Birkenhead Library
Birkenhead Library, part of the Auckland Libraries system, is located on Auckland's North Shore in New Zealand. Founded in 1949 it predominantly serves the areas of Birkenhead, Beach Haven, Birkdale, Kauri Park, Chelsea, and Birkenhead East, a population of about 26,000, including six primary schools, two intermediate schools, and two colleges.
Typical of medium-sized public libraries in New Zealand, it provides an extensive range of modern library resources and services through its integration into a wider urban network, and through its association with the National Library, while retaining its own distinct, local connections such as the of the Chelsea Sugar Refinery.
The library was the first public library to be founded in North Shore City, the first to offer dial-up access to the New Zealand Bibliographic Network, and a leading proponent of full weekend services.
For four years the library was located in temporary quarters in the Birkenhead Leisure Centre, while a dispute over the location and design of its proposed new building was resolved. On 17 December 2009, a new Birkenhead Library and Civic Centre was opened on the site of the former library.
History
The history of Birkenhead Public Library is characterised by four transformations which occurred at approximately twenty-year intervals since its founding in 1949. Three of these transformations involved new buildings, while the other involved amalgamation into the wider North Shore Libraries system. There was also an unexpectedly long interim period when the library was based at the Leisure Centre.Founding of the library
At the turn of the twentieth century, apart from "subscription libraries" the only library in Birkenhead was run by the Zion Hill Methodist Church. In 1901, the Birkenhead Borough Council resolved that its legal and finance committee should consider building a public one, but little eventuated. A subsidy of £100 was sought from the government in 1904 for a building "not to exceed a total of £600".However, it was not until 1949 that the Free Birkenhead Public Library was established. Opening on 14 November, it was located in the basement of the Council Chambers. It was a modest beginning, bolstered by support from the National Library. There was an initial budget of £500. The library began with a collection of around 1500 items, "swelled by about another twenty books a month."
The "Civic Reserve library"
After the Auckland Harbour Bridge was opened in 1959 the Birkenhead area became much more accessible. By the mid-1960s issues each year had increased dramatically by nearly a hundred thousand items.Nora Bourke, the chairman of the Library Committee, felt the existing building was limited and, with mayor Cyril Crocombe, began making plans for a much larger building. This was to be built on the Civic Reserve, on which a World War One memorial has stood since 1927.
On 20 April 1968, the new building was officially opened by the Governor General Arthur Porritt. For the next 37 years, until 2005, this was the location of the Birkenhead Public Library, and in 1979 the reserve was renamed Nell Fisher Reserve after the first librarian, Eleanor "Nell" Fisher.
Amalgamation
The 1980s saw an increase in the depth and variety of services offered. A Bedford van was used to start a mobile library service in 1982, and the library began opening on Saturdays in 1983. In 1986, children's multimedia items were offered for the first time, and the New Zealand Bibliographic Network link was established. Soon after, compact discs were made available, while in 1987 the library began opening on Sundays. So service was now provided over the entire week, a first in New Zealand.Notable too in the late eighties, was the processing of books to create "machine readable codes," which saw the catalogue shifted from card to microfiche. Borrowers were now directly registered onto the computer, and a new computer management system went live, "the most sophisticated...in the world." This was a forerunner of the greater computerisation ahead, including the introduction of self-issue machines in 1995, internet access in 1996 and a widening range of electronic resources from 2002.
However, perhaps the most significant event of the eighties was amalgamation of the Birkenhead and Northcote Boroughs, and the subsequent merging of the local libraries into the North Shore Libraries system in 1989. Staff were redeployed and regional development was initiated. A new division, Technical Services, became fully operational at Takapuna. A Children's Services Coordinator was appointed, and the computer management system established the year before was improved to allow universal access to the six libraries' holdings.
This convergence has continued to this day with the advent of the "eLGAR" conglomerate, the Libraries of the Greater Auckland Region. Birkenhead Library began a public rollout of the eLGAR Smarter System on 16 June 2005.
On 1 May 2000, a time capsule was buried out in front of the library, by the Birkenhead war memorial. It contained various items such as maps, driver's licences, shopping receipts, and old library cards from the 1960s and 1970s. Blessed by a kaumatua from Awataha Marae it was planned to be dug up in one hundred years. On the plaque are quoted the opening two lines from T. S. Eliot's poem Burnt Norton.
The "Leisure Centre library"
In 1992 issues topped 300,000 items. By 2003 usage of the library had increased still further, to such an extent that it was noticeably affecting service delivery. Over 500 people a day were entering the library and new members were growing at a rate of 150 per month. Finding room to add new material to the existing stock of some 67,500 items was becoming increasingly difficult.Another factor driving the need for change was the absence of enough space for community groups, such as primary schools and students, book clubs, and author events. By the end of the 1990s some sort of addition to the library or a rebuild was being actively considered.
In 2005, in preparation for building works on the same site, the library was shifted to a converted basketball court in the Birkenhead Leisure Centre in Mahara Avenue. Other alternative sites had been considered, but most were found to be either inappropriate or too expensive. With limited space available for services, the Plunket, Citizen's Advice Bureau, and council Area Office had to find alternative premises. In fact only 50% to 60% of the library's own stock could be accommodated.
$175,000 was budgeted for the fitout of the basketball court, and included such things as improved lighting, car park access, and funding for a passenger lift to allow for disabled patrons. Since the location was some distance from the town centre, a free shuttle bus was provided from Highbury once a week.
The Leisure Centre is located in the Birkenhead War Memorial Park. In the areas adjacent to the library, there were problems associated with youth drinking, graffiti, and other undesirable behaviour. Patronage of the library dropped by 35%.
In March 2007, the library was granted a resource consent to use the Leisure Centre location for a further three years or until the new library was built, whichever came later.
This location was meant to be a transitional arrangement while the new building was being constructed. However, the library remained at this temporary location for four years.
The current library
Brendan Rawson, from the Architecture Office in Ponsonby, was retained in 2004 to design a building that would create the much needed public space; and in addition, reflect the heritage of the area. Initial concepts took advantage of the considerable potential for views, and incorporated extensive additional landscaping, from more trees to poppies. The first completed design,, evoked the kauri that were once endemic to the region. Shadow-patterns of branches etched on the windows were reminiscent of the trees in the reserve, one of which was itself a kauri, planted in 1987 to commemorate environmentalist Bill Fisher. There was also to be a café on the second floor and a drive-thru at basement level for dropping off returns. This version was planned to be two metres higher than the previous building, with 1200 m2 of floorspace set aside for the library.Put out to public scrutiny there was some negative feedback. Peter White, a local resident, was critical of the design, calling the building "strange...full of different angles." Community board member Tony Holman wanted more thought put into the heritage aspects, though he did not specify any details. The Friends of the Library, on the other hand, were unanimous in their praise.
Another important aspect of the design was that it would also be a sustainable building. This commitment to the environment was an increasingly significant part of North Shore City Council's approach to urban development, especially through the Resource Management Act and the Treaty of Waitangi. The council aimed to lead by example with best practices. The library design incorporated several notable features, including the maximisation of natural light, the use of recyclable material, including reuse of grey water, and a natural ventilation and cooling system to limit energy costs.
After the Environment Court decision this design underwent some modification, but the library opened on 17 December 2009 with a formal opening ceremony in February 2010.