New village library and area office opens in Albany

Thirty thousand crisp new books are lined up waiting to be borrowed from North Shore City's first new library since the city's formation in 1989.

The new Albany Village Library and Area Office opens to the public at midday this Wednesday May 5.

The building will be officially opened earlier that day with a dawn blessing followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony carried out by North Shore Mayor, George Wood.

The chairperson of North Shore City's community services and parks committee, Margaret Miles, will then issue the library's first book to Albany resident June Chitty, who is the custodian of the old Albany War Memorial Library.

Councillor Miles says the library is desperately needed in the rapidly growing area.

"People in Albany have waited a long time for this library. Until now they have had to travel to our Glenfield or East Coast Bays libraries, and I know that residents and schools are really looking forward to the ease of using their own local library."

The new library and area office share 500 sq m premises on the ground floor of a new three level building in Kell Drive. They will offer the services available at all other libraries and area offices, and introduce some new ones.

Councillor Miles says the building has been designed so the Albany Area Office sits within the library, making it a one-stop-shop for residents seeking council services and information.

"We believe integrating these two council services makes perfect sense - both are in the business of helping residents who are seeking information."

The library, the city's seventh, will be open seven days a week. It will be the first in the city to offer DVDs to borrowers, and is the second to have a learning centre, so library members can learn how to use computers and access the internet. Glenfield Library has the city's other learning centre.

Pre-school lapsit sessions, popular at all other libraries, will be held every Wednesday at 9.30am.

Around a dozen librarians will staff the library, which will be open from 9am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday, and 9.30am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The area office will be open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Its services will include accepting all council payments, dog registration, GIS and other council information.

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