Te Ao Mārama - Mount Maunganui Library, 1963- (Organisation)

SummaryTe Ao Mārama ki Maunganui began in a temporary building on Pūriri Street in August 1963 lent by Beazley Homes Ltd and managed by retired teacher, Mrs B. J. Gordon. It later moved, in 1967 to its permanent building on Maunganui Road, opened on 19 August 1967 by George Walsh, MP. The modernist, 3000 sq ft building was designed by architects Ellison & Acheson and built by Te Puke contractors C. W. Partridge Ltd. Local artist Jon Freeland was commissioned to create a sculpture from a log of beached totara, Raurangi, for donation to the library by Mrs. L. C. Stevens. A donated screened garden and fountain on the north side of the building was known as Jesson Court, a memorial to her husband by Mrs F. Jesson. Auckland Museum show cased display exhibits on quarterly rotation. It was expanded significantly in 1988 due to growing community demand, and joined the Tauranga City Libraries system following the 1989 council amalgamation. It has received upgrades including refurbishments, seismic strengthening, and technological enhancements. In 2019, it integrated council customer services. This branch looks after the mobile library service in the region, running since 1968.

1967: Library established in a modernist building on Maunganui Road, designed by architects Ellison & Acheson.
1968: Suburban “pick-up” points trialled at Matua Dairy and Brookfield Stationers.
1974: Full Mobile Library service officially launched.
Mid-1970s: Additional children's book vans ("Seuss Hoose") introduced.
1988: Library building nearly doubled in size to 850 m², early computer system installed.
1989: Mount Maunganui Library integrated into Tauranga City Libraries following council amalgamation.
1999: Interior refurbishment and introduction of a new mobile library bus.
2008: RFID-based self-checkout system introduced to library and mobile service.
2014: Community protest successfully prevents funding cuts to mobile service; mobile bus temporarily out of service after road accident.
2015: Mobile library bus repainted with local coastline and pōhutukawa themes; seismic strengthening and asbestos removal initiated.
2016: Further building safety upgrades completed.
2019: Library integrated Tauranga City Council customer service centre, rebranding as "Te Ao Mārama – Mount Maunganui Library"; new mobile library bus introduced.

Read a more detailed history of the library at Mount Maunganui here. SourcesMount Maunganui Public Library: A building » Mackenzie, M. (1974). Mount Maunganui Public Library: A new building. New Zealand Libraries, 37(1), 22–25. (See library staff to view article)

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Te Ao Mārama ki Mount Maunganui in 2016

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Kaitiakitanga StatementWe ask that, in addition to normal copyright and privacy considerations, users of our heritage resources uphold the mana and dignity of the people, communities and places depicted within.CopyrightTe Ao Mārama - Tauranga City LibrariesLicenseCC BY 4.0AcknowledgementTe Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, Te Ao Mārama - Mount Maunganui Library, 1963- (Organisation)

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Date EstablishedAugust 1963

Location

Location398 Maunganui Road, Mount MaunganuiLatitude/Longitude^[1]

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Start here:Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, 1871- (Organisation)PlacesThe library at Mount Maunganui

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Te Ao Mārama - Mount Maunganui Library, 1963- (Organisation)