Draft Voluntary Libraries strategy tabled

Thursday 26 September, 2013

Christchurch City Council’s Community, Recreation and Culture Committee met today and will recommend accepting and endorsing the recommendations of the Voluntary Libraries Review Report 2013 to the Council in October.

The Council owns 10 volunteer libraries which, true to their name, are run by volunteer groups. Voluntary Libraries are not only libraries, they are places where local people come together, socialise and support each other.

The need for a review was identified as part of the Libraries 2025 Facilities Plan (2008) and voluntary libraries were further impacted by the earthquakes. This review will inform the Council’s Facilities Rebuild Programme, which is looking at the future of its 1600 facilities post-earthquake, and will help guide the Council in relation to community provision of voluntary libraries moving forward. The recommendations in the review were for Council staff to:

• consult with Voluntary Library committees on future options with priority to be given to those with damaged or demolished facilities
• develop options for voluntary library spaces within multipurpose community facilities
• bring recommendations back to the Council on a case-by-case basis for approval and funding through the Facilities Rebuild Programme.

Committee Chair Yani Johanson says the voluntary libraries have a long and proud tradition of providing services in our city.

Voluntary libraries are an incredibly important cultural institution in Christchurch – we want to work with them, we respect what they deliver, and we look forward to working with them to overcome the challenges and continue to providing services to their communities post earthquake.

Three of the Council’s ten volunteer libraries have been demolished or are partly demolished following the earthquakes while the remainder are closed due to earthquake damage.

The volunteer libraries are being considered as one project among 30 in total that the Council has prioritised for funding, more investigations, and, if possible, repairs.

For up-to-date information on each of the 10 voluntary libraries in Christchurch visit www.futurechristchurch.co.nz/facilities-rebuild/volunteer-libraries.

In other news:

The Committee will also recommend demolishing St Martins Opawa Toy Library building at 65 Sandwich Road, Beckenham. The unreinforced brick building was badly damaged in the earthquakes and there are limited options for strengthening. Input was sought from the community and the Spreydon / Heathcote Community Board endorsed the demolition and supported continuing engagement with the Toy Library and the St Martins Volunteer Library about a future joint facility in the area.