Pests banned from Wairarapa libraries

Information released by the three Wairarapa district councils shows no one has been trespassed from the library in Carterton, or Martinborough, in the last three years. PHOTO/FILE

Carterton and Martinborough have the best-behaved library users -- or the the most patient librarians -- if trespass notices are any indication.

Information released by the three Wairarapa district councils shows no one has been trespassed from either Carterton or Martinborough Library in the last three years.

Masterton has trespassed two people, one person has been trespassed twice in Featherston and one trespass notice had been served by Greytown Library during the same period.

South Wairarapa District Council amenities manager Helen McNaught said their "library staff are extremely tolerant folk who work very hard to manage problem behaviour without needing to trespass people".

However South Wairarapa librarians did have the ability to issue informal bans for periods of up to six weeks, which were generally used for children who "had been disruptive beyond the bearing of the staff and other customers", Ms McNaught said.

Carterton District Council community development manager Carolyn McKenzie said the town's librarians were extremely patient people.

"They don't stress at little things either and know most of the 'problematic' customers and so can deal with them really well. That's the advantage of being a community library."

Masterton District Council spokesman Sam Rossiter-Stead said both males trespassed from Masterton Library had been trespassed for behaving inappropriately towards women or children.

"Our library staff are extremely vigilant in monitoring the behaviour of library users and there have been no further incidents," Mr Rossiter-Stead said.