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The Wellsford War Memorial Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Wakapirau: He Tohu Whakamaharatanga Ki Ngā Pakanga will celebrate its 10th birthday with a fun day on July 1.
The celebration will start with a blessing by Te Uri o Hau at 10am, followed by live music, Pops Games and puzzles for all ages, displays by local groups and children’s activities. Wellsford Primary School will be running a fundraising sausage sizzle and cake stall.
When the library opened in Memorial Park, on Port Albert Road, in June 2013, it was the last major project put in motion by the former Rodney District Council and had been in the pipeline for a decade.
It replaced the small brick building on Rodney Street, which is now a community hub, known as The Owl.
The new library was five times the size of the old library and to mark its opening, its collection was increased by more than one-third, including 1200 new adult books and 2000 children and teen books.
The modern build cost $3 million and featured underfloor heating, automatic windows and louvres to keep the building warm and dry, around 115 solar panels to power the lighting, and electric car charges in the parking area.
The first manager at the new facility was Jocelyn Koks, now retired, followed by Megan Livick. The current manager is Jamie Robertson.
