Greerton Library will be redeveloped into new premises after Tauranga City Council gave the go-ahead this morning.

In front of a packed audience of library supporters TCC decided to approve funding for the new library during today's annual plan deliberations.

Friends of the Libraries in TCC chambers this morning.

While councillors questioned the size, the value, and where exactly the new building will go, they agreed in the end by a substantial majority to commit to the project in the coming financial year.

TCC agreed to commit resources and fund the project that will cost up to $3.5million through development contributions, and fund the operational costs of the new 900m2 facility through the existing operational budget for the libraries network.

'We are voting to build a library with a budget of $3.45 million. Commit to the budget, design the building and we will see where we are then.”

'We don't have to design it, or decide what colour the door handles are going to be,” says Mayor Stuart Crosby.

The vote passed 8 – 3 with councillors Rick Curach, Catherine Stewart and Gail McIntosh voted against it.

On the Mobile Library decision, councillor Clayton Mitchell was the only one opposed. John Robson spoke against the concept saying it doesn't easily support electronic media, but voted for it, saying the was persuaded by the debate.

The service cost $86,000 a year, which councillors believe they will be able to find somewhere else in the budget. They spoke in favour of the mobile service's community profile, how it is one of the few visible council endeavours in the community.

Councillor Bill Grainger echoed the message in one of the annual plan submissions, that the older people who rely on the service pay rates for sports fields they do not use - so it is fair that people who do not use the mobile library service, contribute to it.

The Mobile Library began in 1999 and is housed in a shelter built for it at Mount Maunganui.

In a third library-based decision TCC decided to reduce the number of library books held by Tauranga City Libraries.

The council decided to cut the number of books and DVDs in the libraries from the present level of 2.6 books per head of population to 2.4 books per head.

The average number of library items across all New Zealand cities is 3.1 per hear. A stocking level of 2.4 items per head, makes Tauranga the city with close to the lowest in NZ, says libraries manager Jill Best in her report to council.

The decision will halve the normal replacement of library books, and reduce the total stock by 25,000 items by the end of the year, down to 330,000.

It will reduce library stock purchases by $1,073,272.

Several councillors spoke in favour of reducing to 2.4 items over a couple of years. It would add costs of $530,000 in 2014/15, which could be achieved by carrying forward an unspent amount of $250,000 stock budget from 2013/14 to 2014/15, and bring forward spending of $280,000 from 2015/16.

Tauranga Libraries also have the highest loan turnover, which reduces the life of the stock, and will impact on the range of information and recreation available for all ages.

Tauranga Libraries also have access to quality online resources, which has recently been improved to match other cities.

Loans are turning over slightly faster due to email reminders, and there was high customer satisfaction in 2012 with the collection at 2.5 items per head.

The selection and rotation of stock will improve in accuracy following the recent purchase of collection management software.

Jill warns that buying and processing stock for the new Greerton Library will have to begin nine months before the library opens. Cutting the books budget by more than 50 per cent this year will 'impact heavily on the library's ability to provide new stock for Greerton”.

Phasing the reduction over three years would maintain customer satisfaction and staff workflow.

Councillor John Robson says a library in a lower decile area of a US city opened in the last 18 months without any books at all. Instead it relies on electronic readers.

'I believe library staff have the capacity and will to deliver an appropriate library service at the budget we have allocated,” says John.