After nearly 12 months, the fences around the Mount Maunganui Library have come down, as work in and around the building has been completed.

Initially, the grounds outside the library were fenced off following the discovery of asbestos in the soil in December 2015.

The asbestos was successfully removed in March 2016.

The fences remained to allow necessary seismic upgrading to be carried out in June 2016, which saw plywood installed against the library's internal walls to prevent them from falling inwards in the event of an earthquake.

'It has been a disruptive period for both staff and library-users; although the library remained open during the work, we did notice a drop in visitor numbers, so it will a great to be back to full capacity,” says Libraries Manager Jill Best.

To celebrate the completion of the refurbishment work, there will be a week-long, fun filled programme of events for all to enjoy. Mount Library Lovers' Fun Week will include a summer cooking demonstration, B'Dazzled Balloons, Scottish country dancing, big book sale, and much more.

'A celebration is just what the library needs. We pride ourselves on being a community hub and events like these are a great way to connect with the community,” says Jill.

The library was initially built in 1967 by the Mount Maunganui Borough Council, and a 450 square metre extension was added in 1988. With local government amalgamation in 1989, the library came under the control of the Tauranga District Council.

This has been the first sizable refurbishment work completed since the library was extended. All the same services the library previously provided will still be available.

For more information, including the full programme of events, visit www.library.tauranga.govt.nz