Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise says libraries are imagination stations.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise says libraries are imagination stations.
Opinion
We’ve been thinking a lot about the future of libraries as we begin to formulate what our new library and civic building could be and have shared some very early concept designs with the community and the feedback has been positive.
What drawings can’t show is the vibrancy andactivity that will be possible within the spaces of the new building.
Libraries are so much more than just rows of shelves of books. Libraries are imagination stations! They are places that ignite inspiration, fuel passions, challenge ideas, and create wonder.
In a practical sense, they are places where people can meet up to explore their hobbies and pastimes. They provide opportunities for events, whether it’s workshops or presentations. Even now, without our new library building, our library team is pushing the limits of what a conventional library is.
A computer-generated view of the new library from the perspective of the corner of Hastings and Station Streets.
It used to be that libraries were a quiet space to read and study. Now they are abuzz with activity, still in a respectful way but with lots going on when appropriate. We’ve even got animals in the mix with our Reading To Dogs kids’ reading programme!
It’s no longer just books that people are checking out. We recently introduced a “seed library” where people can take or donate seeds from a whole range of plants.
The seed library is really popular and a great example of thinking outside the box (or thinking outside the books). It illustrates how the most important part of a library is creating a space where there’s something for everyone and everyone is welcome to be part of it.
Many people still love books, and we certainly have plenty of them. But some people want their “books” in a way that’s different to the norm.
They might want large-print editions, e-books on tablets, or audiobooks. Tick, tick, tick - at our libraries in Taradale and in Napier City we can help people out with whichever way they like to read.
There are also online courses, movies and documentaries and a very popular resource is ancestry and genealogy research support.
A love of libraries can start very young – Baby Bounce is a library session specifically for parents with babies - it’s a sanctuary for carers with kids in tow, school groups and young people who need a quiet place to study away from home.
For older people, it’s a place that’s calm and unhurried, a space that is relaxing and accessible. For job-seekers, libraries are a great place to check job ads or prepare a CV online.
We’ve reached an exciting phase in our thinking about our new library. We are at a point where we can get an idea of how the area could look in the future.
What’s just as exciting is thinking about what’s possible within the building once it’s up. I know this will eventually become a very special place for Napier residents.
We’re envisaging a community gathering space that all Napier residents can have ownership of and call our own. We see that already in our libraries and I know the love people have for those spaces will be amplified and extended to include this new build as well.
