Auckland has 56 libraries across the region where you can borrow books and magazines, both in paper form and digital. But beyond being literary havens, they’re also welcoming community spaces where you can connect with others, develop new skills, relax and be entertained – pretty much all for free! No wonder they’ve been described as palaces for people. Here’s a roundup of some of what’s on offer at your local library.
Get crafty
Libraries across Tāmaki Makaurau hold regular sessions where you can get on with a crafting project while enjoying the company of others. Te Manawa at Westgate holds a weekly Caffeine and Craft Group, Sir Edmund Hillary Library in Papakura runs weekly colouring-in sessions, and the Central City Library hosts the UFO (unfinished objects) group, where you can bring in any personal project, no matter how big or small, and work on it while enjoying the company of your crafty peers. For a list of craft activities across the libraries, click here.
Enjoy the company of others while completing a project at one of the many craft groups run by Auckland Libraries. The UFO group (pictured above) is a group where people come together to work on unfinished objects and meets weekly at the Central City Library.
Take a walk down memory lane
If you want to go back in time, the library is an excellent place to to start your story.
Auckland Libraries house extensive heritage collections, both within the physical libraries and online via Kura Heritage Collections. From the comfort of your device, you can spend many happy hours absorbed in historical photos, old manuscripts and ephemera. If you want to research your own family history, the library has a helpful guide on how to get started and librarians can also assist you with this.
And if you want to see very precious objects in real life, book a time to visit the Central City Library’s Heritage Collection Reading Room. It houses rare and precious taonga, such as Sir George Grey’s collection of books printed in te reo Māori.
Go the movies
If you have a library card and sign up to Beamafilm, you can stream an unlimited number of movies and TV shows for free from your computer. Choose from international blockbusters, documentaries and locally made productions.
Or if you actually want the full cinematic experience, the Little Leys Classic Film Club screens masterpieces of 20th-century cinema in the Grey Lynn Library Hall every fortnight. Check out movie listings and screening dates here.
Talk about books
Want to join a book club or get recommendations on a new book to read? Attend a weekly Book Chat session and connect with other fellow readers.
Connect with your culture
Libraries run a range of cultural events and groups. Te Manawa hosts a Chinese Cultural Club where you can attend recitations, play chess or table tennis; Mt Roskill Library runs a monthly Arabic Storytime sessions run by friendly local Arabic speakers from the Puketāpapa community; and Whangaparāoa Library hosts an Irish genealogy special interest group every month called The Shamrocks.
Get computing
Free computer access and Wifi is available to anyone at all Auckland Libraries locations. You can use a range of software such as Microsoft Office, MS Paint or Gimp2. It’s also free to scan items, and you can load your library card with money if you wish to print or photocopy. There are also free drop-in sessions and workshops where you can improve or learn new digital skills, and you can even make a booking with a librarian for a one-on-one digital skills session.
Work from the library! Free computer access and Wifi is available to anyone visiting a library. You can also learn new digital skills at a free digital drop-in session, or book a one-on-one session with a librarian.
Make cool stuff
Many of the libraries also have Makerspaces where you can use equipment like sewing machines and 3D printers. You can also access computer software such as 3D design software, video editing and animation tools. Check out the list of libraries with Makerspaces here to view what they offer.
Get creative at one of the libraries’ Makerspaces. Sewing machines, 3D printers and video editing machines are all available to use for free or for a small fee.
