ECB recognises hard mahi Library looks ahead at 45

The 2019 ECB Community Awards were presented earlier this month. Among the recipients were Mike Parker and the Menzshed group with deputy mayor David Bassett (right) , Gen Packer and Mary Ryan and the Boomerang Bags group with ECB member Robert Ashe (below left), , and Maree

From Page 3

People are very, very welcoming to new people who move in.”.

Self serve check-out of books has meant librarians could have become removed from the public, but Jacquie says she and the other four staff have a lot of interaction with library users.

“There’s a lot of talking. We make a point of ensuring that there is as much face to face time as possible. It would absolutely not work here otherwise.”

Collections have been enhanced with the introduction of Smart Libraries, which allows library users access to material from Hutt libraries, along with Kapiti, Masterton, Porirua, Weltec and Whitirea collections.

The e pukapuka collection is a growing platform for ebooks, but Jacquie predicts physical books will always be a large part of the library. “I just can’t see them disappearing from our society,” she says.

Eastbourne library holds an extensive array of activities from baby bounce, to weekly Scrabble sessions and the popular seed and plant swap.

“The seedling swap has become a big community morning, with people swapping ideas and knowledge. It’s next level librarianship.”

Jacquie says the old days of being told to be quiet in the library are long gone.“A group of librarians is actually called a shush of librarians,” she says.

“The Eastbourne Library is a communal space.People meet and chat and catch up with one another, and I love the fact that we can run programmes and hopefully introduce new generations to the joys of the library.”

Looking forward, $1m has been budgeted for initial plans for improvements to the Eastbourne Library/Community hub in 2028/29.

Jacquie has ideas about how the library could be enhanced.

“I think we can get the most amazing space for this community, if it’s handled very carefully,” she says.

A museum display area incorporating the historical society, along with space for art to be displayed, meeting rooms and a space for classes such as yoga would be valuable, she says.

Currently the library has to turn away bookings for the old council boardroom above it, which is now booked solidly.

“It could be a huge asset for this community.”

HCC city and community services general manager Matt Reid says the provision is for a major refurbishment of the current building and will be consulted on. In the meantime, the council is planning on replacing the roof in the next ten years. "Other changes will be informed by how the building is performing at that time," Mr Reid says.