Auckland City libraries in Glen Innes and Mount Wellington will become a focus for lifelong learning as they open Learning Centres to help residents acquire new learning skills.

The Learning Centres will be used by learners of all ages - during the day by community groups and independent learners, and after school by local children between 8 and 12 who will be supervised by a Learning Co-ordinator.

The Centres are aimed at motivating children to become more confident, independent learners, able to use their learning skills for home, school, future employment, further education and improved quality of life.

Learning to find and evaluate information on the internet and through all the resources of the library will be a crucial part of the work of the Learning Centres, as will be study skills of planning and organisation – active, co-operative learning will be the order of the day.

The chairperson of the Council’s Community Development Committee, Penny Sefuiva, said the project was a dynamic display of how Auckland City libraries have responded to the challenges of the global information age and built on the way library-users have always used libraries as a place to study, learn and research.

Public libraries have evolved into knowledge centres where information, technology and learning combine to create an exciting user-led learning experience.

“This is the way of the future and our libraries are a great place for individuals and groups to tap into community networks,” she said.

“Education is a key part of social cohesion in our communities.”

She said the Council was delighted to have the Government playing its part in helping leverage the study support activities at the Learning Centres over the next three years. Ministry of Education funding is going towards study support staff and refreshments for the children. The funding application to the Ministry of Education was made in partnership with 16 primary and secondary schools in the area and was supported by Auckland MP’s.

Councillor Sefuiva said the council has been concerned about issues of inequity in the Tamaki Edge area, for example in Mt Wellington and Glen Innes where more than 50% of the population have no school or post-school qualifications and availability of technology is limited.

Another centre, proposed for the Central Auckland Library, will focus on using the internet and new technology to access information for the new knowledge economy.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
* Councillor Penny Sefuiva, tel: 846-0861 and
* Trish Botten, Libraries, tel: 307-7646.

© Scoop Media

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