Taupo Mobile Library officially opened

Last Friday a blessing and opening ceremony was held to mark the occasion of the new Taupo Mobile Library service opening to the public.



Friends of the Library, Mayor Rick Cooper and Councillors, Council and Library staff, volunteers and members of the community were gathered outside the Library by the new ‘Book Bus’ to launch the new mobile library service to the District.



Mayor Rick Cooper cut the ribbon to the new bus, and declared the service open and ready for use. He said he was very impressed with the ‘Book Bus’ and mentioned that Council and Library staff had done a great job, acting on the opportunity provided.



“The mobile library service will become an integral part of the community as it will support those in our community that are less mobile – we can now take the library to them,” he said.



The bus, originally a mobile library for Manukau City Library, was bought by the Taupo District Library in February and since then it has been painted, carpeted, renovated and is now fully operational.



Taupo District Library Manager, Philip van Zijl says the mobile library addresses issues of equity and is a truly multi-functional service.



“The reason we have seen the completion of this project is because when opportunity knocked, Council responded, took up the challenge and came up with the goods which has resulted in a great outcome for members of our wider communities across the District,” he said.



The bus is planned to be used during the summer for the Library’s Reading Program for Children. In the New Year, delivery services to rural and outlying areas and Taupo rest homes will get underway.



Local artist, Donovan Bixley designed the artwork on the outside of the bus which features ‘Eddie the Taniwha’ - the Library Mascot, emerging from Lake Taupo.