Every Tuesday morning, Elma Turner Library will hold a Quiet Hour to make the library more accessible for people who find loud, busy spaces challenging.

Visitors will find computers off, sounds minimised, and artificial lights dimmed to make the library more welcoming for people with hypersensitive conditions such as anxiety, autism, intellectual disabilities, dementia, or other neurodiverse conditions.

“A modern library can have a lot going on, with kids, computers, loud sounds, and bright lights,” says Libraries Manager Sarina Barron.

“We are making our library more welcoming for people with hypersensitive conditions by making it a less stimulating environment for one hour each week.”

A spokesperson for the Nelson/Marlborough branch of Autism New Zealand, Marie McManaway, says Quiet Hour offers a great opportunity for people with different needs to engage in the community.

“The Quiet Hour will be useful for families and carers of people with autism to go somewhere together and have a nice experience. It’s important for people with autism to have a time each week which is designed for them to gain access to the library collection and everything else the library has to offer.”

Quiet Hour will also include a sensory map that identifies any bright or noisy areas, so visitors know what to expect in the library.

Mayor Rachel Reese says Quiet Hour is another innovative way of serving Nelson’s diverse community.

“Libraries are really important for our community as places to discover, learn, and create. It’s great that people with autism, dementia, and other neurodiverse conditions will have a quiet, peaceful time to visit the library.” says Mayor Reese.

All library visitors are welcome during Quiet Hour, and normal library services are available. However, it is a time designed for people with different needs to visit, so library users are asked to please be respectful by switching off phones and keeping the space quiet and welcoming for them.

The Quiet Hour will take place on Tuesday mornings, 9.30am - 10.30am from 8 March 2022. See www.nelsonpubliclibraries.co.nz for more details.

Marie McManaway of Autism New Zealand is available in Nelson and Marlborough to provide support, information, and education on autism. Email Marie.McManaway@autismnz.org.nz.

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