Library reciprocal membership available

Can’t get what you want at your local library? Whakatane District Libraries is joining hands with Tauranga City, Rotorua and Western Bay Districts’ public libraries in launching a Bay-wide reciprocal membership scheme that allows residents of one district to become members and borrow items from other district libraries in the region. The service being launched on Friday, 1 February 2008 is an initiative of the InfoShare Consortium.


With the increasing number of people who commute between the region’s centres for work, study or recreation, the Reciprocal Membership option is likely to be popular. Each library will still operate their own, separate conditions and borrowers will need to meet the requirements of the library they borrow from in terms of membership and borrowing.


The Reciprocal Membership initiative is just one of the benefits for local residents made possible by the InfoShare consortium – the libraries of Tauranga, Rotorua, Western Bay and Whakatane. InfoShare has been responsible for significant cost reductions for all the councils involved by obtaining and maintaining a common library management system.