Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions – Transition from West Gippsland Libraries to Myli – My Community Library Ltd November 2021



These frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) have been prepared to assist with answering questions you may have about the changes to the Library Corporation and the Not-for-profit (NFP). Contents NAMING AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT ....................................................................................... 4 Q. What’s changing? ......................................................................................................... 4 Q. Why are we changing? ................................................................................................. 4 Q. How was our name Myli – My Community Library developed? .................................... 4 Q. The new name Myli doesn’t have a link to Gippsland libraries. How will people know there is a library service in Gippsland? .............................................................................. 4 Q. What does it mean to be a Not-for-Profit?..................................................................... 4 Q. Will Myli have a new Board? ......................................................................................... 5 Q. When does the change to Myli take place?................................................................... 5 SERVICES............................................................................................................................ 6 Q. What changes will there be for staff working for Myli?................................................... 6 Q. Will members be able to have one access card for all libraries? ................................... 6 Q. Will members be given a new Myli library card?............................................................ 6 Q. Will there be an impact on the selection of books in the library? .................................. 6 Q. Will the library services still be free? ............................................................................ 6 Q. Will signage change on the buildings? ......................................................................... 6 LIBRARY FUNDING............................................................................................................. 7 Q. What is the current funding model? How will it be different as NFP?............................. 7 Q. Could this change mean that our Friends’ groups would be asked to do more fundraising?....................................................................................................................... 7 Q. What happens to the profit in a not-for-profit? ............................................................... 7 Q. Will there be any changes to the Council or State Government funding as part of the transition to Myli? .............................................................................................................. 7 Q. What are the control measures in place to ensure the same level of funding provided by Councils is maintained?..................................................................................................... 7 FURTHER QUESTIONS & FEEDBACK?............................................................................. 8

NAMING AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT Q. What’s changing? Our name is changing to Myli – My Community Library and we are becoming a Not-for Profit. The service our community knows and loves will continue to meet and exceed the expectations of our community. Q. Why are we changing? A recent change to Victorian Government law, asked all library corporations across the state to choose an alternative business structure within the next 10 years, so that we can continue operating independently. Library corporations are known for delivering great library services, so for us to continue what we do and with the full support of our three member Councils, Bass Coast, Baw Baw and South Gippsland Shires we are the first library corporation to choose to become a not-for-profit organisation called Myli – My Community Library. Q. How was our name Myli – My Community Library developed? Our name Myli has been developed with support from an experienced brand agency, that is designed to bring life to the Vision, Mission and Values we established as West Gippsland Libraries. Our Board adopted Myli after considering a number of naming options. For more information on how Myli was developed, please see our brand manifesto. Q. The new name Myli doesn’t have a link to Gippsland libraries. How will people know there is a library service in Gippsland? All our existing library services that we provide as West Gippsland Libraries will continue as normal. We will provide updates to Members and Patrons about changes along the way. We will be providing these updates on social media, e-newsletters, website, newspaper advertisements and of course you can ask our friendly staff at your local library. Our service is growing beyond our physical location and we wanted to choose a name that didn’t include a reference to a specific region. We will be promoting our library service beyond our name change so we continue to attract more members and users. Q. What does it mean to be a Not-for-Profit? As a not-for-profit with charitable status, Myli will provide a range of opportunities that will benefit you, our staff and Councils. As a charity, there will be fundraising opportunities that will support greater investment in our services such as increasing programs and support for you. More Councils can join Myli and be part of a growing organisation offering a specialised library service to other communities as well.

Q. Will Myli have a new Board? Our Board will continue to have 6 Board Directors that are representatives from our 3 member Councils. Our Myli Board has the opportunity to appoint up to three skills-based Board Directors that can bring expertise to support the future of the service such as philanthropy or fundraising experience. Q. When does the change to Myli take place? We are planning the Myli brand transition during October 2021 to June 2022. Our website and social media update, is expected to occur 1 December 2021.

SERVICES Q. What changes will there be for staff working for Myli? All the same staff that you know, and love will continue delivering our great service. Q. Will members be able to have one access card for all libraries? Yes, Myli will continue to be a member of Libraries Victoria and you will have the same borrowing access. Q. Will members be given a new Myli library card? All our new members will receive a new Myli library card when they join. We will gradually transition all our existing members to a new Myli library card over the next year or two. Q. Will there be an impact on the selection of books in the library? No. We will continue to invest in expanding our collections and resources at our libraries. Q. Will the library services still be free? Yes, all current free library services will remain free. Our services that already required a small charge like printing, copying and some inter-library loans will remain the same. Q. Will signage change on the buildings? Our libraries will continue to feature “Library” on the front façade and is consistent with some of our existing libraries (pictured: right). Q. Will we get a new website? Our website and social media resources will be updated to reflect the new Myli brand which is expected to go live 1 December 2021. You will still be able to access the website from either web address wgrlc.vic.gov.au or myli.org.au

LIBRARY FUNDING Q. What is the current funding model? How will it be different as NFP? Our primary funding comes from Councils and State Government, and this will continue. We plan, as a not-for-profit with charity status, to increase our revenue by establishing fundraising programs and promoting donations and bequests. Q. Could this change mean that our Friends’ groups would be asked to do more fundraising? Our opportunity as a not-for-profit is to fundraise for projects or programs to support you. Our Friends’ groups are already great supporters of our service and do a wonderful job fundraising and donating to our service. We do not expect Friends’ groups to do more than they already are. However, if the Friends’ groups want to do more fundraising, we welcome their support. Q. What happens to the profit in a not-for-profit? We will use any profit to reinvest in the services and programs that we provide to you. Q. Will there be any changes to the Council or State Government funding as part of the transition to Myli? No, there are no changes to the funding contributions from Councils or State Government with the transition for the Not-for-Profit. Our funding levels will remain consistent with past years under West Gippsland Libraries. Q. What are the control measures in place to ensure the same level of funding provided by Councils is maintained? The value of our service is measured by your membership and how you use our libraries. Our goal is to increase membership within the community by continuing to build the profile of our service and ensuring our community knows about the extensive breadth of the services we provide. You can help us by being advocates of our service. Simply telling a friend and encouraging them to join can benefit everyone.

FURTHER QUESTIONS & FEEDBACK We’d love to hear from you. Please let us know if you have a question that’s not included here or if you have any comments you can email us at [email protected]