It's slightly smaller than they're accustomed to, but Greerton Library's temporary accommodation will do just fine while its new $3.5million home takes shape.

Today the temporary library opened its doors at 1334 Cameron Road, between Greer's and Tauranga Hearing Association.

Tauranga Libraries customer services team leader Joanna Thomas at Greerton Library's temporary home. Photos: Tracy Hardy.

This is ahead of the demolition and rebuilding process for the multi-million dollar 900m2 facility expected to open on the existing Greerton Road site in April 2016.

Council approved $3.45 million funding for a new building, which will be double the size of the present library, in its Annual Plan for 2014/15.

The current facility was built as a one-room community library in 1975 and refurbished in 1997.

In the last week, library staff have packed up and shifted the library to Cameron Road ahead of this morning's 9.30am opening.

'I think we have had about 30 people come through in the first half-an-hour,” says Tauranga Libraries customer services team leader Joanna Thomas, 'so people know where we are.”

Compared to the 450 square metre site, the temporary location is only 350 square metres, forcing staff to carefully choose which books make it on to the shelves.

Staff have moved 30,000 books, with 10,000 put into storage.

'About two thirds of the books are on the shelves, so customers are still pretty much getting everything that they had at the library,” adds Joanna.

The move also sees the library come full circle after the first Greerton Branch Library opened in the exact same block of shops on March 11, 1964.

And someone who remembers the original premises well is Greerton Library collections team leader Diane Taggart.

'I started working at Tauranga Public Library in the late 1960s,” explains Diane, 'and I would take the bus from town to the Greerton branch on Cameron Road once a fortnight to give the sole librarian there a chance to catch up on things.

And even then Greerton had a 'lovely” sense of community.

'You could tell it was going to become a growth area,” she adds, 'with lots of families coming to the area and becoming regular library users.

'It's been great to see those families grow up over the years and to see people now bringing their own children into the library.”

The new library will open onto the village green instead of having the front door to Greerton Road. Sheltered and lit access from Greerton Road to the front door facing the village green is part of the requirement.

The book shelving will hold about 60,000 books, with the aisles about 1m wide to allow for mobility scooters.

The new library will also include a learning centre accommodating 10 workstations, data and power wiring, a wireless internet protocol white board, plus another six more work stations outside the learning centre.

The building is to include a manager's office, staffroom, storeroom and a library meeting room capable of seating around 20 people with access from both inside and outside the library.

The meeting room is intended for community groups or business meetings.

There will also be a children's activity area, a study area with room for 12 and an internet area with room for 12 users with provision for power and USB charging for public use.

Demolition of the old library is due to begin in mid-July, followed by construction of the new facility on the same site.

For more information, call: 577 7177 or visit: www.library.tauranga.govt.nz