Napier LibrariesNgā Whare Pukapuka o Ahuriri

Progress made on Napier Library project

The new Napier Library is growing closer to becoming a reality with due diligence on the top three sites having been completed. A report on the options for the Napier Library is expected to go before Council in early 2020, for more information click here.

Our mission

Napier Libraries' objective is to "Help make Napier the best city in New Zealand by providing the best Public Library Service in New Zealand".

The Libraries' broader values were laid out in 2018 Napier Library Strategy (2MB): "We commit to listening to the needs of our internal customers and community and delivering excellence in service. We engage in a friendly, trustworthy and respectful manner embracing cultural heritage and diversity with an open mind."

Five objectives emerged from the Library Strategy that are essential to the library providing the best service for the community.

• Enabling access – the support of learning, literacy and reading in both a physical and digital world. The library needs to continually develop services, skills and collections to meet changing customer expectations.
• Space for all – With the adaption of the Library strategy ‘space for all’ becomes an important part of building the new library so that it is accessible, adaptable and appropriate multi-purpose areas fit for today and the future. Spaces to encourage a safe and welcoming environment.
• Knowledge Advocates – Providing the right content, reducing barriers, responsive to community needs, being a trusted advocate in a time of information proliferation. We will do this by creating easy to access and relevant collections and databases that champion intellectual freedom and equal and free access to knowledge and information.
• Community collaborators – Matching the needs of the wider community. Working with parts of the community most in need of our service. Develop programmes that will benefit our community, and connecting our community to relevant expertise, as well as collaborating with our community and social enterprise to expand our services.
• Sustainable future – We are in a competitive world where people have more options. We have a responsibility to our environment. Libraries are ratepayer funded with traditional use in decline. Building expertise to provide a better service. Investing in an empowering our people, growing their knowledge and expertise to be ready for the future. A place for social enterprise to drive environmental good.

At Napier Libraries we're committed to providing a welcoming environment that honours biculturalism. In both our libraries you will find signage in English and Te Reo, and we aim to continue to develop the Māori content on our website.

History of Napier Libraries

Napier has had a public library service since the days of the Athenaeum, established in 1865. When Napier and Taradale amalgamated in 1968, the Taradale Library became a branch of the Napier Library. In 1986 the first purpose-built library opened in Station Street, next door to the main Council building. The Taradale Branch was located on Gloucester St until 1995, when it moved to its present location. The Napier Library remained the main city library until December 2017 when it closed due to a seismic assessment that met only 15% of New Building Standards.

We currently have two locations: The Napier Library is temporarily housed within the MTG Hawke's Bay and we have a branch library in Taradale. There is also a central city storage facility for our overflow, and items held there are available as free reserves. We’re committed to providing a welcoming environment that honours bi-culturalism and promotes inclusivity.