Surely it doesn't suggest Greerton is a hotbed of neo-Nazism? Or does the village simply have a healthy intellectual interest in 20th century German history and Hitler's nationalist socialist ideals?
Very probably the latter.
'One of the things I am amazed about is the very specialist books that people take out of our library,” observes Joanna Thomas, Tauranga City Council library customer services team leader. And one of those popular specialist books is Hitler's Mein Kampf – a bumbling, badly-written and boring, but historically- significant autobiography comprising Hitler's political and racial ideas.
'They are books I didn't think people would be interested in,” says Joanna.
'Like Nietzsche, the German philosopher, the complete works of Keats or very intellectual biographies and philosophy – they're still amazingly popular.” We shouldn't under-estimate people and their hunger for information.
Joanna is ‘front of house' at Greerton Library – the futuristic emporium of words, stories, information, DVDs, magazines and lots more – slap bang in the middle of a bustling Greerton Village. It's not just a library, it's a hub, the heart of a community. It's just turned one year old and it's pumping.
'A 67 per cent increase in the door count,” says Joanna proudly. 'In 2014 we had 112,924 people through the old library – and in the first 12 months of the new library we had 188,753 people visit.”
That amount of traffic tells us the new Greerton Library is much more than somewhere where you go to read a book.
'There are the Mandarin classes because we have people in this community with skills and knowledge they think is important to share with others.” There are also the book clubs, the computer classes, knitting club and adult colouring club. 'That's creative and social – for some it's the only outing of the week and for others it's just part of their busy social life,” says Joanna.
That's what's missing at Greerton Library, no ‘shush' signs – none. They are loud if because of their absence. And Joanna doesn't steer the reporter to a quiet corner for a chat. We're out there in a specially designed ‘space' by non-fiction, hooting with laughter and talking as loud as you like about libraries. Greerton Library has a pulse – it's very alive and healthily noisy.
Suddenly library stats are fascinating. For example, Greerton Library has a collection of 49,675 items. And last year there were 343,677 issues and renewals. That's a lot of ins and outs.
So, do those numbers tell us people have an insatiable hunger for information – that they want to know about things and learn about things? 'We shouldn't under-estimate the need of people to access and absorb information,” says Joanna. And people today are very engaged with libraries.
'Greerton has a very mixed demographic – lots of older people and young families which is a perfect recipe for libraries because a lot of what we have to offer is attractive to people who aren't working 60 hours a week.”
When they were building the library, parents were consulted about what they wanted. The message was clear - activities that were educational and didn't cost the earth. 'And for a lot of people the library is a great social outing that doesn't cost a lot of money. And if they live in Greerton and they use this facility it makes life better and easier. Greerton's also a thriving community where people enjoy doing stuff locally in Greerton.”
It appears libraries, and particularly Greerton Library, certainly have a greater social responsibility than just a repository for books. 'It's pure entertainment for some but for others it's where they get things done in their life – like printing off the loan documents, signing them and faxing them back to the bank. Others just come to meet people.”
And it's the librarians who decide what's on the menu – what's available to read. 'It's not necessarily what's good or bad,” says Joanna. It's based on what's popular, what's been accorded literary praise or received awards, what's topical and in the media and whatever's published by a mainstream NZ publisher.”
That's because they know what they can sell and what people want. So then it ends up in Greerton Library.
What about the steamy stuff, the raunchy, salacious stuff? 'The censor keeps us pretty safe,” says Joanna. 'We have plenty of books that not everyone would want to read. But that's the nature of things. We are a pretty broad church in the library and people that come to the library enjoy the fact.”
And like late returns, or stolen books, blue books are not a big issue.
Which comes as a surprise because a colleague is sitting on five late returns. Had them for months. She kept hitting the re-issue button but the library computer got wise. 'Let's name and shame,” suggests the mischievous customer services woman. Her name is Cayla.
And there would be the small matter of overdue fees as well.
Most popular book in the Greerton Library? Children's' books and anything by David Walliams – comedian, ‘Britain's Got Talent' judge and of course author of ‘Gangsta Granny', ‘Mr Stink', ‘Awful Auntie' and many others. 'Big circulators,” says Joanna. Understandable because he's sold 12.5 million books in 46 languages and his name is uttered in the same breath as Roald Dahl.
Teenage fiction is also a favourite flavor – there's a display called Dystopian Fiction' catering for the teenage predilection for post-Armageddon, surviving the apocalypse. Some light, on-the-pillow reading.
Anyhow, libraries aren't boring according to Joanna Thomas. 'They are always changing and I love it every day.”
This from a customer services team leader who insisted on high ceilings and natural light when they were designing the library. And got them. 'You want to walk in and experience a nice place to be without thinking about it. I think it all came together.”
The Greerton Library is open seven days, Monday to Friday from 9:30am-5pm and at the weekend from 9:30am-4pm.