The Pāpāmoa community is invited to celebrate the 20th birthday of their local library and community centre on June 15.
The public event will feature free activities and entertainment for the whole family, including face-painting, a showcase of the programmes available, and a look back on the history of the venue and site.
When the community facility first opened on June 16, 2006, Jess Warren was a high school student who dreamed of working there one day.
“When Pāpāmoa Library got built on my doorstep, it was amazing,” she said.
Two years later she got her chance, working at the library for a few hours after school and on weekends.
Keeping up
She enjoyed it so much that after studying at university, she returned and has now worked at the library for more than 12 years.
Warren, an assistant leader at Te Ao Mārama - Pāpāmoa Library, said she was excited about the celebration on Monday.
“I’ve seen the site develop over many years ... and seen how libraries have changed. It has evolved with the times and we’re keeping up with the change.”
Warren said community connection was what she loved the most about her job.
“I’m very people-focused. I love the meaningful interactions we have with our customers, and our team is very innovative and supportive. We come up with new ways to connect with the community.”
She said the 20th birthday celebration was a great opportunity to show the community there was more to the library than lending out books.
There are community-focused programmes, Chrome stations for public internet use, a scanning service, digital support – and friendly staff are always on hand to connect with people face to face and help them with their Tauranga City Council service needs.
Michelle Englehardt’s introduction to Te Ao Mārama - Pāpāmoa Library was as a visitor looking for internet and a quiet place to work.
‘We help’
She had now worked there for more than three years as the team leader, helping connect others to the same community services. “We help our community. It’s quite a privilege,” Englehardt said.
“People need help with lots of things, not only books. Some people come in for a kind conversation. We have a wonderful team and they’re so community focused.”
Pāpāmoa Community Centre is located within the building and managed by Bay Venues on behalf of the Tauranga City Council.
Venue supervisor Sylvia Wilmshurst looks after the seven rooms and spaces that can be hired for community activities, events or business functions.
She will be a familiar face to anyone who regularly visits the library. She sits at the entrance and has worked at Pāpāmoa Community Centre for the past 12 years.
Lots of friends
She said she had made a lot of friends over the years. “And a lot of people come back to the centre just to say hello”.
Wilmshurst said she enjoyed giving back to the community she loved. “You’re hosting activities and events that people are really thankful for.”
Patrick Gibbons of Pāpāmoa Art Collective, which had used the library and community centre for almost 20 years. Photo / Supplied
Pāpāmoa councillor Steve Morris says when the Pāpāmoa library and community centre opened in 2006, “it helped our then much smaller Pāpāmoa feel like a community again after rapid growth in the 1990s”.
“Twenty years on, it is still doing that, supporting families, community groups, and everyday life in Pāpāmoa. This milestone is something the community can be proud of, and it is great to see it being celebrated.”
Patrick Gibbons, from the Pāpāmoa Art Collective, said his group had utilised the library and community centre for most of the past 20 years.
He said the facilities were ideal for what his group needs and the central location on Gravatt Rd, next to Pāpāmoa Plaza, added to the appeal.
Perfect place
Pāpāmoa Art Collective has more than 30 members and meets on Tuesday afternoons during the school term. “It’s the perfect place,” he said.
Gibbons said the group’s aim was to enjoy art “and the company of like-minded people”.
The Pāpāmoa Family History Group is another regular user. Chairwoman Sheryl Baron believes the helpful staff and facilities have contributed to the success of her group.
Chairwoman Sheryl Baron, at front, believes the library’s helpful staff and facilities have contributed to the success of Pāpāmoa Family History Group. Photo / Supplied
“The room that we use is literally opposite the door of the library, which houses, for example, our collection of all of the births, deaths and marriages that have taken place in New Zealand.
“Everything’s nice and close and everything’s inter-related, and I think that contributes to the strength of the group.”
A full schedule for the public celebration on June 15 is online at: https://tinyurl.com/mtrunbxw.