Psst . . . there's something happening at the library

The Nelson Mail

Libraries no longer go by the book alone, but have embraced the age of digital information, as ALICE COWDREY discovers.

A teenager is leaning back in her chair, gazing intently at a computer screen. She is watching a clip of teen heart-throb Daniel Radcliffe (aka Harry Potter) being interviewed by David Letterman on his Late Show. Next to her, a girl flicks from her Facebook page to a website displaying diamond rings.

It's the dawn of the new library age and this scene is taking place all over the country – thanks to the advent of free internet access. It has helped generate increased foot traffic in provincial libraries and people are now looking at the library with new eyes.

Once stereotyped as a dusty time warp with dated carpet and surrounded in a sacred silence, the public library is now being promoted as a community centre, or living room, where people can not only read, but also chat (not whisper), use the internet free and even buy a coffee.

These changes are now happening in Richmond, with the town's tired library undergoing a $2.2 million spruce-up that will increase the floor space by 59 per cent.

The new library's vision statement says that the library's "living room" will be the social heart of the venue, with spaces to relax, read, talk, email, watch TV or even just feel warm.

News will play on a television in the newsroom and there will be a small cafe, an outdoor courtyard with benches and a shade sail, a research room and a learning suite with computers. Perhaps the most hi-tech feature of all, however, will be the "multipurpose content creation pod" where people will be able to create audio recordings and multimedia oral histories, and digitise family records, photographs and other printed records.

The library's vision statement says: "Future focused, the library will provide high-quality and rapid access to information. It will offer a range of innovative experiences and opportunities for people to connect with local and global communities."

Every day, about 1350 people walk through the doors of the Tasman district's four libraries in Richmond, Motueka, Takaka and Murchison. All are on a mission to boost their knowledge through a range of methods, whether picking over books, flicking through magazines or gazing at a chock-a-block noticeboard.

The Richmond Library has a dull mauve interior and is a bit disjointed at the moment. Some of the books are in storage while the renovation takes place and there's a large plywood box where the library's front entrance is being rebuilt.

Things are still ticking along, though. There's a little boy with spiky hair and falling-down rugby socks pushing a children's cookery book through the returns slot, and an elderly woman walks by reading the blurb of a shiny new hardcovered sewing book. A reusable cloth bag bearing the CS Lewis quote "We read so that we know we are not alone" hangs on the wall for sale.

Things brighten up with the entry of Catherine Bryham, the Tasman District Libraries manager. She leads me through a boxy-looking staff area and tells me the new library will be a living room for the future.

Ms Bryham, 41, started her new job in April and says she started out in the industry as a 15-year-old driving the mobile library bus.

She is full of enthusiasm for the importance of libraries in the community and how the new renovation will feel in Richmond. "I think it will feel like a vibrant place that is open to all sectors of the community that any group can come and find a space and feel comfortable in.

"The upgrade of the library is to reflect the changing role of libraries in society. We are going to have a modern library building to meet the needs of customers for the 21st century," she says.

One of the key issues is that as society changes, there is less connectedness between communities. "People are looking for physical spaces to connect with each other, and physical spaces to study and relax, and so the vision of this library will be a living room for the Tasman district."

There's lots of inspiring lounge furniture being bought, including ottomans of different shapes and sizes that will be able to be rearranged in any shape or form.

"When I started [working in libraries], more emphasis was on packing as many collections into the spaces as we could, which isn't necessarily the best thing, because we need space for people to relax.

"We emphasise it's a public space and we need to cater for the needs of all people, young and old. We will outline for them the times during the week when the library has a quiet environment."

In her most recent report to the Tasman District Council, Ms Bryham wrote that during September visits continued to grow and were up 23 per cent on last year.

The lure of free internet access also seems to have had an effect on foot traffic, especially for youth, she says. "We have around 4300 30-minute internet sessions accessed each month across the district – around 172 sessions daily."

Computers with free high-speed broadband were installed in the region's libraries last year.

However, Ms Bryham says the increased foot traffic is also due to the new library in Takaka, the refurbishment in Motueka and a reciprocal borrowing arrangement with Nelson's public libraries.

That increase may be responsible for the increase in book issues. Between July 2008 and June 2009, Tasman libraries issued 33,500 more items than in the previous year, a 5.3 per cent increase. At the same time, about 50,000 more people visited.

The changing world of the library has not been completely well received, especially around the internet issue. Some have complained that the libraries have become cluttered with tourists making use of the wireless internet access (wifi). Others have fought back, responding that it is healthy for libraries to be in demand.

In 2008, top of the south libraries joined their West Coast and Canterbury counterparts in receiving computers for public use as part of the Aotearoa People's Network, a government-funded initiative to give New Zealanders new technology and more confidence in using computers.

The network has provided free internet in 120 libraries nationwide and recently won a 3M Award for Innovation in Libraries.

In March this year, overcrowding at the Motueka library meant limits were imposed on the free internet service. Motueka branch librarian Karen Dickerson says the library has dealt with the overcrowding by having two designated wifi spaces that can cater for 12 people. The users are also allowed in the park area outside the building, and last summer, about 12 people could be spotted in that area at any one time. The library has four computers for accessing the internet, and timeslots must be booked. There is a one-hour time limit for members and 30 minutes for non-members.

Ms Dickerson knows the library has "space issues" but says the internet is good for the community.

The free service sparked even more debate this week when Tasman district councillors found out the internet might be funded for only one more year. APN's governance group is due to discuss future funding in the next month, but says it will consult local authorities on the matter.

Some councillors do not believe the council should have to pay for the service, while others, such as Judene Edgar, believe it's a vital service but should be capped so teenagers cannot download music and movies. Yet others, including Motueka's Barry Dowler, say only library card holders should have access to the service if it's council-funded.

Ms Bryham says free internet in libraries is not just some "add-on" service but part and parcel of the way they work these days. "It's integrated into the library and the way people live their lives."

Nelson Libraries manager Ian Littleworth says technology in libraries may not be cutting edge, but what's important is the fact that libraries are the best places to make connections between technology and the community. "Books will always be fundamental to what we do, but using digital information – that's the way communities are going, and libraries are the ones pushing it out there and making it available."

He says people should stop focusing on tourists using the free internet, because there have been huge increases in the numbers of local people using it too.

"It's bringing in all of these people who we have never seen in libraries."

The Tasman council seems to be recognising the increasing role of the district's libraries and is pumping more money into the books budget over the next few years, increasing it from about $230,000 to $310,000. The Tasman district collections service librarian, Ruth Lawley, says this is positive news, as is the changing role of the library.

"It's fantastic and exciting seeing the evolution of how people use libraries, but our core service is the provision of information and entertainment.

"Lots of libraries arrange themselves so there is a quiet space and most users will respect that. There are different needs and we attempt to provide for them.

"But that buzzy feeling when you walk into a library – it's fantastic."