Auckland Council’s Pt Chevalier Library will close from 6pm today (Friday 7 October) until further notice.
The building will temporarily close as a precautionary measure due to ongoing problems with water ingress (leaking) inside the building.
Auckland Council’s Head of Community Delivery – Central & East Kevin Marriott says the closure is about taking a proactive and precautionary approach to protect the health and safety of our customers and staff.
“Our top priority is providing a healthy environment for everyone.
“We have made the difficult decision to temporarily close the library now before the quality of the internal space deteriorates to a level that might impact the health of our kaimahi and our library users.
“The library, which has long suffered from weathertightness issues, has a damp odour and we want to carry out further assessment to ensure air quality levels remain safe. Recent heavy rain appears to have made the situation worse.
“We understand that this temporary closure will cause some inconvenience to the Pt Chevalier community and we appreciate your patience as we assess the next steps.”
Mr Marriott says the closure will allow time to complete further assessment work that will inform any next steps and that staff will be working closely with the incoming local board on the matter.
Visit the Point Chevalier Library Facebook page for ongoing updates.
About the building
The design of the building (opened in 1989) has presented water tightness challenges for a number of years. The council has worked to address and manage these issues, with regular remediation and improvements works being undertaken. These include improvements to roofing, guttering, windows and adjacent external ground levels.
However in recent weeks, with periods of heavy rain, the situation has worsened. Water ingress has damaged flooring and décor. Customers and staff have reported a damp odour within the building and signs of mildew.
Vote box and book return
Library staff will be present on Saturday 8 October morning to receive election ballot papers and returned books in the foyer of the library.
Accessing other library services
If you wish to visit an alternative library, please consider heading to one of our other branches, such as Avondale, Grey Lynn, Mt Albert, Mt Roskill or the Leys Institute Little Library at Ponsonby. To find the branch most convenient for you, visit the Auckland Libraries website.
If you want help with research, whakapapa, family, or local history you can contact us online or visit one of the four research centres for in-person help. Find out how we can help with your research by visiting our webpage on research services.
If your local library is the Pt Chevalier Library and you wish to return books, you can do this at any of the libraries located throughout the region. If you’re not able to make it to another location or you have books out that are now due or nearing the due date, please renew them online or call us for assistance.
If you have books on hold ready for collection at the Point Chevalier Library, these will remain on hold until we can provide an option for collecting these at another library.
