Any change in policy had the potential to impact membership, she said.
“Some libraries who have gone fines-free report an increase in membership, while some do not. Our goal is to have good systems in place that enable our members to manage their own borrowing easily and for as little cost as possible.”
The libraries, Tauranga Library, Greerton Library, Pāpāmoa Library and the Mount Library had on average 66,000 members.
‘‘Membership numbers can fluctuate as some people leave and others move to the city. All libraries measure their membership in terms of active members who have used the library in the last two years.’'
It expired all library cards annually, with 30 days’ written notice for people to confirm their details and whether they want to renew their membership.
“We receive great feedback on how we connect with people and the supportive services we offer. The content in our collection is highly regarded with members, who especially enjoy being able to access recent releases in multiple formats.”
Meanwhile, data reveals the number of eBooks and eAudiobooks members had borrowed jumped by more than 30,000 last year.
It lent 140,869 eBooks and eAudiobooks in 2021 compared to 173,218 in 2022, which Ryder put down to Covid and branch closures.
Friends of the Tauranga Library president Jill Best said it was originally established in 1984 to lobby for a new library building and it had a membership of 60.
“Like most organisations, Friends’ activities have been affected by Covid restrictions and Reading in Rest Homes has had to be suspended.”
Part of its goal was to increase the use of the libraries through public awareness and the advocacy of the library’s goals and objectives which encompassed initiatives like book clubs, applying for grants and producing a bi-monthly e-newsletter.
“This goes hand-in-hand with encouraging reading in general.”
The Rotorua Library has seen an average membership increase of 28 per cent every month since it introduced its fines-free initiative last year.
Rotorua Library acting director Tori Williams said it had been great as many members of the community had joined or re-joined the library.
“They now are not worried about collecting overdue fines.”
* To join Tauranga Friends of the Library, you can fill in the form on its website or contact the president on 021 260 3743.
Tauranga Libraries initiatives
- Low-Sensory Hour at Greerton Library. Every week, there is now an entire hour where sensory stimuli is reduced inside Greerton Library. This includes reducing lights, sounds and noise associated with re-stocking, and the checking out and returning of library items.
- Annual summer holiday reading challenge Kia Kaha te Pānui, with prizes, free craft activities and the free Beanstack app.
Book borrowed the most times
- The Sentinel by Lee Child was borrowed 328 times last year. Better Off Dead by Lee Child was borrowed 337 times in 2022.
- 1,199,513 books, magazines and DVDs were borrowed last year, compared to 1,331,987 in 2021.
