Gearing up for the big library move

Planning is well underway for Rotorua Library’s move to its new temporary home on the corner of Amohia and Pukuatua Sts in what library director Jane Gilbert describes as a “major operation”.

There is just over a month to go, she says.

“Moving house can be a stressful undertaking and very few moves can be as complicated and involve as many items as this one!”

With the creation of a new Library and Child Health Care hub on the existing Library site scheduled for completion by 2018, all library services will move to a temporary home in what was the former Van Dyk’s premises next to the Council Carpark Building.

The library will occupy this site for two years until the construction of the new hub is complete.

“We have a huge amount of material to relocate, with tens of thousands of publications to archive, our public computer resources, our IT structures, and the cultural treasures and taonga we have here. We have to ensure that all these things are moved in the correct manner and with due consideration – and with as little disruption to our regular services as possible,” said Mrs Gilbert.

Maintaining as much of the functionality of the library as possible during the move was a top priority, and a great deal of planning was being carried out so it would not have to be closed for any longer than absolutely necessary.

ENDS

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