About Karori Library
Our Library and Community
Our library is a branch library in the Wellington City Libraries network. The present two level building was opened in November 2005 and includes a cafe, Arobake on the Square (Ph 476 2777). Library customers are invited to bring their 'coffee and cake' through into the library and to relax in our comfortable armchairs. The site has offered a library service since the 1840's when the library operated from the community hall. During the early 1890's it shared the building with the borough council.
Beauchamp Street just down from the library was named after Katherine Mansfield who lived in Karori for many years. Today Karori is still home to several notable writers.
Karori has a wealth of amenities including many pre-schools and day care centres, 3 primary schools, 1 private girls school, 4 rest homes, a campus of Victoria University, a swimming pool, recreation centre (just behind the library) and a wildlife sanctuary. In addition a shopping mall is located just across the road from the library and to the side are public toilets and a post office.
A significant feature of the walkway adjacent to the library that connects Karori Road to the Community Centre is a collection of commemorative bricks that were planted by children from the local schools. The library holds a plan of their names and the bricks they contributed to the project.
For more information about the community have a look at the Karori page in our local history section.
Our Library Team
Many of our staff at Karori library live locally and have a wealth of community knowledge. Feel free to approach us with community related questions. If we don't know the answer then we should be able to tell you where to find out. The staff's interests and areas of expertise vary but include:
If you think we can be of help to you then please contact us.
Children and children's literature
Horticulture
Vegetarianism
Pop culture
Photography
Russia
Politics
Music
Sport (especially soccer and cricket)
Services We Offer
Library visits for pre-school and school groups
We offer visits on-site or away to local pre-school and primary school groups. Please contact us to see if this is possible for your group. (We also run daily pre-school story times for the public.)
Free and paid Internet computers
We have computers offering free access to pre-selected Internet sites, but if you want to use the Internet for email or other general searching, we have three computers available for $3 for half an hour ($1.50 for 15 minutes) plus 20 cents per page printing charge. Our "free Internet" computers offer free access to websites we think are useful for information or research. These include websites such as online newspapers, government websites, most NZ websites, the websites recommended in our Kids Catalogues and many more.
ZoomText
ZoomText software is available to use on one of our Free Internet computers located on the First Floor of the library. ZoomText enlarges font size on webpages and electronic documents (email, newspaper databases etc) and can be set to read these aloud or display in high contrast large print. Ask at the upstairs information desk and a librarian will show you the ZoomText computer.
Word Processing
There is a Word Processing PC available. There is no charge for using this PC and printing costs 20 cents per page. Software available on this PC includes: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe Reader 6.0. Note: There is no Internet software on this PC. Floppy discs can be used to save documents - use your own or you can get new floppy discs from the enquiries desk for $1 each. CD and memory sticks (USB devices) can also be used.
Photocopying
Our photocopier is on the 2nd floor of the library and provides both A4 (20 cents per copy) and A3 (40 cents) copies. It is coin-box operated, but we are able to give change.
Fax machine
We have a fax machine available. There is a $4 base charge for all faxes, plus per page charges for National and International faxes ($1.50 per page for National faxes, $6 per page for International faxes).
Rates payments
Wellington City Council rates and payments can be posted in the silver post box in front of the main issues desk on the ground floor.
Our Collection
The library holds a number of magazines in various languages including Russian, Chinese, and Hindi. In addition the new library has an expanded collection of DVDs and CDs. Local history buffs are catered for by the Karori Historical Society files which are housed on the first floor of the library. These files are collected by a group of local historians to ensure that the history of the area is recorded. Items can be borrowed from the file.
Karori keeps a week's worth of copies of the Dominion Post and the New Zealand Herald. In addition we have many Wellington City Council publications and various local news and information sources.
