Checking a few books out of the library is taking on a whole new meaning for Jolene Misilei.
Later this year she’ll be responsible for taking tens of thousands of them out of the Botany Public Library, not to mention a few furnishings, more than a few computers, thousands of DVDs and enough magazines and periodicals to keep a hairdresser happy for a century.
Jolene is Botany’s community library manager and the collection she and her staff preside over is moving later in the year to new premises – rather fittingly those now occupied at the Botany Town Centre by book retailer Whitcoulls.
"It will be interesting, but we are all committed to being up and running again as quickly as possible with our full set of services on offer," she says.
"Dates haven’t been confirmed yet but when you have 350,000 people through the door a year, that’s a lot of people. We really want to ensure none of them gets let down because the library is obviously very important to them."
Howick Local Board Chair David Collings says the library staff are unassuming heroes of the Botany community.
"They have huge numbers through the doors, it’s one of the busiest libraries in all Auckland, and the staff are magic.
"They pioneered services for the increasing Arabic community because they were so willing to respond to public demand, and they cater for an amazing range of tastes and needs."
The move will give the library more space and the opportunity for new services out of a multi-purpose room, while all the existing offerings will be retained, including the Peaceful Place, bookable rooms and children’s section.
Many of the existing fittings will be reused and closures will be minimised by keeping the existing facility open as the new one is being readied.
