Friday, 23 March 2018

Pop-up library to open in Upper Hutt city centre

After the Upper Hutt Central Library building was closed in February, due to earthquake risk, Upper Hutt City Council has now been able to organise a new pop-up library in the city centre, which will open on 26 April.

UPPER HUTT, Wellington NZ, 23 MARCH 2018—Upper Hutt City Libraries will be opening their new temporary pop-up library on Level 1 of the CBD Towers (84 – 90 Main Street), in Upper Hutt on Thursday 26 April.

“We are looking forward to, once again, being able to provide a full seven-day library service in the city centre,” says Council’s Director of Community Services, Mike Ryan. “More than just a collection of books and services, our library has always been an important space for Upper Hutt residents to relax, learn, share and browse, and the pop-up library will allow us to provide this space while we continue assessment and seismic remedial work on the Central Library building.”

The new space is 400 square metres, which will allow approximately 1/3 of the Central Library collection to be available. With a focus on new and popular items, the smaller collection will be moved and made available for the public to browse and issue. Although hold fees will be reinstated, free holds will continue to be offered for items that remain in the Central Library building—thereby allowing access to the entire Central Library collection. As well as providing books, DVDs, magazines, and other collections, the pop-up library will offer free computer, internet, and Wi-Fi access. The new space will allow Pinehaven Library to return to its regular hours, and the Mobile Library to resume its important services to schools and rest homes around Upper Hutt.

The space on Level 1 of the CBD Towers was chosen because of its availability, suitability, earthquake safety rating, and accessibility. Its close location to the existing Central Library building and other council services, as well as to the HAPAI building, which will continue to be used for some library programmes and events, is expected to be of convenience to all library users.

In the meantime a 24-hour returns slot is now available for use behind the Central Library building, adjacent to where the Mobile Library bus is currently situated on weekday afternoons.

About Upper Hutt City Council

Upper Hutt City Council is the steward and custodian of Upper Hutt City, providing governance, infrastructure, and community services and resources, and promoting opportunity in the city for business, recreation, lifestyle, and leisure. Upper Hutt City is located 30 km north-east of Wellington City (41°07'34" S, 175°04'06" E) and boasts 70% of the region’s parks and reserves, along with state-of-the-art entertainment and leisure facilities.

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