Upstairs, where general non-fiction sits with the West Auckland Research Centre, opaque blinds obscure an immense window wall view of suburban green, in case the sun damages the books. Given this is a purpose-built library - a joint project between the then-Waitakere City Council and Unitec - the need for blinds seems a bit weird.
In fact, the whole building is a bit weird. Outside, it seems warm, modern and welcoming; stylishly streamlined in glass and canopied in wood, proudly emblazoned with "LIBRARY". But instead of an entrance in the obvious place, on a civic square full of art, you must walk around a boring old chain cafe at the front to find the actual library hidden behind.
Then, once inside, the library's ground floor feels too long and narrow, all elbows, no cosiness. As if they dreamed a dream to star in Les Miserables, the bookshelves barricade the space so that people are forced to tiptoe around the edges.
The teenagers have it better, quarantined in their own room adorned by handwritten book reviews: Juno Dawson's "awesome" Mind Your Head "is if you need ideas to figure out life. Also if you are mental."
The first floor is also better: cosy sitting spaces and two portraits that complement each other: a Pacific woman triptych and a European gumdigger.
Unexpected benefits of taking the train to WC library: "wheel-clamping sharks" in the neighbouring private carpark prey off unsuspecting car-carried library visitors, according to an endearingly wet, 8-month-old YouTube video by classical guitarist Sasha Witten-Hannah.
I wasn't going to watch all eight hippie-kitsch minutes but I did, because he makes a good point, about the appalling stranding of breastfeeding mums. And then, hilariously, he gets photobombed. Sometimes, even in the library, the lure of the tragi-comic screen is irresistible.
