Riverina Regional Library lauded as a community 'lifeline' by locals in regional towns

Visiting regional communities without fixed libraries since 1978, the Riverina Regional Library (RRL) mobile service operates today through nine council areas.

Oaklands local Margaret Fullarton said she started using the mobile service 19 years ago.

"It's a lifeline for people," she said.

"People know that if they are a bit lonely, they can always just go to the mobile library and there'll be someone to talk to.

"When we were in lockdown and the mobile library couldn't come, my god, we were devastated."

Mrs Fullarton said the library is mostly visited by Oaklands retirees and schoolchildren, but she had noticed young mothers also using the fortnightly Wednesday service recently.

"We all connect if we're there at the same time," she said.

"We get information from each other, we lend each other books and tell each other what's good."

Lifelong Urana resident Sandra Carpenter started using the mobile library service over 25 years ago, calling it a "life saver" for the community.

"Don't ever close it," she said.

"Or the people who close it will be in deep trouble."

The RRL is currently in arbitration with Wagga City Council, who recently withdrew from the collaborative, over an estimated $5 million in assets including books, e-resources, money reserves and the previous mobile library truck.

With a new truck purchased, the mobile library is back on the road after a short hiatus last month.

"I was literally thinking, 'of my god, please don't let it stop because I don't want to buy books, they're way too dear'," Mrs Carpenter said.

"I would have had a heart attack if they hadn't kept coming."

Mrs Carpenter praised the prime mover's librarian and driver, Michael Ellis.

"Michael is fantastic," she said.

"He knows what you read now, so if he sees a book that he thinks you're interested in, he will tell you about it and give it to you."

The custom built library truck, which travels approximately 50,000 kilometres a year, carries more than 5000 items and enables access to 200,000 collection items from 19 branch libraries.

The truck also offers internet and computer services, book club kits, delivers to aged care facilities and hospitals and can accommodate school classes.

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Tarcutta resident David Poynton used the RRL mobile library for a decade before it stopped servicing the Wagga LGA due to the former executive council's withdrawal on June 30.

"It was a terrific service," he said.

As a contractor delivering mail to rural farms and villages in the region, Mr Poynton said he knew first-hand the importance of connecting regional communities through services like the RRL.

"There'd be half a dozen of us that would turn up in the hour you'd spend there, have a bit of chat and catch up with people," he said.

"The librarian that was running the truck around was excellent - he knew everybody and what everyone read."

Mr Poynton said he had yet to use Agile Library Service, the Wagga council's mobile library service which replaced the RRL within the Wagga LGA last month.

Agile is currently operating as a regular click and collect service to villages and suburbs such as Tarcutta until the arrival of custom-designed library vans.

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