National Library of Australia axes some Saturday services in response to federal budget cuts
Updated
The National Library of Australia has announced it will axe some Saturday services to make savings in its budget.
The library will no longer employ staff on Saturdays to fill book deliveries.
Reading rooms will be closed on public holidays, and cataloguing services will be reduced.
In the federal budget the Government announced it would save $2.4 million over four years by amalgamating the backroom functions of several cultural institutions.
The institutions included the National Library of Australia, the National Film and Sound Archive, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Gallery of Australia and Old Parliament House.
Community and Public Sector Union spokesman Beth Vincent-Pietsh said the reduction of services at the library was disappointing.
"It's a pretty sad day when you rock up to the National Library and you have to bring your own book," she said.
"I think a lot of people will be looking to the National Library thinking it's a pillar of what it does, that you'll be able to access their collections on a Saturday."
Ms Vincent-Pietsh has warned it is not just the library which is struggling after the federal budget.
"Whether it be the library, or the National Film and Sound Archive, or the War Memorial, all are facing cuts," she said.
The director-general of the library, Ms Anne-Marie Schwirtlich, said in a statement it was required to regularly review priorities and manage budget pressures.
Ms Schwirtlich said staff at the National Library are committed to excellence, but the library must live within its means.
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