Curling up with a good book is still a favourite summer holiday pastime and this pleasure is causing the Tauranga librarians to be run off their feet.


Circulation assistant Ali Foster and assistant team leader circulation Jo Edwards sorting some of the over 9000 returns that came in on Wednesday.

Wednesday, when the libraries reopened after the new year holiday, was Tauranga's central library's busiest day with 2338 people calling by to drop-off books and take out more. On Thursday there were 1795 customers at the library.

'Reading a book is certainly extremely popular, when people do have time,” says head librarian Jill Best.

'You see it even on the bus. Reading a book is still pretty much up there with the things New Zealanders do for hobbies, particularly in this town, there's such a big proportion of elderly.

'The day after the new year holiday is traditionally the busiest day of the year because a whole lot of people have had time to read their books and they all throw them back through the return slot and anybody who isn't back at work this week comes in to get another lot.

'Particularly if they have got grandchildren with them – and if it rains it will be even busier.”

It means that while the rest of the city council is mostly closed down for the holiday period, the libraries have had about two thirds of their entire staff working between Christmas and new year, says Jill.

'This is our busy time of year,” says Jill, 'we expect to be franticly busy and roster for it.”

Librarians are continuing the huge job of re-shelving a massive pile of books and DVDs returned over the holiday period. There were 13,000 books returned to the four libraries on Wednesday, 9500 of them at Tauranga central.

Papamoa library had 1255 customers on Wednesday and 738 on Thursday, Greerton 973, and 687, Mount Maunganui 681 and 542.