Libraries  |  Yesterday

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With demolition about to begin on the earthquake-damaged South Library and Customer Service Hub, Christchurch City Council is opening two new pop-up facilities to serve the local community.

The temporary library, South Colombo, will open at The Colombo shopping centre on Monday 24 February 2025. The temporary Customer Service Hub will open at Pioneer Recreation and Sport Centre on Monday 10 February.

This means the last day open for the Customer Service Hub will be Friday 7 February, and the last day for the Library will be Sunday 9 February. 

“The South building was badly damaged in the 2011 earthquakes, and the community has been very patient while we've worked to get a new, rebuilt facility in the pipeline,” says Carolyn Robertson, Head of Libraries and Information .

“We're set to start construction on Ōmōkihi, the new Library and Customer Service Hub, in 2025. Because we’re retaining the same picturesque riverside location that our customers know and love, we first need to demolish the existing building – and unfortunately, that means displacing our much-loved library and customer services for the duration.”

Both temporary facilities will operate until December 2026, when Ōmōkihi is expected to open. 

The South Colombo library will be located on the western side of The Colombo and offer a collection of around 10,000 items, an area for children’s sessions and spaces for people to relax and study. It will be open seven days, 9am–5pm weekdays and 10am–4pm Saturdays and Sundays.

The pop-up Customer Service Hub will be found near the pool front counter at Pioneer Recreation and Sport Centre.

“To help fill the gap during construction of Ōmōkihi, we'll also be extending the hours at the nearby Spreydon Library, and we'll have our South Mobile library van servicing various handy locations in the area. That includes local schools, community hubs, Princess Margaret Hospital, the Cashmere Club and She Chocolaterie,” Mrs Robertson says.

On top of the earthquake damage, the South Library and Customer Service Hub   opened in 2003, and was due for an upgrade to modern standards – Ōmōkihi will be much greener and more energy efficient, and the space inside will better suit customers and staff.