By Tessa Moran, Regional Reporter

CARROW FLATS — When the shire council announced in February that it could no longer afford to staff the Carrow Flats branch library, most residents assumed the small weatherboard building on Main Street would close within months. Eight months later the lights are still on, the shelves are fuller than ever and visitor numbers have risen by almost a third.

The turnaround is the work of the Friends of Carrow Flats Library, a volunteer group that formed within a week of the council's decision. Its 42 members now staff the front desk, run story time for toddlers, deliver books to housebound residents and host a weekly homework club.

'We had a public meeting in the hall and 120 people turned up,' said the group's coordinator, retired teacher Margaret Osei, 68. 'For a town of 1,800, that tells you something. The library is the only free indoor space we have. It is where kids wait for the bus, where farmers come to use the internet and where new families meet people.'

The council had planned to replace the branch with a fortnightly mobile library van, saving an estimated $140,000 a year. Mayor Peter Lindqvist said the decision had been 'one of the hardest the council has made' and defended it as necessary after a drop in state funding. 'We are a small shire with 900 kilometres of roads to maintain,' he said. 'Something had to give.'

Under the arrangement agreed in April, the council continues to own the building, pay for electricity and supply new books through the regional library service. A qualified librarian from the main branch in Dunmore visits every Thursday. All other hours are covered by volunteers working in pairs.

Not everyone is comfortable with the model. The union representing library staff has warned that relying on volunteers can allow councils to cut professional jobs permanently. 'Volunteers are wonderful, but they are not a replacement for trained staff,' said union spokesperson Anita Karan. 'Librarians do far more than stamp books.'

Ms Osei agrees, up to a point. 'We are not pretending to be librarians,' she said. 'We are keeping the doors open until the council can afford to do it properly. That was always the deal.'

The library's most popular new program is its Tuesday homework club, started by Year 9 student Liam Fenech after he noticed younger children struggling to find a quiet place to study. 'At home there are five of us in three rooms,' Liam said. 'Here it's quiet, the wifi works and someone can help if you're stuck.' Up to 25 students now attend each week, and three other high school students have joined him as tutors.

Visitor numbers tell their own story. Between May and September the branch recorded 6,200 visits, compared with 4,700 for the same period last year. Loans of children's books have almost doubled.

The council will review the arrangement in March. Mayor Lindqvist said he was 'genuinely impressed' by the volunteers and would not rule out restoring paid hours if the budget allowed. For now, the sign on the door still reads 'Open', in Ms Osei's handwriting, on a piece of cardboard.

'We'll get a proper sign made,' she said, 'when we know we're staying.'