I love the old saying: Good things come to those who wait. I experienced it first-hand recently when we officially blessed and closed the “old” library, with builders getting ready to kick off the renovations in mid-March. Woohoo.
The first major project I became involved in when I joined the council at the end of 2010 was the redevelopment of the H.B. Williams Memorial Library. The project was already on the books for several years back then, following the generous bequests by the Stanley Green Estate, Hannah Dunlop Estate and the Jessie Iris Jeffreys Estate, but no firm plans were in place. I was new to local government and frustrated by the apparent lack of progress. Since then I have learned that you need a good dose of patience in a slow-moving regime.
The H.B. Williams Memorial library is a much-loved establishment and is one of the most used council facilities, with up to 5000 visitors a week. Our library is so much more than just a depository for books. It is a hub where friends meet, where students do their research and where our kids learn how to love books, master reading and develop a thirst for learning. I take my two boys to the library every second Friday, and I can see that our library is bursting at the seams — and that this redevelopment will be loved and welcomed by all library users.
The library has had a long history by New Zealand standards. It first opened in 1869 as the Turanga Library, in a room in the courthouse. Patrons came by horseback or boat to the district and there were no roads overland. The library moved to several sites as its popularity grew. In 1967, the land and buildings for the existing public library in Peel Street were donated by the Williams family in memory of Heathcote Beetham Williams and the H.B. Williams Memorial Library was established, much as we know it today. The Williams family is still very involved with the library project and made another generous donation to assist in the redevelopment.
My favourite part of the library is the beautiful stained glass window currently occupying the back wall. Unveiled in 1993, the window measures nearly 40 square metres. Steve Hutton designed this artwork and 95 percent of the glass is hand-blown, handmade glass. Local kaumatua monitored the construction, ensuring the window was historically and spiritually correct.