UPPER HUTT CITY LIBRARY

Jan from Ebdentown

POST 2

I am not averse to change/new if it increases benefits for all involved and increases accessability and inclusivity, these changes did neither.

When a change does not do that, and when the change actually does not benefit and also excludes those who had access before, then I am deeply concerned as to whose interests are actually being served?

Libraries have been round for hundreds of years, they got it right the 1st time!

I have spent most of my adult life working to make changes to facilitate inclusive communities and continue to do so, when asked, where there is a clear agreed need, where there is consensus!

Library is a core function of any City Council, it is ratepayer funded for ratepayer use, it should be available and accessible to any and all citizens, members, readers! Ours ceased to be that.

I don't remember the community/Library users being consulted on the changes. I cannot remember anyone ever saying thay couldn't find a book or navigate the Library as it was.

The Libraries that have followed/instituted the “philosophical trend” are a fraction of the overall Libraries in NZ and all are very small and in no way comparable to ours.

I notice that anywhere books are offered bookshops, bookfairs, 2nd hand bookshops, they are all displayed alphbetically and in genre!

Lower Hutt Libraries are all old school, sectioned in genre and with lovley clear pictorial icons on the spines also indicating genre. I have only ½ an hour when I am there, I come out with 10-12 books. I used to be able to choose 9 a week at Upper Hutt Library.

In a busy society, most households now go out to work, and everyone is time poor, to have to spend precious time wandering about trying to find your genre in the Library, when it is arranged solely alphabetically is a nightmare for many of us.

There are many among us that have/suffer recognised sensory difficulties of one sort or another, my understanding is that it was a distressing experience for many to try to navigate the “philosophical Trend”

So while I respect that there are some people out there that liked the new setup, I am one of those many, who found my Library confusing,frustrating and time consuming and virtually inaccessible.

Remeber the Mayor, Council and Librians serve us! They should reflect our wishes for our community/rates, not theirs.