Top ten milestones from the first ten years of Auckland Libraries

It’s been ten years since the union of seven councils and seven different library systems into one library network with 55 libraries! 

Read on for our top ten milestones of the last ten years.

1. Auckland Council Libraries | Ngā Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau is born

We became the largest public library system in Australasia on 1 November 2010 when our super-sized Auckland Council was formed. Our buildings and collections merged, and a diverse range of staff following different library policies and offering different services came together. 

Since then, we have shared one huge library collection, cared for by our committed staff, who are dedicated to creating, uplifting and nurturing community taonga and sharing it in the most inclusive ways possible.

2. From Waiuku to Wellsford

Our customers take full advantage of the vast geographical range of Auckland Libraries by requesting, borrowing, and returning items through any of our 55 locations. 

Having a single membership that stretches across all libraries in the greater Auckland area means everyone has a welcoming space to visit, whether it’s your ‘local’ or not. Over the past decade, we have had over 100 million visits to libraries; and issued over 150 million items.

Our libraries stretch the length and breadth of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and are ideal day trip destinations. We also come to you with our mobile buses, homebound services, and pop-up libraries.

Use your Gold Card to take a ferry to Devonport or Waiheke Island and spend time in one of the beautiful libraries. Take the kids for a swim at the Ōtāhuhu Leisure Centre and then grab some picture books next door at Ōtāhuhu Library. Visit any of our stunning beaches and stop off at a local library for some beach reads on the way. Pop into Central City Library in between CBD shopping and a night out. Book a function room or get creative at the gorgeous Te Manawa community hub in Westgate.

3. History is who we are and why we are

Ten years ago, we also brought together the rich heritage and research collections across Auckland. The four Research Centres (at Central, South, North and West) became part of a cohesive whole. Our libraries were able to store suitable older books within the shared back catalogue basement collection at Central City Library and preserve their most precious and fragile items within the Special Collections. 

Our Special Collections are located on level 2 of Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero Central City Library and host a revolving series of exhibitions highlighting the extent of their collections, including ‘Waitui Ātea: Saltwater Realm’ and the current 'Food for Thought' exhibition. 

Over the past decade, Auckland Council Corporate Records & Archives have become part of Libraries and added depth to our heritage and research resources. 

Kura Heritage Collections Online was created to provide a single point of access to our unique digitised heritage collections. A multitude of heritage talks and oral histories have been published on the Auckland Libraries podcast. 

The most precious works in our collections are also able to be repaired and preserved by our specialist conservationists, including very special 200-year-old Māori drawings.

4. Serving our Māori and Pasifika communities better

Part of Auckland Libraries’ shift in culture was a greater commitment to Māori and Pasifika communities across the city. 

We’ve begun providing support to some local publishing ventures to encourage the creation of local stories, particularly in te reo Māori or Pasifika languages. 

Every Auckland Libraries location has a permanent Māori collection available, and you may also be familiar with our bilingual library names, helpful library signage in te reo Māori and our Māori specialist staff, who work across our library network. 

Our community libraries offer a broad range of activities, services, workshops and events celebrating te ao Māori (the Māori world) for all ages, with some events hosted in te reo Māori. You can also connect with our Māori specialists on our new Auckland Libraries Hāpaia Facebook page. 

We offer extensive Pasifika collections across our libraries and have a number of specialist Pasifika staff who support our Pasifika communities. You can join our celebration of Pasifika languages and cultures all year round at in our libraries and on the Auckland Libraries Talanoa Facebook page.

5. Online resources

Over the past ten years, Auckland Libraries have developed an immense range of online content. Just a few of our online databases cover:

• eLearning courses on Lynda.com from LinkedIn 
• Thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks 
• The latest local and international eMagazines and eNewspapers
• Free access to streaming TV shows, movies, cultural performances and documentaries on Beamafilm and OverDrive video
• Our own Kura Heritage Collections Online database
• Podcasts created in-house and available now on SoundCloud, Spotify, and other podcasting platforms. 

Our eCollections have grown in quantity, diversity, and demand. They currently make up over 20% of our transactions and are only growing in popularity.

In mid-2018 Auckland Libraries hit 5 million eBook checkouts on OverDrive. Only two years later we celebrated our 10 millionth check out on OverDrive with a book highlighted in our #GiveNothingToRacism and #BlackLivesMatter booklists. 

As well as excellent search features and the Libby app, OverDrive has many booklists available to browse. Look out for our 'Book Club' section with titles that are guaranteed available to check out and enjoy.

6. Easy to join

Last year Auckland Libraries made it even easier to join with our eMembership, allowing immediate and easy online access to our online collections and resources for anyone in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Just register with a valid email address and get started now!

7. Online spaces

Auckland Libraries online spaces became easier to access than ever before with a new, responsive website and Libraries app. 

You can access our responsive website using your device, or by using one of our public computers at our libraries. All our locations also offer free WiFi access. 

In 2020, the Auckland Libraries and Auckland Council websites became part of the Women's Refuge New Zealand Shielded Site programme - a web-based portal providing communities a safe and secure avenue to reach out for help.

This year, we also made it easier to renew books. Our autorenewal feature automatically renews most unreturned items on your library account for another 28 days – saving you time, and making reading even easier.

8. Easy to connect

Auckland Libraries is easier to interact with than ever before. As well as face-to-face connections with our staff at libraries, you can email or phone our Te Māpuna Library Connect team and interact with our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram). 

You can Book a Librarian for some in-depth, personalised assistance, or request a My Librarian list of personalised reading recommendations. Our librarians also support the live, online national homework help site, Any Questions?

9. Getting out and about!

Auckland Libraries continue to deliver a huge range of events and services, including city-wide reading programmes and our annual Top 100 book list. More than 13,000 Auckland children took part in Kia Māia te Whai - Dare to Explore last summer. 

Check out our Auckland Libraries Top 100 2020 and find out more about our upcoming all-ages Summer reading, sorted programme, which will be completely accessible via an app or browser on your device this summer (5 Jan - 5 Feb 2021)!

We promote our online resources to Auckland’s hospitals, hospices, and quarantine facilities. Our librarians regularly visit local schools, maraes, rest homes and retirement villages. You may also spot us out-and-about at events with one of the mobile buses or vans from our mobile and access service or even pedalling past on our Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero (Central City Library) book bike!

10. Kia Kaha Tāmaki Makaurau

We are proud that it has been possible for us to offer library services at every stage of New Zealand’s COVID-19 response. 

We had a huge up-take of our online services at Alert Levels 3 and 4. Auckland Libraries recorded 140,000 e-issues in the latest Alert Level 3 closure alone. Physically distanced services also became possible in the form of Ready-to-Go Reads book parcels at Alert Levels 1 and 2.

We moved many of our events online, including hosting Wriggle and Rhyme sessions for parents and tamariki on our community library Facebook pages and Heritage Talks delivered via Zoom video conferencing. 

During the Alert Level 3 and 4 closures, staff were redeployed to a variety of roles and made welfare calls to vulnerable residents as part of Auckland Emergency Management’s COVID-19 response, phoning more than 15,000 older Aucklanders, including kaumātua Māori, to check on their well-being. 

Since physically re-opening, we’ve been delighted to once again welcome back our customers and connect with our communities in person!