During this Christmas and New Year break, 54 of our 55 Auckland libraries will close for four extra days responding to data showing that Aucklanders visit libraries less frequently during this period.
Aucklanders will be able to borrow items from their community libraries right up until closing time on Christmas Eve, return books at any time, and access Auckland Council Libraries’ extensive digital library 24/7.
Libraries (including Central City Library and Te Manawa) will operate to this adjusted schedule between Christmas Day and 5 January:
- Friday 25 December – Monday 28 December: closed
- Tuesday 29 December – Thursday 31 December: open and operating normal hours for those days
- Friday 1 January – Monday 4 January: closed
- Tuesday 5 January: all libraries are open and resume their normal days and hours.
The only exception will be Botany Library who have a separate contractual agreement with Botany Town Centre, meaning they will close on Christmas Day only.
Libraries staff welcome this rare opportunity to take leave for two four-day uninterrupted breaks after a challenging year.
Councillor Alf Filipaina, Chair of the Parks, Arts, Community and Events Committee, explains: “Because of the way the statutory holidays fall this year we have embraced this opportunity with open arms.
“We’ve adjusted our schedule to respond to community demand while also contributing to organisation-wide savings. But most importantly, we’re giving our hardworking librarians a few extra days with their families this Christmas.”
Anyone caught out without a book during the holiday break can opt for Auckland Libraries’ eBooks. It’s a simple process to sign up for library membership and, conveniently, eBooks return themselves.
In November, Auckland Council Libraries celebrated the 10 millionth eBook download with Aucklander Sarid Olvera Anzures.
Originally from Tulancingo in Mexico, Sarid downloaded The Warmth of Other Suns: the epic story of America’s great migration by Isabel Wilkerson on her phone, unaware she had borrowed the city’s 10 millionth OverDrive eBook.
With Sarid’s eBook loan, Auckland became the first library system in the Southern Hemisphere and the fourth library system in the world to reach 10 million checkouts in OverDrive’s history.
All Libraries resume business as usual from Tuesday 5 January 2021.
