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Cramped, lacking space and smelly – not a description of a public toilet, but of Warkworth Library at times, according to manager Lisa Outwin.
She was speaking at a Rodney Local Board meeting last month, after a 777-signature petition calling for Auckland Council to urgently investigate ways library space could be expanded was presented to members.
“We get a lot of comments on our Facebook form about the lack of space, the cramped conditions, the smell – it’s quite stifling – and the lack of scope for our programmes,” she said.
Friends of Warkworth Library member Glenys Wild, who compiled and presented the petition, said she had lived in Warkworth for seven years and the growth of the area had been phenomenal in that time, and was only set to accelerate.
Ms Outwin called for converting the entire library and adjoining Council service building for integrated use by Council and the public.
“The whole Warkworth service centre lends itself to opening up,” she said. “The i-SITE is close by, and we get a lot of tourists in at weekends when it is closed. People need to interact with Council, and we could all be in one building and fulfil our role much more positively.”
Board chair Beth Houlbrooke said she was well aware of the situation.
“There’s some work being done in the background on service strategy and integration,” she said. “We would love to see you get that expansion.”
Ms Outwin said this month that the ball was now in the Board and Council’s court.
“We’re just trying to keep letting them know that the library has outgrown its building. But it’s all part of a much, much bigger picture.
“We’re grateful that we have a library, of course, and do the best job we can. And we’re lucky to have the Old Masonic Hall next door as our overflow area for events.”
An appeal in April last year to the Local Board along similar lines was dismissed at the time by the regional head of community libraries, Darryl Soljan, as Council’s customer service team was said to need the service centre space (MM, May 2).
