If you’re planning to pop into the library to stock up on reading material soon, you’ll be pleased to hear that we have extended our opening hours on certain days at the Central Library (on the Square) to make it easier.
Sunday 18 Dec: 10am – 4pm
Tuesday 20 Dec: 9am – 7pm
Wednesday 21 Dec: 9am – 7pm
All locations will be closed between Christmas and the New Year like the rest of Council.
You can see all our library locations and their open hours on the PDF below, or on the Locations page on our website.
Digital Library:
There’s one part of the library that’s always open – the digital library! You can get ebooks, e-audio, movies, magazines, and more, from the comfort of your own home.
2022 marks 50 years of the library’s Home Service deliveries to members of the public who can’t visit because of illness, disability, limited mobility, and support. This is the story of our home service deliveries from 1972 to today.
1972
In February, a ‘Housebound’ service began as a trial, with 17 customers and 6 delivery volunteers. By November the service was made permanent.
1975
The service has six volunteer delivery drivers, 17 housebound clients, and was expanded to 3 local rest homes. The image to the right shows a home service delivery taking place in 1975 and was originally published in the Manawatū Guardian. Source: Manawatū Heritage.
1979
The talking book service was enabled by the Palmerston North Rotary Club. As part of the Rotary International 75th Jubilee project, $3,000 was donated to the Library to provide about 100 talking books (audio books) to start the scheme.
The new Talking Book kit under review by Marie Moncrieff, Librarian; William Mansfield; and Dorothy Mansfield (‘House-bound’ borrower)
Originally published in the Manawatū Evening Standard in 1979. Source: Manawatū Heritage
1988
The service was expanded to 30 volunteer drivers and 65 clients.
2003
Under the guidance of Housebound Coordinator Deon Knox, the service had 40 volunteer drivers!
2007
The service had 82 clients.
Having the Home Service is excellent for me. I don’t have any transport except taxis, so having books and a jigsaw puzzle delivered every few weeks is something I look forward to and enjoy. I love reading, it takes you out of where you are and to wherever you’re reading about. Jigsaws are always a challenge – the harder ones are the ones I really enjoy. Because of Covid, meeting and talking with anyone who delivers the books and puzzles hasn’t been possible but to me, the Home Service is JUST THE BEST.
Heather Hurrell retired after 10 years as home services coordinator. In November Nora Kilpin took up the reigns as home service coordinator, and is still in the role in 2022.
The service introduced new ‘Victor’ players for the audiobooks, replacing the ‘daisy players’ that were offered to customers for long term loans.
Covid-19 restrictions pause Home Service deliveries during the first lockdown of 2020. When lockdown was lifted, staff picked up more of the selecting and delivery work, to keep our clients and volunteers safe.
2022
February saw 50 years since the inception of the service, while November is 50 years since the service was an official, permanent service at Palmerston North City Library.
We welcomed back our volunteers from July.
Being an avid reader myself I have enjoyed selecting for those who otherwise might be deprived of reading material. Long may this fantastic service continue.
Home Service volunteer Annette Bolton
I’d like to help!
Our volunteers select books according to our client’s preferences, and deliver and pick up bundles once a month, on DAY OF WEEK/ DATE. We are always happy to welcome new volunteers – to find out more contact us here.
I’m interested in receiving Home Service deliveries
If you’re unable to visit us because of illness, disability or limited mobility, and no-one else can do this for you then the Home Service may be for you. We discuss your interests and needs, and select a bundle just for you. And it’s not just books – we deliver music, DVDs and puzzles too!
Local History Week 2022 runs from Sunday 30 October to Monday 7 November. It’s jam packed with opportunities for you to explore our heritage buildings in Palmy, hear from local historians, and hear from professionals who work every day to preserve our heritage – from buildings to photos, history and memories, and much more.
You can check out the programme online here, and we also have a handy brochure that you can collect from the library, or download here and print for easy reference:
Taking you back in time, Vicki Lee sings hits from Dame Vera Lynn. Performance will be followed by afternoon tea. Join us in the former C M Ross tearooms, now part of the City Library.
Sunday 30 October, 3-5pm / Second Floor, Central Library
Lunchtime Talks
On every weekday of Local History Week at 12noon. All are welcome! Bring your lunch, hot drinks are provided.
Queen Elizabeth II in Palmerston North
The pox, the flu and the ‘rona
Palmerston North’s post-Second World War transit camps, 1945-1959
Earning a Crust: Faces of Work in Palmerston North’s Past
Archives Central
The Process and Self-Publishing of a Memoir
Archive Tours
We have opportunities to tour the Palmerston North City Council Archive and Massey University Archives. Discover these precious historical repositories, and meet the people who preserve history every day.
Jumping Jellybeans – Jump into the past
A great one for the littlies, we celebrate local history with some fun ‘old school’ preschool activities.
Wednesday 2 November, 10 – 11am / First Floor, Central Library
Special Event: Poets on Palmy
Join us for an evening to celebrate Palmerston North Poets and poetry. Starring Manawatū poets Tim Upperton, Tim Saunders and Jo Aitchison, with special guest James Brown (ex-Palmerston North).
Thursday 3 November, 6pm / Second Floor, Central Library
Special Event: The Forgotten Coast
Richard Shaw, Massey University, explores a personal story from our bicultural history. In his book The Forgotten Coast (2021) the author tells an old family story he was never told when growing up: that his ancestors once farmed land in Taranaki confiscated from Māori and sold to his great-grandfather, who was with the Armed Constabulary when it invaded Parihaka on 5 November 1881.
Sunday 6 November, 2 – 4pm / Second Floor, Central Library
Mina McKenzie Memorial Lecture: Stories of change and innovation in the regions: Women in New Zealand museums since the 1950s
Women now run most of the significant regional museums in New Zealand, including Te Manawa, and yet the figure of the museum director at a metropolitan level remains overwhelmingly male. This illustrated lecture focuses on the role of women in New Zealand museums and shows how they moved from honorary and voluntary roles to running museums over the 20th century.
Monday 7 November, Doors open 6.45pm, Lecture at 7pm. Te Manawa Museum Society Event. Te Rangahau Curiosity Centre,Te Manawa
Heritage building tours
Heritage sites across the city are opening their doors on Sunday 6 November for you to discover and appreciate.
Hoffman Kiln, 615 Featherston Street, 12 – 4pm
Palmerston North Electric Power Station 162 Keith Street, 12:30 – 4pm
This is just a selection of things that we have happening for Local History Week, so be sure to check out the programme above and take note of what catches your eye!
This month Palmerston North City Library is participating in Together We Read, New Zealand’s largest online book club!
Between October 13 to 27, everyone with a library card is invited to join Together We Read. With your library card, you can borrow an e-book or e-audiobook copy of New Zealand author Nikki Crutchley’s critically acclaimed novel To the Sea.
How does it work?
To join New Zealand’s largest annual online book club, you will need:
Your library card number (on the back of your card) and pin number
Download To the Sea by Nikki Crutchley as an ebook. It’s free and there are no holds or waiting
Start reading!
During the two weeks for reading, you can join the author Nikki Crutchley and other readers across New Zealand for online discussions.
Once you have downloaded the Libby app, get your library card and log in with the barcode number and your pin.
If you’ve forgotten your pin, give us a call on (06) 351 4100.
I need a library membership
You can join at any one of our library locations. Bring in some ID and proof of your address to any one of our libraries, and we’ll sign you up. OR
The fastest way to join is to sign up and participate is to for a digital membership with Palmerston North City Library
The form asks you to choose a library to join – pick Palmerston North Central Library
Pick ‘Digital Only Membership‘. This way, you skip the need to provide proof of your address and can use our digital resources (including Libby) straight away
(You can change your digital membership to a full membership with a card if you bring proof of your address into any one of our libraries)
Fill in the rest of your details, read and accept the Terms and Conditions, and click REGISTER
Log in to Libby with your membership, download To The Sea (and anything else that catches your eye), and you’re all set to start reading!
If you’re stuck, give us a call on (06) 351 4100
The Story
To the Sea by Nikki Crutchley (Harper Collins) is an atmospheric, suspenseful, dark and twisty thriller in the tradition of Daphne du Maurier, Paula Hawkins, Anna Downes and JP Pomare. Longlisted for the 2022 Ngaio Marsh Award, To the Sea is compulsively readable, keeping you guessing until late into the night, described by Rose Carlyle as, “An enthralling thriller, as beautiful and deadly as an ocean storm.”
How do I participate?
You are invited to join the zoom launch with Overdrive and author Nikki Crutchley on Thursday 13 October at 7pm.
The Libby App is an award-winning digital app from OverDrive, and holds the industry’s largest digital literary catalogue. Available through most local libraries across New Zealand, Libby is a free service offering access to e-books, audio books and other digital content across numerous devices including iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phones and tablets, Chromebook™, and Kobo® tablets and eReaders.
Looking for something to do with the whānau? We’ve got you covered!
Collect a postcard from any of our libraries and check out fun things to do in the Manawatū! Tick off each activity as you go. Once you’ve completed all 7 activities come back to the library and claim your prize!
The end of the School Holidays doesn’t mean an end to the fun – the Palmy Kids Read NZ’s Best Reading Challenge runs until 10 August, so keep on reading!
8 July – 10 August
Palmy Kids Read NZ’s Best Reading Challenge
Help Celebrate the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, as a lead up to the winners announcement on August 10, 2022. Read from the shortlist of finalist books or choose some of your favourite reads.
As well as daily activities, we’ve got a new reading challenge to take on:
Palmy Kids Read NZ’s Best Reading Challenge
8 July – 10 August
Help Celebrate the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, as a lead up to the winners announcement on August 10, 2022. Read from the shortlist of finalist books or choose some of your favourite reads.
We’re excited to announce that we’ve added new online tools to our digital collection. LOTE Online for kids, Creativebug, the British Newspaper Archive and new Gale databases have been added to inspire you to explore the pathways of the world.
LOTE stands for ‘languages other than English’, and is pronounced like the ‘loat’ in ‘float’. It has a catalogue of more than 1,600 digital books in more than 50 languages. It’s a fantastic way to help migrant tamariki hear, retain and read their mother tongue. It’s also great for new language learners of all ages to explore their chosen language by listening and reading.
Visit the Children’s Digital Library on our website to navigate to LOTE and our other fantastic Children’s apps. Keep your library card handy to sign in!
Creativebug is the perfect place to pick up a new hobby! With over 1000 online classes, taught by renowned artists and crafters, you can learn to paint, knit, crochet, sew and more. Classes don’t expire, so you can learn at your own pace.
Visit Creativebug now to get started. You’ll need to create an account with your library card number.
The British Newspaper Archive is a database covering 300 years’ worth of British newspaper content. One of our team managed to search and find information about their 5x Great-Grandfather! It’s a fantastic resource for those researching their genealogy.
The British Newspaper Archive is available only on a library computer, with up to 4 seats available at any given time for research. To access and view the archive you need to create an account using an email and password. By registering you’ll be able to view images/documents, keep track of your searches, and bookmark items into folders.
To start researching, come visit us at the library to use a computer – we’ve got loads of cosy spots.
Explore amazing adventures in science, nature, culture, archaeology and space.
Includes the complete run of the magazine from 2009 to the present. Provides authoritative, age appropriate digital content suitable for younger readers.
National Geographic Virtual Library includes the complete archive of National Geographic magazines from 1888 to the present, National Geographic: People, Animals and the World and National Geographic Kids. Along with a cross-searchable collection of National Geographic books, maps, images and videos.
Access content with a focus on Australia and New Zealand.
This database features a variety of magazines, journals, news and multimedia sources, covering important issues and current events related to Australia and New Zealand.
Access information on the latest developments across a range of scientific disciplines. Remain current with the latest scientific developments in the biological sciences, computing, engineering, technology and more. Updated daily.
Covers all aspects of the past and current state of military affairs.
Search scholarly journals, magazines, and reports covering all aspects of past and present military affairs. The database offers content in key subject areas including governmental policies, the socioeconomic effects of war, the structure of the armed forces and more. Updated daily.
The challenge uses the Library’s online platform Beanstack for monitoring and encouraging reading. Join up and log your reading to earn virtual badges.
The Challenge kicks off on Friday 8 July (right at the start of the school holidays!) and finishes on Friday 12 August, following the book awards ceremony on Wednesday 10th when the winning books are announced. Will you read a winner? Join up here and we’ll see!
If you need a JP, you can find one at Central Library every Friday from 11am to 1pm on the Mezzanine Floor.
They are in the Wharite Room, which is near the stairs heading up to the first floor. If you’re unsure, ask a staff member and we’ll point you in the right direction.
No appointments are necessary. If you need their services sooner, you can visit Palmerston North District Court on Main Street from 11:30am to 1:30pm, Monday to Wednesday, and from 11am to 3pm Thursday – Friday.
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