Upper Hutt Library Changes
Thanks to everyone for their feedback it is very much appreciated.
Your voices are critically important. If we don’t speak out our policy makers will say that we don’t mind or we don’t care. If you have any ideas on how we can be better heard by Council I would love to hear them!
I am only one person and our policy makers are impressed most by numbers, the more of us that speak up the better.
Auckland City Council is looking to close Libraries (no matter what they say) as part of ‘across the board’ cost cutting! Libraries are a soft target.
I know from experience that the current library trendy changes are unprofessional and not even a valid system - I know that instituting ‘trendy new philosophies’ is a way of disguising other agenda – I know that counting numbers is a way to make a case for downgrading or disappearing a service! Does our Council have an undeclared agenda? I believe so!
We all always used have equal access to all the books in the Library under the traditional system, and we all managed to borrow books. We were always able to choose to explore other genre, the books were/are always there. It only needed us to go down an aisle that we hadn’t been down before.
• I and others like me, now have had our choices taken away we now have no choice but to trawl at length through every genre, eliminating everything we don’t want.
For those of us whose natural style of search is systematic genre based and for those of us who only read one or two genre the new layout is a messy, confined, time consuming, a mind numbing maze. Spots on spines won’t help as we still have to look through the whole of fiction looking for them. A public library is a ratepayer funded community service and should include and be accessible to all members of the community, as it once very recently was, and the traditional libraries still are! 300 Public Libraries in NZ only 30 have adopted this philosophy.
I don’t mind change and actively support change, as long it a result of a consultative process which results in including and being accessible to more people. The new layout is not as inclusive or accessible as it was prior to the trendy changes.
My Blog documents my interaction with Council and more details.
A Neighbourly Riddle! Don’t Overthink It… Or Do?😜
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
If you multiply this number by any other number, the answer will always be the same. What number is this?
Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
-
58.9% Yes, supporting people is important!
-
26.3% No, individuals should take responsibility
-
14.8% ... It is complicated
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Loading…