Mahurangimatters 5 June 2013 | 23

Wellsford’s $3m library is due to open on June 17 with $100,000 of new items.The Auckland Council facility in Memorial Park on Port Albert Road has been in the pipeline for more than a decade and is five times the size of the existing library on State Highway 1.It includes eight computers, WiFi access, study spaces and a public meeting room. Air vents, underfloor heating, automatic windows and louvres help to keep the building warm and dry and around 115 solar panels will power lighting, saving $300,000 over 25 years.The building sits next to the Albertland and Districts Museum with an improved car park for both buildings. A plaza area connects them and includes the park’s memorial gates and flagpole. Snells Beach-based Springboard Community Works built outdoor seating.The library’s new selection equates to one third of the old library and includes 1285 adult books, 1999 children and teen books, 165 large print books, 20 CDs and 303 DVDs.Items were chosen by analysing usage at the old library, in Rodney and across the libraries network. The team looked at waiting lists and how many requests came from Wellsford.Auckland company Stryde Projects has led the overall build, employing local carpenters to work on framing and cladding. Materials have been purchased at Carters Warkworth, equipment has been hired from Wellsford Hire and the aluminium supplied by Whangarei Company Altherm Northland.

New building reflects town’s historic connections

Local artists from Te Hana have been working with the project team to integrate design elements that reflect Wellsford’s historic connections with the Kaipara Harbour. These can be

seen in carpet tiles and in panels on the building’s exterior.The community room has a kitchenette, AV equipment and has been designed to be used after hours.

A genealogy group, which currently runs from the Wellsford bowling clubrooms, will move into a corner of the library.Auckland Council is recruiting two new positions for the facility – a senior librarian for children and youth, and a library assistant.The old library started in a cupboard in Wellsford Hall around 1946 before moving to a room in the basement of Culpams Building. From 1954 it occupied one-third of a brick-and-tile building next to the public toilets on SH1. It shared the space with the old Council and was run by volunteers. Rodney District Council took control in 1996 and an employee was paid for the first time.A Council spokesperson says what happens to the old library is being considered by the Council’s property team, in consultation with the local board.Auckland Council libraries service delivery manager Vicki Clarke says having the library right beside the museum is a “win win”.“It will help people with history and heritage queries – plus there’s easy ramp access as well as stairs between the two buildings.”Ms Clarke says she is looking forward to the new library’s opening on June 17 and hopes everyone in the community comes in to see what is on offer.“We hope people feel at home straight away and feel like it’s their library.”Rodney Local Board member and Wellsford resident James Colville says he’d like local residents to tell him what they think the old building should be used for. He says the new library is “the future.”“It looks good and it’ll blend in well.”

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Wellsford Library OpeningFEATURE

| Mahurangimatters 5 June 201324

Opening celebrationsSaturday 22 June 2013, Wellsford War Memorial Library

To celebrate the opening of your new library, Rodney Local Board is hosting a fun-filled day for all the family.

Come and join in the celebrations!

Official opening from 11am, followed by:

• free concert from midday

• library tours

• face painting

• refreshments

• entertainment from local performers and much more.

When: Saturday 22 June 2013, 11am

Where: War Memorial Park, Port Albert Road, Wellsford

The new Wellsford War Memorial Library will open to the public on Monday 17 June and features:

• more services

• more books

• more study spaces

• more computers and free WiFi.

Find out more: visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or call 09 301 0101

Mahurangimatters 5 June 2013 | 25

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Jocelyn Koks has seen many changes during her 12 years at Wellsford Library.One of her first big projects in 2001 was to barcode the library’s 12,000 books and enter them all into a database. A few years ago they all had to be changed to computer chips.Ms Koks managed the enlargement of the children’s area and rearranged the library to make room for DVDs, CDs, magazines and talking books.The library received its first three public computers in 2009. There are now four terminals but Ms Koks says they haven’t kept up with demand.“From day one people were queuing up. Many don’t wait, others book first thing in the morning.”When Auckland Council started running the library in 2010, people were able to borrow books from larger groups of libraries. “We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of books our community has been requesting. We used to have two shelves for all the books requested. Now we’ve got five.”She says the old library has always had a cramped feel to it, with little room for customers to relax and staff having to make do with a tiny backroom without a lunchroom.“The aisles are a dead end and can be disconcerting if someone’s in there already.” Dust and dirt from the endless stream of trucks outside has also been a long-term problem, with volunteers constantly brushing and cleaning. Ms Koks says her colleague counted 12 trucks in 90 seconds last week.The community library manager worked with the council’s property team to come up with a plan for the new library. A group of artists

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Manager looking forward to ‘comfortable’ new building

Wellsford community library manager Jocelyn Koks.

produced a palette of colours representing the Kaipara foreshore and Ms Koks approached pupils at Rodney College and asked them for input into the teen area.“They wanted bean bags and egg chairs and we’ve got a couple of those,” she says.The extra space will mean more room for the Wednesday morning children’s story time – as well as school holiday programmes that are currently held in a nearby hall.Since the library started out in a cupboard in 1946, Wellsford has remained rural, but there’s been a slow increase in population, Ms Koks says.“It’s mainly reflected in the lifestyle blocks and rural areas. As the motorway comes closer to Wellsford, we’re future-proofed.”She says managing the old library and overseeing the move to the new one has been “challenging but interesting”.“I’m very pleased with the way it’s all come together and looking forward to opening day to see the reaction of customers,” she says. “It’ll be a more comfortable building for everyone.”The old library will close on Thursday June 13 and new library will open on Monday June 17.

Wellsford Library Opening

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| Mahurangimatters 5 June 201326

For free confidential and impartial information,

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Visit the Community Centre,1 Matheson Road, Wellsford

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Email cab.wells@xtra.co.nz

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Pleased to see the opening of the

Wellsford Library

The Rodney Local Board is running the official opening ceremony for Wellsford Library at 11am on Saturday June 22. It will be followed by a community celebration, kicking off with a free concert from midday. There’ll be performances from the Rodney College and Wellsford School Kapa Haka team, Local Vocals Choir, and others. Activities include face painting, story telling and tours of the library.To celebrate the opening of the

library, Albertland Heritage Centre is displaying a selection of archival documents and books relating to the establishment of the Albertland Special Settlement. Items include documents promoting the scheme, letters of enquiry to the promoters and shipping documents on the first two migrant ships Matilda Wattenbach and Hanover. Unpublished hand written manuscripts of the 1860s are also on display, as well as family bibles dating back to the 18th century.

Free opening day concert

Nearly 4000 new items availableAround $100,000 has been spent on new items for the library including more than 1200 new adult books, around 2000 children and teen books, 165 large print books, 20 audio items and more than 300 DVDs. New items include: y New adults fiction: “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn; “Casual Vacancy” by JK Rowling “A Wanted Man” by Lee Child; “The Racketeer” by John Grisham; “The Black Box” by Michael Connelly

y New adults: “Is it just me?” by Miranda Hart; “Dr Libby’s Real Food Chef” by Libby Weaver; “The Fish Fleet; Husband Hunting in the Raj” by Ann De’Courcey; “Rod: The Autobiography” by Rod Stewart; “The Free Range Cook: Simple Pleasures” by Annabel Langbein

y New children’s: “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series by Jeff Kinney; “The 26-storey Treehouse” by Andy Griffiths; “Geronimo Stilton” series by Geronimo

Stilton; “Captain Underpants” series by Dav Pilkey

y New teens: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky; “Gone” series by Michael Grant; “The Selection” by Kiera Cass; “Beautiful Creatures” by Kamie Garcia; “Every Day” by David Levithan; “What’s Left of Me” by Kat Zhang

y New magazines: Camera, Crème, Mana, Millie Makes, Scientriffic, Vacations and Travel, Country Style.

y Graphic novels: The Avengers, United, Batman, Night of the Owls, Doctor Who Omnibus, The Walking Dead vol 16, Catwoman vol 1.

y New DVDs: Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey, Deadwood, Dark Shadows, Prometheus, Billy Connolly’s World Tours, Cars, Curious George, Fireman Sam, Spongebob Squarepants, Madagascar 3, Megafactories, Megastructures, William Shatners Weird or What.

Wellsford Library Opening