The council-run Rutherford branch celebrates its 10th anniversary today.

Ms Collard said the branch had become a great resource for the ­community and played an important role in providing a place where people could develop their literacy skills, whatever their age or background.

Initial plans to hold one story-time session to help children develop literacy skills each month in 2004 underestimated the new library’s popularity.

The branch now holds four story-time sessions each week.

Ms Collard said 1500 children attended organised events at Rutherford last year and more than 500 took part in school holiday ­activities.

“A lot of what we do is free of charge,” she said. “The atmosphere is of tolerance, accessibility and ­welcomeness. The library is a safe place and is a place of diversity.

“There’s a really strong element of social interaction as well.”

Staff, library users and business representatives will join mayor of Maitland, Cr Peter Blackmore and council general manager David Evans to celebrate the 10-year milestone at a morning tea today.

Tuesday’s state budget also brought some welcome news with the announcement that an extra $15 million would be injected into public libraries across NSW over the next four years as part of the new Public Library Infrastructure Fund.

Government funding dropped from a 23 per cent share in 1980 to 7 per cent in 2013, with councils expected to cover the remaining operational costs of libraries.