Quality books for the people of Piha, Karekare & Anawhata

Piha Community Library Trust

Providing a Library Service for the people of Piha, Karekare & Anawhata

Piha Library News

25 July 2010 ADULT "NEW BOOKS"

As there is such a huge demand for 'Recent Releases' we are requesting that you consider other members by limiting yourself to two 'New books' at any time.

You will now find all Recent Releases will be identified by a 'New Book' sticker in the top right hand corner of the book. We will be trialling this for a period and if we feel it is not working we may have to, in the future, consider limiting the borrowing period or even charging for any Adult "New Book'

Thanks for your consideration in this matter.

GOLD STAR BOOKS

In the Library we have many books that have received awards, come highly recommended or are popular because of local content. These are the books that you will soon start to see appearing on the shelves denoted with a 'Gold Star' on their spines.

7 June 2010 YOUNG ADULT READERS' COMPETITION Borrow a Young Adult Book on a Young Adult Card during the Month of June and go into the draw to win 2 DVD vouchers and a Twilight - Eclipse poster.

31/5/10 Leather Couch up for 'Silent Auction' For full details, including photos please just Have a look here. Every bid supports your local Community Library

26 June 2010 Come in and meet the trustees. We are having a Meet the Trustees Day at the Library - 1pm to 3pm on Saturday, 26th June 2010. Come in and meet the trustees of the recently formed Piha Community Library Trust. The Trustees are John Seton, (Chairman), Glenda Northey, (Secretary-Treasurer), Alberto Bonini, Gillian Cotton, Vicky Dignan, Yvonne Dufaur, Gabrielle Lancaster, Jill Stotter. This is an opportunity to get to know the faces behind the names.

2 - 8 May 2010 New Zealand Sign Language Week Have you ever thought that you should learn Sign Language? Well here is your opportunity. During New Zealand Sign Language week, Ursula Thynne will be holding a taster class at the Piha library. All are welcome to come along to listen, see and learn. Donations go to Deaf Aotearoa.

THINK SIGN!

THE PIHA LIBRARY

Saturday May 8^th - 2.30pm - Taster Class

Thursday May 13^th - 4.00pm - Storytime in sign language.

A gold coin donation to DEAF AOTEAROA would be appreciated.

May - New Zealand Music Month

This month is New Zealand Music Month and the library is celebrating this with a display of books, DVDs and CDs of and by New Zealand musicians and music. Librarians will be playing a selection of New Zealand music CDs for members to listen to while browsing the shelves during the month. Thanks to Amanda Corrigan for setting up this display.

25 April 2010 Anzac Day Commemorations at the library:

Our national day of remembrance was acknowledged by Piha Community Library volunteers this year by taking part in the wreath laying ceremony at Lion Rock.

Two of our younger members, helped by Sue Yoeman, (left)one of our library volunteers, laid a wreath at the Lion Rock Anzac ceremony on the morning of Anzac Day.

Anzac Day was also commemorated at Piha library with a table setting holding six items, each item symbolising a different aspect of the sacrifices made by our fallen soldiers. The simple and evocative setting was created by library volunteers, Sue Yoeman and Jill Stotter.

REMEMBER OUR FALLEN COMRADES

The tablecloth is white, symbolizing the purity of their intentions to respond to their country's call to arms.

The napkin is black, representing the empty place their absence has left in the hearts of thousands of family members and friends across many nations.

The single lighted candle reminds us of the flame of eternal life; that our fallen comrades will be with us always.

The single rose, displayed in a vase, is symbolic of the immense sacrifices and untold hardships endured by our missing and fallen warriors. The rose's red colour symbolizes the love of home and country that led them to such sacrifices.

A sliver of lemon sits on the bread plate, to remind us of their bitter fate.

There is salt on the bread place - symbolic of the tears shed by their loved ones.

The glass is inverted - for they cannot toast with us tonight.

The chair is empty - they are not here.

Have your say: Piha Design Guidelines On Saturday 27th March, 11am - 2pm at the Piha Library the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) is holding a public open day to discuss ideas and options for the development of design guidelines for ARC parkland at Piha. The ARC recognises that Piha is a place where people can enjoy a natural setting that is relatively "untouched", offers informal recreation in a large natural setting and respite from the stresses of everyday life. The aim of the Piha Design Guidelines is to ensure that these qualities are conserved and enhanced while continuing to provide for the well-being of people who visit the park. The guidelines will cover how park assets, such as seating, signage, tracks and buildings will be developed, designed and maintained. They will offer "one stop shop" best practice guidance for park staff and anyone who does work on the park. ARC officers will be at the library from 11am to 1pm to talk you through displays and to receive your feedback. Feedback from the open day will be incorporated into the final draft. If you are unable to attend the open day, information will be available on the ARC website www.arc.govt.nz from 30 March 2010.

26/02/10 Library Opening for 'After School': Last Thursday was the first week of our trial of a weekly afterschool session from 3.30-5.50 pm. This session was specifically aimed at providing greater access the Piha Library collection and learning resources to school-aged children and their families.

The initial session was a huge, bustling and busy success with 25 library members attending. There was a significant increase in the use of the school-aged section, younger siblings filled out membership forms, and many old fines were paid!

All families who attended expressed support for the continuation of the session. Many families commented that since their children had started school they had had little or no opportunity to visit the library, and were extremely pleased to have the opportunity to include a library visit as part of their weekly routine. Others commented that they thought the session would be even more popular during the colder months.

The majority of participants came and left during the first hour. The second hour was more peaceful and allowed the handful of young members who arrived at this time the opportunity for quiet reading. This time could perhaps be utilised in the future to allow for research for school projects or homework, or assistance for beginner readers.

The Piha Community Library will be open on Thursdays from 3.30-5.30 pm for the remainder of Term One and we hope to see more and more families with school-aged children regularly attend this session.

08/02/10 PIHA COMMUNITY LIBRARY AFTERSCHOOL SESSION TRIAL - Piha Library will be open Thursday afternoons 3.30pm to 5.30pm beginning Thursday February 18th. Everyone is welcome. We especially hope to provide families with school-aged children greater opportunity to access the Piha Community Library collection and learning resources. This afternoon session will be trialled for the first school term and will only be continued the following term if there is sufficient interest. We would like to encourage all families with school-aged children to make use of this session, and welcome any ideas and feedback on how it could be developed in the future to meed the needs of local families.

Happy Christmas from Piha Community Library 24/12/09

We would like to thank our members for all the continued support they have give the library, and its volunteer librarians, over the last year and wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Xmas Opening Hours at Piha Library 18/12/09 It will be business as usual over the holiday period:-

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - 10.00am to 1.00pm
Saturday - 10.00am - 2.00pm

Come in and find yourself some good reading, or hire a DVD, from the extensive range we have in the library's collection.

18/12/09 We would like to welcome two new faces to the library.

Piha Community Library new faces Left: Hannah Slade and Amanda Corrigan.

Hannah was the successful applicant for the library's Administrative Assistants position. With the retirement of Yvonne Dufaur, and that large gap to fill, we are pleased to have Hannah and her expertise with us and know that her much needed assistance will help us all ease into a new decade at the library.

Most of you will recognize Amanda's face from working at the Piha Store. Amanda's love for books and reading has enticed her to become further involved with her passion and is currently training as a volunteer librarian. Amanda is picking up the skills required so quickly that she will soon be seen as a regular behind the front counter.

12/12/09 Library announces new Trustees to the Library Trust

The Foundation Trustees of the Piha Community Library Trust met for the last time on 12 December to appoint the new Trustees to the Library Trust and to hand over the governance of the Trust immediately to the incoming Trustees.

The Trustees appointed are: John Seton, LLM (Hons) Chairman; Glenda Northey, MA (Hons) MLIS Secretary-Treasurer; Alberto Bonini; Gillian Cotton Dip Tchg; Vicky Dignan; Yvonne Dufaur MNZM; Gabrielle Lancaster; Jill Stotter, BA, Dip Tchg, Dip TTL.

The new Trust Board held its first meeting immediately after the closure of the final meeting of the Foundation Trustees and set itself some tasks and procedures for the future.

With a high quality Board of Trustees in place to provide future governance, the Piha community Library is looking forward to a bright future and the continuation of a much loved community service.

Piha Community Library Trustees

Photo: left to right: John Seton, Gillian Cotton, Alberto Bonini, Gabrielle Lancaster, Photo of the Trust Document, Yvonne Dufaur, Vicky Dignan, Glenda Northey. Apologies:- Jill Stotter.

The 11^th December also saw the last day in office of Yvonne Dufaur who has been Library Manager for over 12 years. At the Christmas function on Friday evening, the library staff presented Yvonne with a beautifully bound book of tributes and photographs of events that have taken place over the years - a much appreciated gift and an expression of thanks from her co-workers for her many years of service in the library.

As from 12 December, Yvonne's role has been taken over by a Library Management Group of Gillian Cotton, Gabrielle Lancaster and Jill Stotter, who will divide up the day-to-day management tasks in the library between them and continue to ensure that the service standards are maintained and that Piha, Karekare and Anawhata members will continue to be provided with their own community library resource.

11/12/09 Librarians Farewell their Manager after 12 years service

Yvonne Dufaur Piha Library Yvonne Dufaur:

" Her life is a testament to the strength of character that gets forged in this community. She has worked tirelessly for 11 years to develope the Piha Library. Her efforts have taken it from a "broken down shed" to a well stocked and well used facility which serves Piha, Karekare and Anawhata. In the process, she has become a cornerstone of those communities and a respected figure on the West Coast"

R.A. Harvey QSO. JP. Mayor Waitakere City

Photos: Above: Yvonne with the superb gift from the librarians to her at her farewell dinner. This is a beautifully bound 'history' of the Piha Library under Yvonne's governance.

Left: The letter to Yvonne, in the book, from Bob Harvey, Mayor of Waitakere.

22/11/09 SITUATION VACANT : LIBRARY ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

The Piha Community Library is offering, on a contract basis, a position for a part-time Administrative Assistant. The job is interesting and varied and requires a strong level of computer skills. This is a great chance for someone who is interested in books and libraries to learn about library management. The applicant will need to be prepared to work flexibly and take a level of responsibility for important areas of the library's administration.

For a job description and further information, contact Yvonne (812 8231), Gabrielle (812 8913) or Gillian (812 8232).

Applications in writing, address to The Library Manager, 23 Seaview Rd, Piha, Waitakere 0772. Close at noon on 7 December 2009.

23/10/09 Celebrating 10th birthday of New Building

A great celebration centred around Piha's children and their favourite book character. To see more photos please Go here

Left: One of Piha's young listening to a librarian reading.

20/10/09 Great News!

The Piha Community Library has realised its long-held intention and set up a trust to ensure that the future governance and management of the library is taken care of.

With the advent of the 'super city' for Auckland in the near future, it was essential that we moved to safeguard the great support we have received from the Waitakere City Council in allocating us a generous grant to buy library stock. We have held discussions with Su Scott and her staff (Su is the Manager of Library and Information Services at Waitakere) and to formalise the relationship we have had with the Council for over 15 years, we are developing a memorandum of understanding between the Council and the Library Trust.

At a recent meeting the Council congratulated us on forming the Piha Community Library Trust and has undertaken to enter the library funding as one of the special community groups which will be guaranteed funding during at least the first two years of the new Greater Auckland Council. This is great news indeed and we are thrilled that the Council is being so supportive of our library.

We hope our many supporters will call in on Saturday after 2.30pm and have a glass of bubbles with us at our party celebrating the 10^th anniversary of the new library building as well as the creation of the Piha Community Library Trust and our ongoing commitment to assistance from our Council.

21/9/09 10th Anniversary of Opening of New Piha Library Building:

Now we have been in the new building for 10 years, we are all so used to having this wonderful facility that it is rather hard to remember the fun days in the little broken down shed we operated from for such a long time. Those of us who worked there still remember having to deal with the intrusion from rather nasty vermin gnawing their way in through the rotting boards around the base of the building. Thanks goodness those days are gone!

As previously advised, we didn't want 10 years of our new building to go by without some sort of celebration and we have settled on the date as the 24th October, the Saturday of Labour Weekend, starting at 2:30pm. What form will it take?

We are having a birthday party at the library, and for the children we are suggesting that they dress up as a character from their favourite book and also, if they feel motivated, to create something from that book - perhaps draw a picture, or make a creature out of scraps or material, twigs or any other material, and bring it along a week before the party so it can be put on display for everyone to enjoy. We understand that the pre-school is working on a display on this theme.

For the adults, we would like to see members call and celebrate with a glass of bubbles and a piece of birthday cake - and they can dress up too if they feel so inclined!

It is absolutely necessary to register for this event at the library, as our space is limited - we have put out a form on the library reception desk and it is already filling up, so don't delay and come and join in to make it a fun event.

New Additions to our Shelving and Display:

After much discussion, planning and taking of measurements, we have placed an order with our shelving specialists, Hydestor, for some additional shelving and display for the children's area. By moving some shelves up and some down, we think we can get quite a lot of extra shelf space for our growing stock of children's books and also in the DVD section.

We hope to have this all completed by Christmas so we can deal more easily with the busy holiday period.

Books for Sale:

Until we can raise the money for our extensions to the library building, we are finding that the adult collection in particular is getting ever more crowded as the new books, well funded by the Waitakere City Library and Information Service, are added regularly. This means that we are having to cull large numbers of books to make room for newer issues. Several of the library staff have been busy undertaking this task in the last couple of weeks and there is still quite a lot more to come. So if you are wanting to get some good quality cheap books (3 for $2) keep coming in over the next few weeks and rummage through the trolley and the bin and see if you can find something to take your fancy.

Our contract with WCC:

When Glenda Northey negotiated with the WCC Library and Information Services over 15 years agpo for a grant to buy books, it was a great step forward for our library. Many of you will no kinow that when an annual grant was included in the WCC budget, it was on the condition that the library would extend its coverage to three areas - Piha, Karekare and Anawhata.

With the coming of the 'super city' next year, we have already been working with the Library and Information Services staff to get Piha's grant cemented into the coverage. The loss of grant money would be a very serious blow to the quality of our library service, so we are trying to make sure that our library will keep up to the standard you presently enjoy.

We continue to add lots of new books to our collection - we hope you are making the most of our additions.

Happy reading,

Yvonne Dufaur

Library Manager

15/7/09 Programme for Settlers' Film Club and Lopdell House

If you don't always want to travel into the City to see your films, you could try some of the films out west. The Settlers' Film Club runs a programme of good quality films at the Settlers' Hall in Oratia. The next two films are:-

Beyond the Gates of Splendour (South America) PG-13 on Friday 17 July

The story of 5 young couples who became missionaries in Ecuador in the

1950s. They attempted to contact the Waodani tribe, who eventually

brutally killed all 5 husbands.

'Home' The Movie - Saturday 5 September

The film is entirely composed of aerial shots of places around our planet, showing

The diversity of life on earth and how humanity is threatening the ecological

Balance of the planet.

Anyone interested in attending these club films should contact the Club by email settlersfilmclub@xtra.co.nz or phone 818 2489.

Lopdell House in Titirangi also has a series of very interesting film events. See details at Flicks@Titirangi or book tickets via bookings@flicksattitirangi.co.nz or phone 817 8087 Ext 201 or call at the gallery shop.

8/7/09 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards

The Sunday Star-Times is calling for entries to its short story awards. The award could be a fast track to becoming published - the winners will be published in the Sunday Star-times. There are three main prizes:-

1^st prize - $5000 cash, story published and $500 worth of books from Random House.

2^nd prize - $2000 cash, story published and $300 worth of books from Random House

3^rd prize - $1000 cash, story published and $200 worth of books from Random House.

There are also minor prizes for the secondary school division, the best unpublished writer and the people?s choice.

For more information visit www.shortstory.co.nz from which you can download entry forms.

The library also has copies of the conditions of entry and details of how you can enter. Call at the library for more information.

25/6/09 It's that time of the year again - the wonderful Film Festival will be here in July and here is our chance to have a feast of great films.

Dates: 9 to 26 July

Venues Civic Theatre, Skycity Theatres, Academy Cinemas , Skycity Queen

Street.

Prices Book early and get discounts.

The complete catalogue of films to be shown is available in the library. Call soon and make sure of getting a copy while supplies last.

If you book prior to 9 July you can get discounts on ticket prices.

13/6/09 Tribute to Mary Dobbie

Mary Dobbie died aged ninety five on Tuesday 9th June 2009

Old hands at the library all remember Mary Dobbie, left, with great affection. For many years Mary worked as a volunteer librarian and took over the management of the library for some time, before passing it over to Glenda Northey.

Mary was a trained journalist and was the founder in the early 1980s of the Piha News, which she edited and for which she wrote numerous articles over a long period.

She donated to the library a copy of her book 'The Trouble With Women', a history of the Parents Centre movement, of which Mary was a founding member. She also worked extensively for a number of other causes dear to her heart and was awarded the QSO for her outstanding services to community life.

Although Mary retired from library work in the 1990s, she always maintained an active interest in the library and continued to promote and support its services.

Our sympathies to her family and the assurance that she will long be remembered in the Piha community

Yvonne Dufaur - Piha Community Library Manager

Mary's funeral service will be held on Wednesday 17th June at: Parnell's Rose Gardens, 85 Gladstone Road, Auckland. Gathering from: 11 am. Service starting: 12.00 - midday

Anyone who would like to send a condolence card can post it to: Mrs R Miller , P O Box 692 Kerikeri, Bay of Islands, Northland

12/4/098: Easter at the Piha Community Library

Here are some photos from "Easter at the Library" and results of the Easter competitions.

Piha Library Building Fundraiser 5/4/09

Good news from the Library!

We are absolutely delighted at the response to our Car Boot Fair on Saturday, run with the help of the Kids Charitable Trust.

It was a great day - lovely weather, lots of stalls and many bargains.

For the Library Committee, the result was really gratifying. Not only did we receive lots of favourable comments from those who had stalls and those who came to buy or just take a stroll with the family, but also the financial result means that we can now bank another $1011 in our building fund - a further step on the way to extending our library to make room for our ever-growing patronage.

Thankyou everyone who made it possible, with an extra vote of thanks to Marilyn Perko who bore the brunt of the work and to Gabrielle Lancaster for her big contribution and the librarians who turned up to help on the day. Thanks also to the work done by the Kids Trust ? we hope they are equally pleased with the result.

Should we do this again? We received such good feed-back we would like people to let us know what they think.

You can email the Piha Library HERE to see more photos of the day HERE

2/4/09 Over the last 3 weeks we have added a large number of new books to our library stock. Because the list is very long, I have not added too many comments, but you may find some of your favourite authors if you scan through the list. Yvonne, Library Manager See them here

28/3/09 Eco-Light Bulbs

To mark Earth Day, we have been supplied with a quantity of free eco bulbs for our members. These are the new, compact sized bulbs, some with screw tops and some with bayonet tops.

Members are being issued with these free light bulbs when they come in to borrow books ? make sure you get your light bulb when you visit the library.

28/3/09 Our DVD buyer, Mary Mead, has just bought eighteen great new DVDs to add to our collection - they were put into the library catalogue today and are available for hire. See them here We have also added a large quantity of new books to the catalogue in the last 2 weeks, with more to come - the list is long and we will post a selection on the web as soon as we have finished the cataloguing.

March 09: New Gates to Library - Thanks to Roly Stanley:

Piha Library child safety gates The Library Committee wants to acknowledge the contribution made by Roly Stanley to the lovely new gates at the entrance to the library.

Not only did Roly organize the production of the gates for us at a good price, but he then fitted them for us free of charge to save the library extra expense.

In addition, when we could see that we needed some stabilizing of the gates to prevent them sagging in the centre, Roly organized and fitted some wonderful wheels which he fixed to the centre of each gate to make sure that they could be opened and shut without any problems.

A big THANKYOU to Roly, we really appreciate his efforts.

10/3/09 Easter at the Piha Community Library: Colouring in Competition (for the children!!) Return the completed colouring in form, below, to the Library any day up until 1:30pm Saturday 11th of April. If you are unable to print then pick one up from the library.

Midday - 2:00pm: Easter Bunny, Face painting and games. (koha for face painting)
2:00pm Colouring in competition prize giving
THEN the Easter Egg Hunt

Left: 1 - 4 year olds; middle5 - 8 year olds and right 9 - 12 year olds.

These are thumbnails - click on them for big images to print on normal printer paper

Have you seen all the new books and DVDs recently purchased? Have a peep here

24/2/09 Dear Friends of the Piha Library,

Several items of interest and information for you.

Future of the Piha Library: For some time now the Piha library committee has been informally discussing the problem of the growing needs of the library and the difficulties of containing everything within the present space available. Suggestions that one of the alternatives for the post office may be to either attach it to the library or within the area of land around the library has prompted us to ensure that we exercise proper guardianship of the library and its premises for the future and have a more serious look at just how we could meet future needs.

A meeting organized for us by a WCC Councillor, comprising representatives of the library and senior WCC staff from involved departments, has clarified the situation and the steps that would be necessary if we are to undertake some expansion. Our meeting was very productive and we were given good advice by council people. We have had confirmed that the library building is right on the boundary of the footprint of land leased for library purposes on three sides, and there is only a very small space still unused on the south side.

Therefore any expansion would need a resource consent if we are to need more land on the northern or western sides of the building, and the process to do this would be fairly lengthy as it would necessitate a council assessment process prior to a resource consent.

To start the ball rolling, we have had a suggested plan drawn up of a possible option. We will display this in the library for comment, ideas and discussion. We have put an item to this effect on our website under the News section and the plan and some explanations and a call for comment will be in the library from Tuesday 23 February. Next time you are in the library, please take the opportunity to have a look and give us your reactions and your ideas and comments we want the community to be fully conversant and supportive of any expansion that we undertake. We are conscious of the time and effort that we will need to take to bring any plans to fruition, so it is important to us that we consult the community widely and know that we have support for what we are suggesting.

More bins:

With more and more picture books being added to our collection, our present bins are overflowing and we have had to order 2 new bins to add to the 4 already in the library. One is a standard bin similar to the present bins, the other is raised up with slots underneath for the oversized picture books. The bins will cost us over $700 expensive but necessary and, unfortunately, will make our children¹s area even more crowded. This may mean that when the bins arrive in a couple of weeks we will need to remove the present large table to give us sufficient space.

New Acquisitions for the Library:

We will be attempting to keep updating our website with details of some of the new books and DVDs that we continue to add to our collection. Have a look on the website under New Books and Reviews for details.

More books are coming in regularly, so more lists will be added on a regular basis.

Yvonne Dufaur Library Manager

19/2/09 Message for library supporters:

For some time now the Piha Library has been considering its plans for the future. As we continue to grow and our membership continues to expand, we can see that the future must include plans for expansion of our premises. If this is to happen, we must consider that any future options must include consideration of keeping any expansion in total harmony with our wonderful library building design.

To this extent we are alarmed that there is a suggestion that the Piha Post Office function should be attached in any way to the Piha Library, thus limiting our options. There will only be one library building in Piha, and that is on our present site, whereas there are other options for a post office.

If you would like to see the proposed plans for Piha library's future, you can view an initial sketch plan at the library. If you are supportive of our plans, please take the opportunity to support us by signing our letter of intent that the area should be set aside for library purposes only.

Easter Celebration at the Piha Library (2009):

Easter at Piha Library We have decided that there will be no Anzac Display this year, but instead we will have an Easter Display together with an Easter Raffle, and for the children (members of the library 12 years and under) a colouring competition and an Easter Egg hunt. This will be held on Easter Saturday. 11 April, starting at 2pm.

Collect your colouring pictures from the library and any donations to the Easter Raffle, which will take the form of a hamper of goodies, will be gratefully accepted.

We look forward to seeing you there. Yvonne

25/1/09: Library Report to AGM of the Piha Residents and Ratepayers Association

I am making this report to the 2009 AGM of the Association with a real sense of disappointment at the course of events that have transpired over the last few months.

I know that the Piha, Karekare and Anawhata people that the library serves will endorse the fact that over the years the Library Committee has demonstrated its good guardianship of the community library facility and has continued to make sound decisions to ensure the care of the building and the maintenance of a high standard of loan material. Our small band of volunteers have given an extraordinary amount of their time and talents to continue the library service, to improve and increase our acquisitions, to provide special events and to plan future developments to meet the needs of a growing community and ever-increasing numbers of library patrons.

The Library Committee feels, therefore, that the actions of the R & R Committee in failing to consult with us on our views on the suggestion that the library could be added to for a post office service is not only discourteous, but also is dismissive of the responsible attitude that we have always taken to ensure the best possible service to our members. Because we have always taken our responsibilities seriously, we have naturally been looking at strategic planning of services for the future and we have been considering the very real need for expansion as our premises struggle to find sufficient room to house our collection and meet the needs of members, particularly those of our children.

Had the R& R Committee met with us to discuss this issue, it could have been pointed out that the lease of the area from the WCC states that the area is for library purposes only and they would have learned that the footprint of land on which the building stands has only a very small amount of unused area which will certainly be required to meet the expansion needs of the library in the future. We would also point out that there are a number of options for the placement of a postal service, but the library has one option for expansion only, the very small piece of unused leasehold on the south side of the building. It is largely to meet the community?s growing library needs that the Library Committee has managed over the last period to put aside funds for future expansion.

We trust that in the coming year a spirit of co-operation and consultation will make for better understanding and consideration of library services.

To move on to more positive things. In the last year we have spent a great deal of money to maintain and improve the building. The library has been fully repainted and recently we have installed expensive gates at the library entranceway. This has been gratefully received by parents in particular, who can now come to the library and take part in the story-reading sessions, or take time to choose their own books, knowing that the child-proof gates keep their children safely in the library area.

Because of our premises being severely strained for space, we have also purchased and had erected a small shed under the building for storage purposes, and had some steps and a pathway put in to enable access. Expanded storage needs in the future will probably require additional use of space under the library premises. The expansion of the children?s area to allow more space for activities for junior members is another matter that we are currently considering.

Two of our highlights for the year have been our wonderful Anzac Day display which was very well received by the community, and our very successful Halloween Party for the children. This latter event saw 70 children and many parents crowded into the library and under the gazebo erected over the crowded deck for fun, games, a magician and drinks with a suitably decorated cake. The Halloween decorations were really wondrous and created a marvelous atmosphere for a very happy crowd of children.

Both of these events, plus the other displays during the year and at Christmas took endless hours of preparations and planning. These activities have been led by Gabrielle Lancaster, with a small team of helpers. The amount of volunteer time and artistic expertise given by Gabrielle to these projects is incredible and we all owe her a huge vote of thanks, and a vote of thanks also to the librarians who have also given so much time to this work.

With the increase again this year in the grant for acquisitions from the Waitakere City Council we have again been able to provide continual new material. We thank the Council for its support and generosity and our thanks too to Jill Stotter for her many hours of work in selecting and ordering books, and to Mary Mead for her purchases of DVDs for the library. Again, many hours of voluntary time has gone into this important area of our work.

Libraries of this size do not operate without a great deal of administration and behind-the-scenes work. To all the librarians my grateful thanks for their continued dedication and their very real commitment to providing the community with this very popular community service.

Yvonne Dufaur - Library Manager

22/1/09 New Piha Library Gates:

Just before Christmas we had the new (and expensive!) gates installed at the entranceway to the library deck. For some time we, and many of our parents, have been anxious about the possibility of children running out onto the road from the library area. An accident to one of our library children would be too awful, so we decided to install toddler-proof gates for safety purposes.

Piha Library child safety gates Parents have been delighted with the result. They can now come and spend a relaxed time searching for their own requirements without having to rush back and forth to restrain lively children, and we are delighted too and relieved that the deck can be a safe place for children to play without our having to keep a close watch for escapees!

We normally keep one of the gates open for easy access, and ask that parents or grandparents close the gates if they bring small children with them to the library.

Yvonne Dufaur - Library Manager Smile

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