4 October 2004

The 'idealibrary' opens in Botany

Manukau City Council's new $3.2 million flagship library opens officially tomorrow evening at 6:30pm. It opens to the public on Wednesday, 6 October at 9am, with a special family fun day to be held on Saturday, 9 October from 10am to 3pm.

While the library provides all the services traditionally expected from a library, it is also radically different and offers a number of high-tech twists. It is laid out and will operate on the principles of retail design and customer service to provide a unique lifestyle experience for users.

It is the country's first public library with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system to enable librarians to use an RFID antenna to scan shelves for books that are missing or in the wrong place.

The library has the latest self-issue system which allows users to scan their library card and the books they require, and follow a series of simple prompts on a computer screen.

The 900m2-space is designed to accommodate a variety of customer needs and requirements, including the extensive collection of 35,000 items (books, magazines, newspapers, CDs, DVDs and CD-ROMs).

Other features include a cafe, a focus room with video conferencing facilities, a computer room with Internet and electronic database access, and a groovy leisure lounge where 'cool' people will love to hang out. A showplace area at the front of the library will be available to local artists and performers.

The library with operate seven days a week, with multiple late-night openings.

ENDS

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