Praneeta Mahajan
Hamilton, December 13, 2023
Final touches have now been completed for the newest library and literary destination for the city in Rototuna North, one of the newest neighbourhoods in Hamilton.
An impressive number of more than 150,000 visitors have passed through the doors of Te Kete Aronui Rototuna Library since it opened in July, making up 41% of all library visits in the city.
Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate joined Mana Whenua, elected members, community groups and staff last week on December 8, 2023 to bless and officially open the remaining spaces surrounding Te Kete Aronui. This includes play and outdoor spaces and the revamped North City Road.
Mayor Southgate said the visitor numbers were simply amazing and demonstrated the demand for quality community facilities in our city.
“In my view, libraries are taonga (treasures) for our community. This was part of Council’s commitment to create a vibrant heart for the growing north-east Hamilton community, that is a great place to live, work, play, and visit.”
“This award-winning library and the surrounding Rototuna Village are a great example of community-led placemaking. Feedback from the local community and mana whenua have strongly influenced its design, clearly ensuring it was fit for purpose.”
The play and outdoor spaces include swings, shade and seating areas, and an upgrade to North City Road will provide safer connections for pedestrians, people on bikes, and public transport visiting the area.
“As Mayor of our wonderful city, I have always said it is important that we build sustainable, safe and vibrant communities. The village is now well-connected to the rest of Hamilton through safe roading, public transport options, and shared pathways for pedestrians, people on bikes and public transport.”
The council had committed funds for the Rototuna Village in its 2018-28 Long-Term Plan. Construction of the Village began in early 2022 and the library and skate spaces opened in July 2023.
A pou is also expected to be unveiled by Mana Whenua during Matariki in 2024.
Something for everyone
As well as traditional library offerings, the space has a range of bookable meeting rooms, an Auaha Makerspace, a fully accessible Changing Places bathroom and an on-site café called ‘Chapter One.’ Users will be able to access a range of Council services from the library, including general enquiries, rates payments and dog registration.
The space includes children’s and young adults’ zones, a community lounge and a study and work area. All members of the library will be able to borrow books using the self-checkout stations and collect reserved books on hold. They can also return books through the external window attached to the library at any hour of the day or night.
A range of small and large meeting rooms and flexible spaces are available to book, including after-hours and dedicated children and young adult zones, a community lounge and a study/work area, all make for a great destination across all age groups and aims to cater to varied requirements of Hamiltonians.
An Auaha Makerspace, purpose-built for creative technologies, Free wi-fi, with computer, printing and scanning services available will aim to further support for the technology lovers in the city.
A highlight loved by the community since the inception of the project has been the skate space integrated with the outdoor areas, as it has shown a higher engagement by students and youth.
The recently upgraded North City Road will now make it safer for pedestrians, people on bikes and public transport, while the two car parking areas will ensure easy parking for the venue.
Praneeta Mahajan is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Hamilton.
