Much loved library back in business

The historic Woolston Community Library, knocked out by the earthquakes, has a new home.

It reopens today in a room at the scout den on the corner of St Johns St and Glenroy St.

"It's only a small room but we feel we should open and get going, and people in the Woolston area say they do miss us," said a library volunteer, June Tomlin.

"However, it's very small and we had to get rid of a lot of books, unfortunately."

The library has a 140-year history and started in a church hall.

It should have celebrated the 100th anniversary of its building in Ferry Rd near Woolston village last year.

However, the building, a local landmark, was damaged in the September earthquake and closed, and after more damage in the later shakes was demolished last June.

The reopened library is stocking only post-2005 books in the new premises because of shortage of room.

Thirty-one boxes of old books were given to the local Lions club for a sale, and about 300 were sold by the library at a stall at the Woolston gala.

The new library is adults only - the roof fell into the children's library and all the books were lost.

Mrs Tomlin said they had a lot of help from volunteers' husbands to put up bookcases in the room at the scout den.

However, they also want to get a return bin for books, if anyone can help.

The library reopens at 1pm today and will be open from 1pm to 3pm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and from 10.30am to 12.30pm every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.