Julia Edgecombe believes there aren’t places many these days where people can go and they don’t have to buy anything or do anything.

“They call them third places,” said the team leader libraries (west) for Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

They are locations, distinct from home (first place) and work (second place), that facilitate social interaction and community building.

But she knows that Te Ara Mātauranga, Waihī Beach’s new library, service centre and community hub is one. “That’s what this will be for people – they can just come in to get out of the heat in summer or out of the cold in winter, sit in the sun, read a book, jump on the public computers or just relax.”

Hive of activity

Edgecombe was right. When Katikati News visited the new library the afternoon it opened to the public on July 1 – four hours after it was officially blessed and opened by tangata whenua and dignitaries – the library was a hive of activity.

Books were being issued, people were in and out the doors, children were doing a scavenger hunt or were seated, reading and hanging out.

In the three reading “cubbies” – gifted their names by Te Whānau a Tauwhao after types of obsidian found on Tuhua Mayor Island – was five children.

Two were Waihī Beach School students Year 6 Addison Wilson, 10, and Ella Pratt, 11, who gave speeches at the opening. What do they think of the new library? “It’s really cool,” said Addison. Ella said: “I like the new cubbies because they’re really nice to read in – and I think the clouds above [hanging from the ceiling] look really cool”.

Both girls were keen to visit after-school, now the new library would open to 5pm. “Definitely!”

More space, books, resources

About six years in the making, Edgecombe, who’d been present in most planning meetings, said the new 400m2 library and service centre is four times bigger than the old one, open for longer hours and housed more books.

“We had 9000 books in the old library and we brought those over in one day thanks to help from Waihī Beach School PTA.”

Library staff had purchased an additional 1300 books, and books were transferred from other WBOPDC libraries to the new facility by identifying topics that may interest Waihī Beach readers.

More than 10,000 books were now available, said Edgecombe. The space included two large meeting rooms, with a moveable wall, one smaller meeting room, public computers and free Wi-Fi, dedicated reading spaces, “bring your own device” work spaces, and a table for activities such as crafts and puzzles.

“We’ve got a new self-check-out for books, which we never had before and a fancy new after-hours book-drop – just like Katikati.”

The building would be staffed by a customer services supervisor, two customer services representatives, and a community engagement librarian.

Hunter Wilson, 9, led fellow Waihī Beach School students in waiata (song) at the official opening of Te Ara Mātauranga. Photo / Merle Cave

The new facility is open 43 hours a week, compared to the previous 23 hours. New hours were 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, and 9am-12pm Saturdays. “That’ll be massive,” said Edgecombe.

About 160 people gathered July 1 to open the $5m facility whose name, gifted by Te Whānau a Tauwhao hapū, means “The Pathway to Knowledge”.

Learn, connect, thrive

A blessing was performed by Reon Tuanau, of Ōtāwhiwhi Marae, together with neighbouring Waihī Beach School tamariki, and Western BOP Mayor James Denyer cut the ribbon to declare the building open. “Libraries today are important community hubs – their role is so much more than just a repository for books. They’re public spaces where communities come together to learn, connect and thrive,” said Denyer.

Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer enjoyed a blessing and tour of the building. Photo / Merle Cave

“This has been a collaborative process with involvement from elected members, council staff, mana whenua, the school, and the community centre committee. I want to thank all those involved for achieving such a great result.”

Waihī Beach School principal Rachael Coll was proud of being part of consultation and collaboration of the project from the start “to make or voices heard”.

“We’ve done surveys … we’ve made Lego library which we’ve presented to designers and we’ve been on tours as the library was constructed.”

Through research, Coll said: “We know that our library at Waihī Beach School only last six years, then our children; aren’t going to comeback and get a book out.”

Relationships

“So it’s super important that we put in community resources and community spaces like this so that they actually feel comfortable. They then start to benefit, they do want to use the services and they return. That’s a big piece of why our kura is important and involved in our community resources.”

About 160 people gathered July 1 to open the $5m facility whose name, gifted by Te Whānau a Tauwhao hapū, means ‘The Pathway to Knowledge’. Photo / Merle Cave

WBOPDC customer services manager Valeta Duncan said the project had been community-led approach. “This project has been as much about the process, the relationships, and the learning as it has about the building.

“From the start, we knew building a new library was a big deal, so it had to be an inclusive process. Everyone had the chance to have a say – especially our tamariki, who were encouraged to dream about what a new, shiny library could look like for them.”

“Our partnership with Te Whānau ā Tauwhao Ki Ōtāwhiwhi has been crucial. We wouldn’t have this beautiful building that honours the stories and rich cultural heritage of mana whenua, without it.”

Te Ara Mātauranga, Waihī Beach’s new library, service centre and community hub was larger and held more books than its predecessor. Photo / Merle Cave

Once open, Tuanau led dignitaries and guests through the new library, blessing it as he went before leading the karakia to end proceedings.

As well as the library’s name, Te Whānau a Tauwhao gifted design elements to the building “so, our next generations can always remember the importance of connection to the taiao, to the moana [ocean], but also to our special places like Tuhua”, Tuanau said.