From 1840 onwards various organisations attempted to establish a public library in Wellington.[1] The first Council-operated public library opened in 1893 on the corner of Mercer and Wakefield Streets in a building designed by William Crichton, a prominent architect of the time.[2]: 85 [3] The library closed in 1940 and the building was demolished in 1943.[1][4] The site was later occupied by the City Council municipal buildings that are still in use today.
In 1940 a new library opened on a block between Mercer and Harris street.[1] This building was converted into the City Gallery Wellington in 1993. In 1991 the new central branch library opened on Victoria and Mercer Streets along the edge of Civic Square.[2]: 244 Ian Athfield of Athfield Architects designed the new building, which Fletcher Development and Construction built.[5]
The library building, closed in 2019, has three main floors. The ground floor contained fiction, the Sound and Vision Centre, the Young Adult and Children's collections and the main circulation desks. The first floor housed the sciences, humanities, arts, music and literature collections. The travel, history and New Zealand reference collections were located on the second floor. A cafe and meeting rooms were situated on a mezzanine floor accessed from the main entrance but separated from the main library. A basement level held a public carpark. The high-level portico bridge linking the library building to the WCC service centre building was demolished in 2013 as an earthquake risk.[6][7]
In 2006 the New Zealand Music Board honoured the Library with an excellence award for its "Sing along with Stu" story-time programme.
Te Awe Library in Brandon Street won the 2021 Wellington Architecture Award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects.[9]
Library Closure
Wellington City Council decided to close the Central Library at short notice on 19 March 2019, after receiving advice from engineers that the building has structural vulnerabilities which mean it may not perform well in the event of a significant earthquake.[10] In September 2020, acknowledging fears that the building might be demolished, Heritage New Zealand proposed that it should be listed as a category 1 historic place.[11][8] This would not stop demolition, but would help inform Wellington City Council's decision-making. A month later the Council announced that it would spend $179 million to repair and upgrade the library rather than demolish it,[12] but in May 2021 the Council announced that it was considering other options.[13] In September 2021 Wellington City Council announced that it was disposing of the fittings in the Central Library, either putting fixtures into storage for four years or recycling furniture that cannot be used elsewhere by the Council. The building will be strengthened and modernised and the layout redesigned. Additional space will be added to the top two floors and base isolators installed under the building.[14]
Three pop-up replacement libraries have opened in central Wellington: Arapaki Manners Library (opened in May 2019 in Manners Street),[15] He Matapihi Molesworth Library (opened in October 2019 inside the National Library in Molesworth Street),[16] and Te Awe Library in Brandon Street (opened in July 2020). However none of these has the reading rooms or the opening hours of the Central Library. Wellington Central Library's collection of 400,000 items has been relocated to a new collection and distribution centre named Te Pātaka, in Johnsonville.[17]
Branches
Absolutely Positively Wellington Campaign badge promoting Wellington Public Libraries
Wellington City Libraries has 14 branches open to the public. Three of these are in central Wellington, and the rest are located in suburban areas:[18]
Arapaki Manners Library
Brooklyn Library (Te Whare Pukapuka o Brooklyn)
Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library (Te Whare Pukapuka o Korimako, Ngaio)
He Matapihi Molesworth Library
Island Bay Library
Johnsonville Library (Te Whare Pukapuka o Waitohi)
Karori Library (Te Whare Pukapuka o Te Māhanga)
Khandallah Library (Te Whare Pukapuka o Tari-Kākā)
Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library (Te Whare Pukapuka o Te Takapū)
Miramar Library (Te Whare Pukapuka o Motu-Kairangi)
Newtown Library (Te Whare Pukapuka o Omaroro)
Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library (Te Whare Pukapuka o Te Awa-a-Taia)
Te Awe Library
Wadestown Library (Te Whare Pukapuka o Ōtari)
There is also a housebound service, whereby volunteers will deliver books to those who are unable to get to a library.[19] From 1947 to 2006 the library operated a mobile service taking books to communities that had no branch library or limited public transport, but this service was cancelled in 2006 due to low use and high costs.[20]
Current Wellington city library buildings
Arapaki Manners Library and Service Centre (2019)
Brooklyn Library (2014)
He Matapihi Molesworth Library (2019)
Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library (2018)
Wadestown Library (2012)
Karori Library (2020)
Previous Wellington city library buildings
The original Public Library designed in 1891 and opened in 1893 (1930)
The Newtown Public Library (ca 1904-1914)
The Wellington Central Library built in 1937 (1940)
Wellington Central Library building (2007)
References
^ abc"Closing tonight: Old City Library: Opening of New Building". Evening Post. 8 February 1940. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via Paperspast.
^ abYska, Redmer (2006). Wellington: Biography of a City. Wellington, New Zealand: Reed. ISBN978-0-7900-1107-3.
^"William Crichton". Wellington City Council. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^"Weakness of Oamaru Stone". Auckland Star. 8 March 1943. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via Paperspast.
^Honey, Tommy (23 June 2020). "30 years on: Wellington Central Library". Architecture Now. Retrieved 2 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^"Civic Square building bridge may come down". Stuff/Fairfax. 8 January 2013.
^"Central city office blocks close for assessment". Stuff/Fairfax. 23 July 2013.
^ abWiltshire, Laura (10 September 2020). "Wellington's 30-year-old Central Library may be given heritage status". Stuff. Retrieved 2 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^"Te Awe Library". New Zealand Institute of Architects. Retrieved 3 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^"Central Library closure". Wellington City Council. 19 March 2019.
^Lock, Harry (10 September 2020). "Wellington Central Library recommended for top heritage status". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 2 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^Williams, Katarina; Mitchell, Rob (28 October 2020). "'Great news day' for Wellington - council agrees to spend $179m to fix, upgrade library". Stuff. Retrieved 2 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^George, Damian (25 May 2021). "Wellington City Council reconsidering central library upgrade plans". Stuff. Retrieved 2 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^"Future of the Central Library Consultation". Wellington City Council. 19 September 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^"No clear plan to re-house 350,000 items in Wellington's Central Library as pop-up opens". Stuff. 28 May 2019.
^"New co-operative space to open at National Library – Library News". Wellington City Council Libraries blog. 27 May 2019. from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
^"Central City Library Services FAQs". Wellington City Libraries. Retrieved 2 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^"Our Branches". www.wcl.govt.nz. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
^"Housebound". Wellington City Libraries. Retrieved 2 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^Thomson, Rebecca (28 September 2015). "Brakes put on mobile library - 150 Years of News". Stuff. Retrieved 3 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Libraries in Wellington.
wellington, city, libraries, public, library, service, wellington, zealand, established1893locationwellington, zealandbranches14collectionsize720, itemswebsitehttp, govt, nzmap, contents, wellington, central, library, awards, library, closure, branches, refere. Wellington City Libraries is the public library service for Wellington New Zealand Wellington City LibrariesEstablished1893LocationWellington New ZealandBranches14CollectionSize720 000 itemsWebsitehttp www wcl govt nzMap Contents 1 Wellington Central Library 1 1 Awards 1 2 Library Closure 2 Branches 3 References 4 External linksWellington Central Library EditFrom 1840 onwards various organisations attempted to establish a public library in Wellington 1 The first Council operated public library opened in 1893 on the corner of Mercer and Wakefield Streets in a building designed by William Crichton a prominent architect of the time 2 85 3 The library closed in 1940 and the building was demolished in 1943 1 4 The site was later occupied by the City Council municipal buildings that are still in use today In 1940 a new library opened on a block between Mercer and Harris street 1 This building was converted into the City Gallery Wellington in 1993 In 1991 the new central branch library opened on Victoria and Mercer Streets along the edge of Civic Square 2 244 Ian Athfield of Athfield Architects designed the new building which Fletcher Development and Construction built 5 The library building closed in 2019 has three main floors The ground floor contained fiction the Sound and Vision Centre the Young Adult and Children s collections and the main circulation desks The first floor housed the sciences humanities arts music and literature collections The travel history and New Zealand reference collections were located on the second floor A cafe and meeting rooms were situated on a mezzanine floor accessed from the main entrance but separated from the main library A basement level held a public carpark The high level portico bridge linking the library building to the WCC service centre building was demolished in 2013 as an earthquake risk 6 7 Awards Edit The central library building has won two New Zealand architectural awards the Environmental Award in the Carter Holt Harvey Awards in 1992 and the National Award for Architecture 1993 sponsored by the New Zealand Institute of Architects 8 In 2006 the New Zealand Music Board honoured the Library with an excellence award for its Sing along with Stu story time programme Te Awe Library in Brandon Street won the 2021 Wellington Architecture Award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects 9 Library Closure Edit Wellington City Council decided to close the Central Library at short notice on 19 March 2019 after receiving advice from engineers that the building has structural vulnerabilities which mean it may not perform well in the event of a significant earthquake 10 In September 2020 acknowledging fears that the building might be demolished Heritage New Zealand proposed that it should be listed as a category 1 historic place 11 8 This would not stop demolition but would help inform Wellington City Council s decision making A month later the Council announced that it would spend 179 million to repair and upgrade the library rather than demolish it 12 but in May 2021 the Council announced that it was considering other options 13 In September 2021 Wellington City Council announced that it was disposing of the fittings in the Central Library either putting fixtures into storage for four years or recycling furniture that cannot be used elsewhere by the Council The building will be strengthened and modernised and the layout redesigned Additional space will be added to the top two floors and base isolators installed under the building 14 Three pop up replacement libraries have opened in central Wellington Arapaki Manners Library opened in May 2019 in Manners Street 15 He Matapihi Molesworth Library opened in October 2019 inside the National Library in Molesworth Street 16 and Te Awe Library in Brandon Street opened in July 2020 However none of these has the reading rooms or the opening hours of the Central Library Wellington Central Library s collection of 400 000 items has been relocated to a new collection and distribution centre named Te Pataka in Johnsonville 17 Branches Edit Absolutely Positively Wellington Campaign badge promoting Wellington Public Libraries Wellington City Libraries has 14 branches open to the public Three of these are in central Wellington and the rest are located in suburban areas 18 Arapaki Manners Library Brooklyn Library Te Whare Pukapuka o Brooklyn Cummings Park Ngaio Library Te Whare Pukapuka o Korimako Ngaio He Matapihi Molesworth Library Island Bay Library Johnsonville Library Te Whare Pukapuka o Waitohi Karori Library Te Whare Pukapuka o Te Mahanga Khandallah Library Te Whare Pukapuka o Tari Kaka Mervyn Kemp Tawa Library Te Whare Pukapuka o Te Takapu Miramar Library Te Whare Pukapuka o Motu Kairangi Newtown Library Te Whare Pukapuka o Omaroro Ruth Gotlieb Kilbirnie Library Te Whare Pukapuka o Te Awa a Taia Te Awe Library Wadestown Library Te Whare Pukapuka o Ōtari There is also a housebound service whereby volunteers will deliver books to those who are unable to get to a library 19 From 1947 to 2006 the library operated a mobile service taking books to communities that had no branch library or limited public transport but this service was cancelled in 2006 due to low use and high costs 20 Current Wellington city library buildings Arapaki Manners Library and Service Centre 2019 Brooklyn Library 2014 He Matapihi Molesworth Library 2019 Ruth Gotlieb Kilbirnie Library 2018 Wadestown Library 2012 Karori Library 2020 Previous Wellington city library buildings The original Public Library designed in 1891 and opened in 1893 1930 The Newtown Public Library ca 1904 1914 The Wellington Central Library built in 1937 1940 Wellington Central Library building 2007 References Edit a b c Closing tonight Old City Library Opening of New Building Evening Post 8 February 1940 Retrieved 2 October 2021 via Paperspast a b Yska Redmer 2006 Wellington Biography of a City Wellington New Zealand Reed ISBN 978 0 7900 1107 3 William Crichton Wellington City Council 11 August 2016 Retrieved 2 October 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Weakness of Oamaru Stone Auckland Star 8 March 1943 Retrieved 2 October 2021 via Paperspast Honey Tommy 23 June 2020 30 years on Wellington Central Library Architecture Now Retrieved 2 October 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Civic Square building bridge may come down Stuff Fairfax 8 January 2013 Central city office blocks close for assessment Stuff Fairfax 23 July 2013 a b Wiltshire Laura 10 September 2020 Wellington s 30 year old Central Library may be given heritage status Stuff Retrieved 2 October 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Te Awe Library New Zealand Institute of Architects Retrieved 3 October 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Central Library closure Wellington City Council 19 March 2019 Lock Harry 10 September 2020 Wellington Central Library recommended for top heritage status Radio New Zealand Retrieved 2 October 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Williams Katarina Mitchell Rob 28 October 2020 Great news day for Wellington council agrees to spend 179m to fix upgrade library Stuff Retrieved 2 October 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link George Damian 25 May 2021 Wellington City Council reconsidering central library upgrade plans Stuff Retrieved 2 October 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Future of the Central Library Consultation Wellington City Council 19 September 2021 Retrieved 3 October 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link No clear plan to re house 350 000 items in Wellington s Central Library as pop up opens Stuff 28 May 2019 New co operative space to open at National Library Library News Wellington City Council Libraries blog 27 May 2019 Archived from the original on 11 October 2019 Retrieved 12 October 2019 Central City Library Services FAQs Wellington City Libraries Retrieved 2 October 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Our Branches www wcl govt nz Retrieved 13 October 2019 Housebound Wellington City Libraries Retrieved 2 October 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Thomson Rebecca 28 September 2015 Brakes put on mobile library 150 Years of News Stuff Retrieved 3 October 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Libraries in Wellington Wellington Central Libraries website History of Wellington City Libraries Coordinates 41 17 1 54 S 174 46 33 67 E 41 2837611 S 174 7760194 E 41 2837611 174 7760194 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wellington City Libraries amp oldid 1064976616, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
