Auckland Libraries blog

Did you know Auckland Council Libraries collaborates on content creation projects?  Have you ever walked into a library and struggled to find something that reflects your culture or learning needs, or resonates with your community's experiences? We understand that feeling at Auckland Council Libraries.  That's why we created the content creation programme, a dynamic initiative where we partner with community members, organisations and publishing partners to bridge these content gaps and ensure our resources reflect the rich diversity of Tāmaki Makaurau.  Our content creation programme aims to address identified needs within our diverse communities. This can take the form of books in various languages, podcasts and videos exploring local history or digital resources that empower and celebrate the tapestry of cultures within Auckland. Working together is key to finding solutions Our collaborative process is open and inclusive. Our librarians are well-connected to community groups

Due to maintenance, our online library services will be unavailable on: Wednesday, 17 April, 5am - 6am Thursday, 18 April, 6am - 7am The outages will include searching for library items in the library catalogue, logging in and managing your account, paying online and joining the library.   The outages will also affect our eCollections platforms, the Auckland Libraries app and our eLearning resources. Our apologies for this inconvenience.

News Young Aucklanders have been busy readers this summer!  Imagine exploring Kiwi myths beneath the summer sun, or encountering fantastical creatures between ice cream breaks – that's the magic Auckland kids discovered with the Raumati Reads Kiwiana reading challenge. Whether you took your books to the beach, on a camping trip or just cosied up in a sunny corner at home, we hope you found your new favourite stories while powering through your reading activities. Now, we celebrate the lucky tamariki who unlocked a world of prizes with their love of reading! Prize winners Tū Meke Prize Draw Kids earned one entry for every five reading activities completed!  Congratulations to:  Wani (7, Onehunga Library) – Lenovo Tablet Ethan (7, Panmure Library) – Sky Tower Family Pass  Reeja (8, Papatoetoe Library) – Auckland Zoo Family Pass  Anita (8, Manukau Library) – Kiwiana Whānau Hamper Saoirse (8, Takapuna Library) – $100 Giftpay eVoucher Beanstack Top Readers Prize Draw Kids who logg

Due to refurbishment work on the building, Helensville Library and Service Centre is currently only able to offer a click-and-collect service and ‘Take 5’ book packs.  What you need to know The returns slot is open at Helensville Library while work is underway.  You can also return your library items to any library branch in Tāmaki Makaurau . Note: There are no fines for returning library items after the due date, so please don’t worry if you can’t return your items right away. Requests are available to collect from staff at the door during opening hours. 'Take 5' book packs are also available to browse and check out at the library. Free WiFi  is available and accessible from outside the library. Regular events and programmes (such as Kids Time, Crafternoons, Book Chats and visits to ECEs) are continuing while the library is closed. Staff are available to support with Skinny Jump registrations and online Council services . Staff can support you with printing rates invoices

The 2023 General Election will be held on 14 October, with voting opening on 2 October 2023.  Everyone's voice is important! We've put together some information on how we can support you to enrol to vote and get ready for the general election. Enrol to vote Enrol online through the Vote.NZ website You will need to have a New Zealand driver's licence, New Zealand passport or RealMe verified identity. Other ways to enrol  - Vote.NZ website There are a number of other ways to enrol, including mailing in a signed paper enrolment form. We can support you to print one of these in the library from the Vote.NZ website. The Electoral Commission can also mail one out to you. If you currently aren’t housed, you can use your last residential address where you lived for at least one month, even if that was some time ago. It can also be the address of a friend, family member, church or support group. Visit vote.nz for more information . Watch Electoral Commission NZ | Te Kaitiaki Take Kō

For some time, Aucklanders have been changing how they access our research services and heritage collections, with an increasing number of people choosing to engage with our collections and expertise through online channels.  From 30 September, we will be making some changes to the services and hours of our Research Centres and the Special Collections Reading Room. Hours and service changes from 30 September Research Central (Level 2, Central City Library) Monday – Friday, 10am – 6pm Saturday, 10am – 5pm Sunday – Closed. Special Collections Reading Room (Level 2, Central City Library) Monday and Tuesday – Closed. Wednesday – Friday, 12pm – 5pm (Appointments only) Saturday, 10am – 5pm (Appointments only) Sunday – Closed. Visitors to Central City Library can get in-person assistance from staff at the Research Central desk from Monday to Saturday.  Research South (Level 2, Manukau Library) Monday – Friday, 12noon – 5pm Saturday and Sunday – Closed. Research West and North closure informat

Re-opening update We are pleased to announce that St Heliers Library will re-open in its original location on  Tuesday 15 August 2023  at 10am. The temporary library location at Tāmaki Ex-Services Association Hall will close from Sunday 6 August at 4pm.  While both locations are closed (7-14 August 2023), you can access library services nearby in  Glen Innes ,  Panmure  and  Remuera  or at any of our other  library locations .  We can't wait to welcome you back to the library!  Read more on Our Auckland. 21 July 2022 announcement  From 1 August 2022, St Heliers Library is undergoing works for earthquake strengthening, a new roof and internal refurbishment. While these works are underway, most library services are available at Tāmaki Ex-Services Association Hall on the corner of Polygon Road and Turua Street, St Heliers.  The work on the St Heliers Library building is supported by Ōrākei Local Board. Read more on Our Auckland . Temporary location operating hours and services Operat

Point Chevalier Library is temporarily relocating to the Annex at Point Chevalier Community Centre on Huia Road. The temporary location is set to open on Monday 20 February 2023. Check out  the library's Facebook page for the latest updates on their opening. Point Chevalier Library closed as a precautionary measure in October last year due to ongoing building issues. Read more on Our Auckland Since the library’s closure, some services have been operating out of our mobile library in Point Chevalier Square. Our new temporary library location will let us return to normal opening hours and offer more library services, such as collecting holds. We can’t wait to see you there! Finding the new location The Point Chevalier Community Centre is located at 18 Huia Road, around the corner from the closed library. The temporary library is situated in the Annex room, behind the community centre building pictured below.  Point Chevalier Community Centre from Huia Road (library entrance via pat

We've done the maths, and the results are in for our top checkouts for 2022! This year's most-borrowed titles show an enduring love and loyalty around favourite authors and series, whether local or international.  Explore our top checkouts and check them out yourself at your local library! Most-borrowed fiction 2022 Blue moon by Lee Child Grown ups by Marian Keyes The night fire by Michael Connelly Where the crawdads sing by Delia Owens Fair warning by Michael Connelly Most-borrowed fiction by Aotearoa New Zealand authors 2022 Before you knew my name by Jacqueline Bublitz Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason To Italy, with love  by Nicky Pellegrino Auē by Becky Manawatu The girl in the mirror by Rose Carlyle Most-borrowed non-fiction 2022 Veg by Jamie Oliver This much is true by Miriam Margolyes Vegful by Nadia Lim Atomic habits by James Clear The mirror book: a memoir by Charlotte Grimshaw Most-borrowed non-fiction by Aotearoa New Zealand authors 2022 Vegful by Nadia L

As part of our We Read Auckland | Ka Pānui Tatau i Tāmaki Makaurau programme, we asked Auckland’s readers to join us on an all-ages reading adventure across Tāmaki Makaurau.  Open to readers of all ages, customers could read whatever they liked for as long as they wanted, with special encouragement to discover and read books by Auckland’s fabulous authors. For every 20 minutes of reading logged using the Auckland Libraries Beanstack platform , our readers collected digital badges depicting Tāmaki Makaurau landmarks. From South Auckland’s Hunua Ranges, readers 'travelled' across the Auckland region from East to West and then over the Harbour Bridge, ending their reading journey in the North at Okakari Point / Goat Island Marine Reserve. As they read their way across Auckland, discovering local authors and titles along the way, they also earned entries into draws to win prize packs of books by Auckland authors. Thank you to everyone who joined our reading road trip, and congratul

Our libraries are an inclusive and supportive space for everyone – members of the rainbow community can and should feel safe at their local library. Drawing from their own experiences, staff at Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero Central City Library who identify as LGBTQ+ – and their allies – came up with the idea for Rainbow Connection. This pen pal programme has been designed for people to connect with others with similar stories and experiences. If you or someone you know would like to get involved, sign up before 19 June  and we will match you up with a pen pal. You must be aged 18 or over to take part. Below are some stories from a few of our staff about their experiences being queer in Aotearoa and how pen pals have helped them find support, understanding and joy. Rhi Lennox (they/them) I’ve been writing letters to one of my best friends for a few years now – ever since she moved down to Wellington for uni. These letters feel really meaningful to me and are an important part of our friendship.

It will come as no surprise that we love sharing great books and stories, but did you know that we publish our own books? In 2020, we established a small but exciting publishing partnership programme to create and publish the pukapuka that we need more of in our libraries, with a particular focus on increasing our Māori and Pacific collections. Many New Zealand publishers are already doing amazing work creating Māori and Pasifika books, and we wanted to play a part too. The books we’ve published so far focus on te reo Māori and Pasifika languages and storytelling, often with a local angle. They promote literacy and help ensure that our libraries continue to be places of belonging for all Aucklanders. We follow a unique partnership approach, collaborating with local communities to create stories and working closely with publishing partners to bring these stories to life. Most recently, Auckland Council Libraries joined The Publishers Association of New Zealand / Te Rau o Tākupu as a me

This year’s Te Ara Poutama Level Up summer reading challenge ran from 13 December until 28 January and was open to tamariki aged 5-12 years and teens aged 13-18 years. Each reader who registered received a free customisable library bag to fill up with lots of summer reading material. Each was encouraged to read every day, whatever they liked and for as long as they liked. They also had activities to choose from, giving them lots of ideas for levelling up their reading and recreation time. Together, our Level Up readers logged over 20,000 days of reading over six weeks – ka rawe (awesome)! As they logged, they were also earning entries into our Summer Prize Pack draws. We’re so proud of all our Level Up readers for spending their summer reading up a storm, learning something new, trying something different and having lots of fun with whānau, friends and their communities! Congratulations to all Level Up readers, and to our Level Up Summer Prize Pack winners! 2021/2022 Te Ara Poutama Lev

The refurbishment of East Coast Bays Library is on track, and we’re excited to announce that East Coast Bays Library will be re-opening to the public on 14 August.  The opening day will be a celebration with family fun and activities and will include tours of the refurbished building. In preparation for opening day, the temporary library at the East Coast Bays Community Centre (2 Glen Road, Browns Bay) will close from 5pm, Sunday 8 August.  Our mobile library team will be on-site at the Community Centre from 9 - 11 August for browsing, borrowing and returning library items. Please note: Requested library items on the hold shelf will not be available from 9 - 13 August. Library services will not be available at the Community Centre or East Coast Bays Library on 12 and 13 August. The closest library for browsing and returning library items on these dates is Albany Village Library . We are looking forward to seeing you all at our opening day and welcoming you back to our beloved communit