After a tumultuous 18-months, Te Kōputu a te Whanga a Toi / Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre is switching off the lights for a one-week period, but will be back and better than ever after hitting the reset button.
The much-loved facility will be closed to the public from Monday 25th July, reopening the following Monday 1st August.
General Manager Community Experience Georgina Fletcher says pushing pause on public access to the centre enables Council to support staff wellbeing and hauora and provides some much-needed respite from the daily demands of library, gallery, and customer service enquiries.
“Since the onset of COVID-19, our public-facing staff have showed incredible strength, flexibility, innovation and perseverance. They’ve adapted to new ways of working, helped navigate our communities through vaccine passes and social distancing, managed public anxieties, and implemented remote library services; all while wearing their all so familiar smiles, despite the fact these were hidden behind the masks they’ve so dutifully worn.”
“Staff are exhausted, their immune systems are compromised resulting in high numbers of staff unwellness, and this affects the team’s ability to deliver the best experience for our communities.” Georgina adds, “People are at the heart of everything we do, and it’s vital we show the value we place on our staff and their wellbeing and give them time for some respite and to recuperate.”
The nature of the facility means front-facing staff don’t get the option of working from home and are often in contact with unwell members of the public, and yet they are stellar performers. “The team have recently organised and delivered the well-attended Te Kōputu Turns Ten festival, a two-week calendar of events for Matariki, and their ever-popular school holiday programme is currently running.”
While there will be a break from public-facing duties, during the closure staff will be involved in team building events and training, while revitalisation of workspaces, a deep clean of the facility and maintenance will also occur. Exhibition staff will be refreshing the gallery spaces, with a pack down of current exhibitions and installation of three galleries which will re-open to the public in mid-August.
Keen bookworms are encouraged to pay a visit to Te Kōputu prior to the closure to ensure their stash of literature doesn’t get caught short. Alternatively, remote library services can be found at whakatane.govt.nz/library.
Key details:
- Te Kōputu a te Whanga a Toi / Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre
Closed Monday 25th July – Sunday 31st July - Murupara Library
Reduced hours - 10am to 4pm Monday 25th July – Friday 29th July
On-line services and resources:
- Arts online
Current & Past Exhibitions whakatanemuseum.org.nz - Heritage on-line
@discover_tekoputu - Instagram - Library online
Visit whakatane.govt.nz/library