just about language, it's about culture," Nunez said. The library meant so much to her that she became a volunteer, reading Spanish books to children. Today, she works there as a children's project officer.

Stories like Nunez's are playing out across New South Wales 28.2 million times a year. That's how many visits public libraries receive in the state, where 40 percent of residents carry a library card.

A new report commissioned by the State Library of NSW has quantified what many already felt: libraries deliver extraordinary value. The research found that every dollar invested in the State Library returns $4.25 in community benefits.

The study, conducted by SGS Economics and Prescience Research, surveyed 1,900 NSW residents about what they'd pay for library services like physical collections, staff assistance, and welcoming spaces. They compared those responses with actual delivery costs and found the value far exceeded the expense.

The numbers tell an impressive story. Public libraries across NSW generate $735 million in community value annually. The State Library itself contributes $467 million. Together, they create $1.13 billion in yearly benefits.

State Librarian Caroline Butler-Bowdon points to another striking figure: librarians at the State Library answer 300 inquiries daily. "If you start to add up all the enquiries across the 365 libraries across New South Wales, it's a pretty big number," she said.

Libraries are evolving too. Several Sydney locations now operate 24 hours, responding to growing demand from students working on group projects and anyone needing quiet space outside traditional hours. Eastwood Library inducted 160 new 24-hour users in just three weeks.

The Ripple Effect

The research arrives as Sydney grapples with growing density and infrastructure needs. Eamon Waterford from the Committee for Sydney notes that libraries often get planned last, even though they're essential to well-designed communities.

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey put it plainly: "Libraries are not a cost to be managed. They are an investment that pays off socially, culturally, and economically."

For Nunez, no dollar amount captures what her library provided: "Invaluable. It's no price at all. It gave to me the opportunity to feel welcome, like feeling at home."